The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1862-05-17
Operations Below New Orleans.

"A correspondent Ol tue new Ofk lMt
writes for that paper full end graphic az
count of the operations of the Fleet unde
commanders Farragut and Porter durin
the six days bombardment of the Fort
below New Orleans. We extract POI
tion, referring to the events subsequen
to the oath, when it was determined t.
pass the forts:
THE PASSAGE OF THE FORTS BY THE sQUDRoN
At three O'Clock on tine morning of the
23d of April the greater part cf Commo
dore Farraguts squadron, consisting o
| five sloops of-war and nine gunbeats sue
cessfully passed up the river, running
through fearful fire The monster flo
tilla and eight armed steamers remained
below the enemy, who was thus placed be
tween two fires. with his supplies from
New Orleans cut of, and rendering his
| surrender merely question Of time. The
| correspondent says:
From my position with the mortar YES
sells can see the masts of our fleet. ap.
parently three or four miles beyond the
forts, and the flags Of the Union is flying
from the top of every spar. The burning
hulls of three rebel steamers have passed
by us down the river. and that famous
bug bear, the ram Manassas, is destroyed
l saw it sinking, burning wreck, its two
smoke stacks tottering, its cylindrical
sides pierced with yawning holes made by
rlfed shot; and in the cabin where l am
now writing is log-slate taken from her
deck just before she sank by Mr.. Geo. w =.
Sumner, the executive Officer of this YES
sell The edges and frame of the slate are
charred but not so badly as TO prevent
our reading on the outside these words ::
Masters log c. 5. steamer Manassas. y
On the inside Is written: From to S
evening, kept up fires. At 7:3O steamer
Diana passed p" Signed "R. T. W,
(which are probably the initials of the
name of the officer who had the watch
Although the loss of the rebels could not
have been otherwise than severe, they re-
fuse to surrender Communication has
been had with them by means Of flag of
truce. when Capt Porter demanded that
they should yield themselves up uncon.
ditionally. Their reply was that the
terms were inadmissibe, and until the last
man fell they should fight
Skipping over the
details Of the five days and nights bonn.
bardment, which in any case would be
wearisome to pursue. l shall narrate the
events col n-cted with yesterdays move.
n:ents, as far as know them from person
al observation and iIom the statements Of
others
LETTER FROM FAREAGUT.
There is no doubt that Commo lore Far
raGut with a large quadron, is now at New
Orleans Read the following letter, q
copy OF which | was permitted to make
1t was written when the Flag Officer was
warm from the conflict, and the words
have ming OF true metal In them:
DEAR PogTER-We had a rough time of
it, as Boggs wall tell you thank God, the
number OF killed and wounded was very
small, considering This ship had two
kille / and eight wounded We DESTROYED
the ram in \ single combat between her
and the Old Mississippi, but the ram backed
out when hcsaw the Mississippi coming at
him 50 rampantly, aud he dodged her and
rIn Oh shore, whereuron Smith put two
or 3 broadsides through her and knocked
him all to pieces The ram pushed a fire.
raft on TO him, aud in trying to ayaid it
ran the ship on shore. lie again pushed
the fire raft on me, and got the ship on
fire all along one side. ! thought it was
all up with US, but We put ii out and got
off again, proceeding UP the river fighting
our wav. We have destroyed all but two
OF the gunboats, and these will have TO
surrender with the forts ! intend to fol-
low up my success and push for New
OIeans, aud then came down and attend
to the forts, so you hold Them in stasp qao
until come back. think if you send a
flag or truce and demand their surrender
they will yield, for their intercourse with I
the CITY is cut eff We have cut the wires /!
above the Quarantine and are now going |
ahead | took 800 or 400 prisoners at :
Quarantine. They surrendered and 1 J.
paro!cd them not TO take up arms again
could not stop to take care of them. II
the General Will come up to the bayou |
and land u few men or as many as he |
Dicases, he will find two of our gunboats 4
10 protect him from the gunGoats that are /
It the forts. | wish to get to the English I
Turn, where they say they have not
placed q battery yet, but nave two above
nearer New Orleans. They will not be
die and neither will !. You supported
Is most nobly.
Very truly you're.
d. G. FARRAGUT.