Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1862-04-21
gTHE ATTACK UPON NEW ORLEANS.

ETIIE ATTACK UPON NEW ORLEANS
There can re little DOUBT, W. presume, that
the stack UPON New Orleans has been begun and
II may be that ere this the Crescent CITY hss ca
pl,9m,co. we have already recorded, on Rebel
authority, the capture Of Pass Christina, whic b
was nc doubt preliminary TO the advence of one
OF orr columns upon the city, by the back way OF
Lakts BorGne and PoncteTirsin- This mctning
en- similar authority, we learn that others nf on,
gun and mortar hosis bad sdYapced, .hy yysy Of
the rasSs, uP the Mississippi. An extract ffon,
the New Orleans Delta, withou: date, reports two
reconnoissances by our gunboats, while bv wa y
of Fort Pickens and Key West we Learn N an.
thentic Intelligence has beea received that ten ot
our mortar schooners and three steamers had run
oy r toits Jackson and 81 Philip, on the Missis-
siPpi, In the night, without receiving a ,bot and
I'D PROBABLY anchored alta safe dissaucc above
the forts. tlll the time for hoxtilities arrived
From Richmond, via Norfolk came Yesterday
the news that an attack had been commenced
upon thess fo;ts on the 18th inst. Thereis there
fore, no reason 10 doubt that the long red for
adVance mon New Orleans has really begun, and
we my daily expect 10 hear thar the hag Of the
Union once more waves over the great Commercial
city If the Gulf. We speak thus confidently for
%hlIe We may not, In view Of the order Of the
War department, publish the details of the prest
expedition OF land and naval forces which has
been 30 long in preparation for this work we can
assure our readers that ii IL hardly probable that
IL can tall 10 accomplish the object which RI has
IN view. - ~
The approaches to New Orleans, asi9e fror- 81,
direct route MP the river, which is defen- "a w. ~,
a.
sissippi Sound. Vessels drdvyinp nj, tnS tIS
pass through Lake BoTgnc, thence -. "a Isal m,il
River into Lake PoBchartrair to , ri. "s u
the south side Of whicc, AZ III oH!SoLsSI OF
is situated For; Pike. Thi- - ena OF the bayou
tfcation, mounting one ,i,s ~ ".,I, " i.I
and few pieces IN ba'' >i,E Tbs ,Sc,h q, LII
% mIsn; ana is .dr-sy anapproachsbIc frou
and ycsseIs Of II. .assis on the edge OF the sayoU
80 IT, MI. xht aran may approach close ua
NJ is wa' TAS FOR; may be ea.i.y sheIIed b,
.s,sr IIsAst Of Commodore Porter,s aotiIla
.ncour. -ss.as Fort Pike, the Union forces viii
a. 81 ~ batteries at Lskeville, on the lake irs
IL < resf Of the city, the terminus Of a rsIIIoat
New Orleans
second approach to the CrCs ent City 4. a
ProctorsVine, on the southern border nf LAX.
8o'cns. Here IL the terminus Of the New or
Ieens and Gulf Railroad, which NAV be an
rrcachsd within shclling distance, by vessel
ufaNinS nine feet Of water. Pfoctor-viIie IL
Tor. OF SBiry, and consists ef small yilIsre and
an old sand fcFt The land I'm the vieInity ls low
End msTshy, and the Place oa2not be approached
The next accessible point OF approach 10 New
orleans IL canal connecting Back Bay with th,
MlssisslPPt River, just below the % English
Tufn." On this canal, hye miles from tb,
mouth, is situated Fort Duprre. This is one o
the old forts built in the last war and can h.
approached only by vessels drawing ICsS thai
tnan i've feet. Thls Is at least HfIy miles above
sIssippi.
Proceeding TO The scu'hward, there is a narrow
Canal, nve miles below Forts Philip and Jackson
connecting the water IN the rear If Bird Island
Win the Mississippi. The canal was built 70
the purpose Of supplying the salt ponds In tia
neig hboThood with salt water and Is surIoundcc
by land suthGiently hard to admit OF the passac,
OK land forces en- foot Artillery and caTalI,
cannot ass except IN dry season. The bomi
r,tt Csn OSerats here.
We he q come to the mouths Of the MfxsIssippi
nj PaSs a L'Outre, the principal entrance to thr
Tiytr, eighteen feet may be carried over the bar
and at the Southwest Pass fourteen feet. All th,
passes come together at the Head Of the Passes
80 called. From this point upward, the eastern
sacTe OF the river is sufficiently solid TO allow
an srmy 20 march.
Ten niIesuP higher IS bayou on the wrs
side Of the river, called the Jumps. Vessel
drawing six feet may be taken from the iul
through West Bay aud this bayou into the rive
at this point, but the ground in the neighoorhoot
Is 80 marshy thst no foothold can be o6iained 10
even Infantry. The aPproach is also below FOrl
Philip and Jackson
To the westward OF the passes on. the coast o
Louisiana, Is Dastian Bay, which is sonnectec
with the mississippi by sm>lI bayou, passabl
only tO boats.
sui luT'bsr 20 The westward IL Barrstari
Bay, the entrance t. which is defended by For
livingston, brick ffrSn -at,on, consls:ing o
one tisT Of CaseDIate guns and a battery mOuHe'
On b1TbCtts. his fort ID ia good eund ItiOn, wei
Inannedi but still II may BE- approached rom th
iaad side, at the same time vessels drawing 1
feet may approach TO within two nd half miles
or easy range Of the work. Vessels drawing min
feet may enter Danatarid Bay, which is 10 mile
long.
Seven feet of water may be carried 10 tie uppe
end OF the bay, which connects with the Mi-sis
siPpi in the rear Of New Orleans, by means Of II
Bayou Dennis and a canal which passes throuc
shy land, the water being six feet deep. ThI
IS TIE passage ont of which small cotton -lade
ves.cis In great EumOe have escaped from Set
Orleans. 1!is used principally by oysterucn 4
supplying the New Orleans market with biValvet
The shore on either side Is maTsby, save wbefe Ia
surface is broken by olumps Of bushes, and Iaia
forces would not Le sure Of fooiing by thI
Toue
At Bayou La Fouche, still further 10 the wes,
ward, there was no fort one year ago, and non
has been reported there. The water course Tua
from the Gulf OF Mexico In a northwest direction
and connects with the :lissis,ippi river at Don
aldsonville, seyenty miles above the city Of New
Orleans This Bayou Is Eavigsted by steamer
employed In transporting the produce from tn
rich sugar regions TO New Orleans. There ar
many valuable plaDtatioas on Its shores.
The wesiermost approach TO the great cOttOI
port OF the Gulf is at Atchafalaya Bay, the en-
trance tn which Is defended by batteries a. Bell
Isle, Point Fer, and Deer leland the latter be
Ing at the mouth Of the Atchafaiayd River, .
Wisch point nine feet may with great care be ear
lied. Fifteen miles above Deer Island is tn
head OF Berwick's Bay, above which passes IN
New-Ofleans and OpelOusss Railroad
Steamers OF tve feet draft and under go fror
Bervick's Bay through Bayou PIaquemine iut
the Mississippi river at the village OF Plaquemine
or through the Atchafalaya river 10 the Red river
and thence through canal into the Mississipp
liver at polnt one hundred aud sixty m les abov
New Orleans. Both routes pass through a ric
country, and are constantly used for the tanspol
tailon Of pFOduce.-N. Y. TTtbsns.