The Portland daily press., 1862-11-05
Regular Correspondence of the Press.
Letter from the sICrescent City,
NEW ORLEANS, Oct. is


Mr.. Editor II supposed when we parted
company last. that [ should be able to give you
occasional advices as to the administration of
affairs in the Department of the Gull, ''basng
such calculation upon the idea that We were
still to do duty in the city; but an order has
come that puts us on a war footing.
In two days we leave this town for the in
trenchments above Carrollton, with the excep-
ton of companies A and H, which are not yet
relieved from provost and picket duty. Wheth-
er we shall find long season of quiet there,
or whether we shall see winter of exciting
strife, no one can very correctly Judge. LIDO
not, myself, see how it is possible for therebes
to concentrate large force on our front at
present. Certain it is that affairs farther north
will call pretty loudly for what troops the Gulf
states can spare from their garrisons. The
condition of the rebel army around us-from
all we knows poor indeed. We know that
they are miserably fed and clothed. But the
rebellion can hardly be starved or frozen out.
We have said too much about this already.
Such expectations are as crude and ill-founded
as was the common belief with the citizens of
New Orleans, that Yellow Fever would give
them back the city. We have had nothing of
the kind and they have very sensibly concluded
that fighting alone can accomplish such re-
suit
By the way, as to the relative endurance of
the troops, it has been demonstrated that ours
are stronger, and less affected by even the ex-
posure of this climate. One regiment of Lou
isianians has been in camp about two months;
it has three hundred and fifty men for duty.
Any quantity of regiments have gone through
years privations, and fought from here up
the river and back. and turn out much fuller
ranks. Whether we should be stronger in two
years, do not pretend to know, but it must
be conceded that we are so now.
81 need not and can not attempt TO make a
state ment of the various dispositions of our
troops; suffice it to say that the whole dvi-
sion is splenddly disposed-to .fghu One
-colored regiment has just taken the field with
full ranks, and another is forming. Col. Staf-
ford of one of the Newport regiments COM
mands the first one, and a native Of this city
is to command the one being raised. There
has been much speculation on the efficacy of
these troops. 1t may be understood at the
north that these were slaves, but such is not
the fact. They were free persons, although no
doubt some crept in who came from planta-
tions.
1t cannot be denied that it creates bitter
feeling on the part Of the citizens. No act of
of Gen. Buffers has struck them in so tender
place; but they were raised, at least desig-
mated, by the exact order of Gen. Moore only
few months ago! Whether they will fight or
not, remains to be seen. think they WILL es-
pecially as it will be death if they are taken
prisoners. confess do not like the compiler
ion of the enterprise, though no one chooses
to doubt the entire legitimacy of it. But this
is the brightest feature OF the negro question
after all.
What is to become of these millions, eman-
cipated or not, is question no mortal man
can answer. The institution of slavery is dead
in this state fo years, if not forever. Last week
sailed down the river eighty miles, and saw
enough to satisfy me that misery alone is in
store for the once proud owners of the broad
fields and princely houses, that have sent their
almost fabulous wealth into the great trade
marts of the world. Hundreds of acres COW
cred with rice, cane and corn, are running to
waste, the crops ungathered, and not sign of
life beyond an occasional old darkey who
looks like "a pilgrim and stranger" where
once busy hundreds went
ITO the shucking OBJ de corn"
and the rude but glad notes of minstrelsy rang
out from around the old cabin fires.
3 Butrhe loss of the present crops is little TO
the permanent desolation that must come
to these homes. The almost unprecedented
freshet of last Spring, made many breaks in
the levee, and only the most strenuous labor
saved them. Now they are neglected at the
very time they should be strengthened -
and when again from the great North and
West comes the rush of waters, this whole re-
gion Of country will, in human probability, be
laid waste! Some Of the crops are being
saved such as darkies could be found to work.
1t looks strange to see Captain of the 18th
Maine regiment running sugar plantation, a
Lieutenant another, and even a well-to-do
Chaplain, from the shadow q. the Berkshire
Hills, putting through confding flock of fol-
lowers, who, it would seem, almost fancy that
the vail of the temple is rent, and the stone
rolled away from the sepulchre of their long
buried liberty.
All! well; for us all some sweet hope lies,
Deeply buried from human eyes,"
and, if this fond dream may not always last, is
it not charitable to hope that, whatever change
shall come, it may not SAVIOR of disaster to
these poor creatures, who, Heaven knows,
have suffered long? The government is do
ing simple justice and duty by appropriating
the property named, and is benentting the ne
gro, who, otherwise, must starve, or be shell
tered and fed in the camp. do not choose to
discuss this question; but l do want to be
spared from the endless wranglings that come
from distance. No man in the country has
got an Ineligible theory on this subject; and
those persons who array themselves in the
ranks Of partizans at this hour: who suffer
themselves to be deluded that Mey are the por-
ty, and are to ride into power or enduring in
fuence and prosperity-willHn find, perhaps, that
instead Of being party, they are rather the