Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1862-04-11

THE APPROACHES TO New ORLEANS FROM
THE GULF OF MExIc1.-In approaching New
Orleans from Mississippi Sound vessels draw
ing nine leet and under may pass through
Lake Borgne. thence by the Gordon River
! into lake P1nchartraIn to the BgOlets, on
/ the south side of which. at the 9nd OF the
| bayou, is situated Fort Pike. This Is
small brick fortihcatIon, mounting one tier
of casemlte guns and few pieces e1 bar
bate. The work is built on the marsh, and
is entirely unapproachable from the land
side Ii stands on the edge Of the bayou
and vessels Of light draft may approach clnes
/ under its walls The fort may be easily
sheled by the heavy mortars Of Commander
| Porter's fOtilla.
Alter passing Fort Pike the Federal forces
I will encounter batteries a. Lakeville, the
terminus Of a railrQad and canal connecting
| Lake Punchartrain and New Orleans
\ second approach to the Crescent CITY IL
/ at Pr0ctlrsyile. ON the southern border o.
/ Lake Borgne. Here Is the terminus ci the
/ New Orleans ard Gulf Railroad, which may
| be Approached within shelliug distance by
vessels drawing nine feet. Proctorsyllle ID
/ Port OF entry, and consists OF a small wi
/ lasc. and an old sand fort. The land in the
neighborn00i Is low and marshy, and the
.
The next accessible point in approaching
New Orleans Isa canal connecting Back Bay
with the Mississippi river Just below the
e. English rurn GA this canal. five mile
from the mouth, is situated Fort Dupree.-
This is one ot she old forts, built in the last
war, and cln only ifC approached by vessels
drawing less than five ieet. This Is at least
fifty miles above and in the reir of the prIn-
cipaI forts on ihe Mississippi.
Proceeding to the southwark we come -
narrow canal five miles below forts Phillip
and jackson, connecting the waters IN the
rear of Bird Islands with the Mississippi
The canal was built for the purpose Of SUP
PLYING the salt ponds IN that neighborhood
with salt water, and y surrounded by land
sufficiently hard to admit Of the passage OF
land forces on foot. Artillery and cavalry
cannot pass except in dry season. The
bomb-feet can operate here.
We next come to the mouths OF the Ais
sissippI, which must be too iamiliarly known
to require description. At Pass a L'Outre,
the principal entrance to the river, eighiesH
feet may be carried over the bar; at SOUTH
east Pass vessels drawing drGlCIHg HIne and
ten feet may enter, at South Pass there Is
usually five feet of water on the bar, and az
the Southwest Pass fourteen feet. All the
passes come together at the Head Of the
Passes. 50 called. From this point upward,
the eastern shore Of the river is sufficiently
solid to allow an army to march. Ten miles
higher up is a bayou on the west side Of thc
river, called the jumps. Vessels drawing SIX
feet may be taken from the Gulf, through
West Bay, and this bayou into the river at
this point, but the ground in the neighbOr-
hood Is 50 marshy that no iOothO!d can be
obtained for even infantry. This approach
is alsl below Forts Philip and jackson.
10 the westward Of the passes on the coast
Of louisiana, Is Blstian Bay, which Is con-
nected with the Mississippi by small bayou,
passsjle only to boats.
Still further 70 tie westward Is Baratiri1
Bav, the entrance 70 which is defended by
FoIt Livingston, brick lOrtihcation, consist
ing Of one tier OF casemate guns aud bat
tery mounted eH bdrbeffe. The fort IS in
good condition, well manned. but still It
NAV be approached from the land side, and
at the same time vessels drawing as much u
eighteen feet Giay approach TO within two
and half miles OF easy range OF the work.
Vessels drawing nine feet may enter the Bar
rataria Bay, which is fifteen miles long. Sew
en- feet of water may be carriel TO the upper
end Of the bay, which connects with the
Mississippi IN the rear Of NV Orleans, by
means OF the Bayou Dennis, and a canal
which passes through marshy land, the va
ter being SIX feet deep. TINS Is the passage
out of which small cotton laden vessels IN
great numbers have escaped from New Or
leans 1t is used principally by oystermen
in supplying the New Orleans market with
biyaives The shore on either side is marshV
save where the surface Is broken oy clump5
of bushes, and land forces would not be sure
Of a footing by this route.
At Bayou La FOurche, still further to the
westward, there was no fort one year ago.
and none has been reported there. The wa
ter course runs from the Gull Of Mexico IN u
northwest dlrecti, n, and connects with the
Mississippi rIyir at D-naldsOnville, seventy
miles above the city Of New Orleans. This
bayou is navigated by steamers in transport
ing the produce from the rich sugar region
70 New Orleans. There are many valuable
plantations on its shores.
The westernm0st approach to the great
cotton port Of the Gulf is at Atchafalaya
Bay. the entrance to which IS defended by
by batteries at Belle Isle, Point au Fer. and
Deer Island, the latter being at the mouth
Of the Atchafalaya river, TO which point nine
feet may with great care be carried. Fifteen
miles above Deer Island is the head of Ber-
wick Bay, above which passes the New Or
leans and Opelousls railroad. Steamers of
five feet draft and under 90 from Berwick
Bay through Bayou Paquemine into Mis-
sissippl river, at the village Of Plaquemlne,'
or tn. ough the Atcialalaya river to Red
river, and thence through canal into the
Mississippi at point one hundred and sixty
miles above New Orleans. Both routes pass
through a rich country, and are constantly
used for the transportation OF produce. -
ArHiy Cor Boston Journal.
ON THE OTHER sIDE-An old demOcratEho
stonDed Mr. Uarriman's nauer-tbe Man