The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1862-05-21
'Ehe Gallanf speedS al New Or
lNAnS.

Ehe Gallant kDeedS AT New Or
leans.
The details of the great victory at New
Orleans are likely TO hc overlooked amid
the mass of more exciting intelligence
which now crowds upon us but when the
tmo for their closer examination shall ar
rive. it will be found that of all the thrill
my events Of the war, uone claim higher
admiration than this. The engagement Of
thc oath of April, upon which day the Union
l,cet sIormcd its way past the Rebel forti-
tcotons, is barely payallCled in history.
Probably no similar conflict was ever haz-
ardcd upon such uncGual chances The
advantages wcrc immeasurahlv upon the
side of the Rebels who, being conscious Of
thcir superioritjcs, were ucrved with unus-
ual courage According TO the reports of
our own commanders, they fought with des-
pCr0tUu from beginning to end-not hcs-
| ltAtmg, moreover TO make use of the most
dCSiartlN means to secure success when
far play could no longer avail them. We
gather from the documents which have been
forwarded from the squadron n tolerablc
view of the conditions under which tho
triumph was achieved and the extraordinary
obstacles against which our commanders
were forced to contend.
Ii is apporant that the reduction Of She
I. 4
could not have been effected by the mortar
| fleet without vast loss Of time and matarial.
| The homharlmcut which opened upon the
! 18th of April was maintained vigorously
| for SIX days without materially weakening
! them. The walls of solid brick stood firm
| rs ever, aud their two hundred odd guns
! responded rs hcruclv tn our fire as at the
/ outset Il was therefor determined to forcc
| u passagc 10y them at whatever hazard
| Early in the morning of the 2ith of April,
/ while it was yet dark Commodore FarIagut
| led j $ squadron up TO the perilous work.
/ To o, p site against the cannon of the forts
and the assaults of a formidable Rebel
| licct including nearly score OF steamers,
rams, ami floating batteries, he had only six
81 lpups-ot-war and twelve guuboats. Con-
silHring the superior advantages of n land
battery over ships-ot-war in any contest
Whatsoever, the disparity was enormous.
In addition Commodore Fauagut hasl to
calculate upon suhmar ne engines, fre-raftS,
and barriers of claiu-cab'c, one of which,
opposite Fort jackson, ho had with some
difficulty broken few days before. But it
was imperative that the forts should be
passed, AMI no consideration was allowed
to woigu against this necessity.
just before dawn the squadron was dis
covered approaching hy the enemy. Tho
fury with which il was attacked is proved
10y the tremendous eXcrtlons our vessels
were compelled to make in order to carry
through their purpose. A t first the Rebel
ilGct cudcavored only to check their pro-
grcss whjo the two forts poured incessant
! volloys upon them but presently the act
ion became closer and more involved and
mainly confined Ia the river. llollinss
'rlm, the Manassas, although it atterward
turned out a HOPELESS and feeble fabric,
served the rebels wei Tor a time 1t not
only engaged Commodore Farraugut's flag
shin. tie Hartford hut also succeeded in
forcing II fire raft upon her, from which she
narrowly escaped destruction. Il thought
it was al! up with US, said the Commodore
in letter describing the event to Capt.
Porter. The ilamcs were, however, cXtin-
gujshcd in time To save the ship, and "ram'
bctOoS itself to other crrands OF destruc-
ON. The floating battery Loui, una, which
lay moorod not Car from Fort Jackson, also
occaR.onod great Inconvenience. It's firing
was we'll directed, and its metallic sides
were found to be quite impcnetrube. Other
rams cmulatcd the Manassas, and attack
ol our gmboat5 with considerable effect.
The Naruna, gallautly commanded by Capt.
l}aggs, was broken IN pieces by their re-
peatod ousets, bat before her own destruc-
ton she made her name memorable by dis
ablng and destroying no less than six of the
Rebel craft. Five Of these were in flames
by the Varuna's shell and iun ashore, and
another was shattered and forced to surren-
der. The intrepid tenaciy Of the Naruna' S
officers and crew is best illustrated 10y the
fact that her last broadside, which beat in
the sides oI the ram Morgan was fired while
the gun-carriagcS on her upper deck were
alrcaiy settling in the water. During this
time our other gunhoats were not Idle
Nine Of them, together with the sloOps-of-
war, fought their way up the river, and
l gradually widcncd the space between them
, selves and the forts. \ few were beaten
back, having received mi ujur,es to their mach
: iuery which rendered them incapable OF
proceeding. The Itasca, for EXAMPLE, is
said 10 have received thirteen shots under
> her water line beside having her boilol
destroyed. But q sufficient number passed
, 10 secure the success of the expedition
: Even at the last moment, the Rebels main
g iained the struggle Some oftheir steamers
which had been spared on condition OF sur
rendering. broke away and renewed thC
! fight at other points. Finally, the ram
b Manassas after the engagement had vir
% ually ended and when the Union Squadron
. was seeking AN act orage, hustled up atte
. them, and fired a shot or two at the R!ch
r mond. The Mississippi turned swiftly L
u resent the insult, when, as if fearful Of til,
. consequences Of its temerity, the ram
Immediately ran ashore, was deserted, anC
= was forthwith pounded to fragments b.
l. three heavy broadsidcs from its pursuer.
= The conflict was short one, lasting onll
an hour and half at the most. BY hal
c past five in the morning our success ha(
y been achieved, and the destiny of New-Or
q leans decided. 1t was result which tn
d Rebels never had anticipated, and whlcl
could never have been obtained except 10y
II the most devoted and unshrinkinG
e bravery The CONSERVATION of the people
/ of New-Orleaus was all the greater for tn
confidence they had cherished. After thi
e decisive action only the merest show of re
IA sistance WAS offered at the Notifications in
n tcdcd for the immediate protection of tn
e city,--Ne,o York Tribune,
l. CROCODILE escaped from trayelin
n mcuagcrie. at Lademburg, in the Gran
Duchy of Baden, short time ago, and wa
m afterwards seen in the Necker, in the neigi
le hurhood of Ncueuheim. In consequences {
his prescucc in the river, the local authoi
n ties prohibited the inhabitants from bathing
y A fcw days afterwards some fishermen SUI
in cooded in capturing him by means OF yer
" strong nets. His owner was sent tor, an
es when he appeared, the crocodile manifesto