, 1862-04-19

OUR MORTAR BOATS AT WORK.
From our own Correspondent

.OS Board c. S. GuNBoAT ST.. Lor1s
PLun BEND, April u.
4 splendid morning has succeeded bcauti-
full night, while you in your cold northern lat
itudc are still shivering in oyercoats and hue-
giDg the coal stove, ne are lying lazily upon
decks, basking in the sun, or lulled to sleep
by the encryating influences Of the summer
heat. Vegetation is rapidly advanced. Herb
and tree are in leaf and the flowers in bios
SON. Grateful and odorous winds from the
South fan us. 4 more rapacious and persist
ent foe even than the rebels is molesting Us
by day and night and only the thiekest mos
quito bar is proof against his attack. Already
they begin to come from the ncighbor.ng
marshes in small clouds, prophetic foreruuner5
Of the itching days to come
The fleet is lying idle this morning, await
ing orders, but the idleness cannot last long.
Communications arc rapidly passing between
the flagship and the land forces, which lie two
miles above US upon transports. or the ope-
rations Of the enemy, #e can form no opinion.
The long reach Of Plum Point shuts him out
from our view. The reconnaissance of tile
Bcntop, Carondclet and Cincinnati last even
ing found his batteries mounting twenty-six
guns and located midway up the bluff. Six
gunboats were lying in the stream. These
gunboats are simply old New Orleans tow
boats RACED. The guns arc mounted on a
flush deck, without any protection to gun or
gunner, it being q fayorite idea with Hollins,
commander Of the rebel feet, that his men
are best protected when not protected at all
Tie machinery and boilers arc protected By
iron plated casematcs. They are very strong
and powerful boats and can easily outsail us.
Had our boats been as fast as they, the rebels
at the bluff would never have heard the story
Of our ekirmish yesterday, from their gun
boats.
This morning, contraband paddI d across
the liver from the Arkansas shore and came
up to the fleet. He was strong, muscular
African, Of unusual intelligence, aud handled
his crazy dug out with consummate skill
Upon being questioned as to his mastership,
be replied: donnow who longs to, gem
men, Massa Hardin did own dis chile
He's done gone to Nashville in the army.
ODerseer send of all the niggers oder
day, down sout He beat NE and I run
away wid de irons on, swan de creek and got
away, ard '.peets belongs to you gcn,uen.
In that statement the frican ignorant as he
was, solved the question which is now puzzl-
ing the heads Of our Statesmen and phioso-
pliers. lie did really belong to us by all rules
Of Tar, Of business, and of common seusc.
His owner Has in arms against the Govern
mcnt. He and his companions in slavery had
helped build the batteries on yonder bluff
Ia had Ia1ivara1 1,,k l:
60 to work as free man for the Government
into whose hands he has fallen, the conse-
quence is as palpap1e as the result Of simple
addition He further informed us that all
the negroes hereabouts were placed on Island
81, some weeks since but were now, together
with commissary stores, being sent of South.
Speaking Of the gunboats the contraband
displaying his splendid set Of shining ivories
and stinning from car to ear, eaid: s'Lor,
Eemmen,, you jist ortcr seed dem gunboats
showing down dis leT water when oar gull
bouts came along. GolIy, -dey weat lie d
tau:c Of the contrabend do not know as he
soon passed up the river among the traus-
ports.
4 few days since I sent you rough diagram
in general outline, but the ulore clearly to IN
derstand our position, I send you another con
tairing details. The river at this point is full
Of hars and immense deposits Of drift wood,
occasioncd by the constant changes in the
channel, The shores are thickly overgrow wn
with timber and underbrt1sh, and in many
places oyeriowed. The Point itself is ! long
s'retch Of land, near the extremity Of which
is 4 small settlement and plantation. The
cleared fields pertaining to the estate stretch
nearly to the river again, giving us q very fair
view OF the enemy's works. The following
is the diagram: