Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1862-04-03

about 100000 pounds, and OF gnned cotton
900 bales.
The Approaches TO New Orleans.
"If Fort Pike is in possession OF the United
States, which report has announced, it is not
the trihing advantage which the rebels have
tried to make out. Fort Pike is about equal in
size to Fort Macon, at Beaufort, n. G., cost
more money to build by ten thousand dollars,
mounts forty.nine guns and is capable Of re-
celving garrison of three hundred men. 1t
is situated in the Rigole,s and commands the
entrance OF Lake Ponchartrain. so that if we
have that fort we have command Of the Lake,
and can put our fleet and gunboats at Lake
Port. right in the rear of New Orlean at n
distance Of only ten miles. Or ,hey can 90 to
Corrolton, only six miles. Each of these pl ccs
has line of railway to the city, which can he
reached without firing a another gun. there
is, indeed, another fort defending the obi s,pye
road from New Orleans t. Mobile. on the cdoe
OF Lake Poncharlaan. But that is not mat
ter OF the slightest importance, as the fleet
need not 90 past il or within gun-shot, n they
pass through the Rigolets. 10 have taken Fott
Pike, however, our forces must first Of all have
S"P'ult'i IOll huCpnll, also mounting tOftN-
nine guns, and garrisoned bv shrec hundred
men. 1t is indeed, quite evident ,alr Cimno-
dore Porter must have been pretty cfec,u lily
a, work with lis mortar battery. and That alb
ctiectua resist uucc to the capture ct New Or
leans would be at an ru, unless ffum steam
rams on the lake There may be an army in
New Orleans which may attempt resistance, hut
with our mortar fleet able to drop shells, while
themselves out of reach of then longest guns,
they cannot prevent our landing effcciually.
At CaTolion We have only three or four miles
OF road before we are within bomba:ding dis
lance Of the'cits, and road is lined ON each side
with swamps where any superiority of numbers
IN the part of the rebels would be of no avail
to them. Superiority of discipline and Of guns
operating on narrow causeway, will alone tell.
On such scene of operations as this there can
be TO fanking."
Rebel Gunboats.
"relinhle gentleman" just from New Or
leans, states that the rebels are building ten
iron-cad gunboats at that place, one of which
is intended for sea and the others to operate ON
the Mississippi A beat called the Murray is
the pride and pet Of the OrleOnisis, and the
protector is confident that she will be proof
against any kind of projeciile, ard that he will
ybe able to sweep our rivers with her, in case
and safety. She is to carry twenty guns. and
in addition to the iron plating, such as shields
/ the Benton, is protected with railroad iron, and
is so ingen;ousy modelled, notwithstanding her
large size, that she presents a sharper angle for
a ball to strike against than any of the smaller
craft now in process ct building there. He is
confident that some of the boats he saw at ew
Orleans are now at Island No. 10, and waiting
for good opportunity to get at Com. Foote.
1t is known that the secesh have now five gun
bc ats at No. 10. These have been seen, and
the idea is prevalent among our men there that
more are near, but have not shown themselves.
Chattanooga.
OF Chattanooga, where it is reported that
the Rebel army is to make final stand, the
following account is given -
Chattanooga is a Young and fourishng city,
of 5000 inhabitants, situated on the south
bank OF the Tennessee, which stream is at this
season navigable tina, far up The place occu-
pies position in the southern portion Of East
Tennessee, hear the Georgia line. The sur
rounding country is elevated, and in some parts
commands an extensive view. the Lookout
Mountain scenery in that locality being some
what noted. it is the depot for the greater
part of the produce of East and Middle Ten
neSsee, and is also manufacturing place. Its
strategic prominence. aside from the eligibility
of its situation, consists in the fact of lis being
the centre of several important railroads com
municaling with other portions of the Seces-
sion States. Chattanooga is distant from
Nashville by rail one hundred and fifty miles,
and from Memphis three hundred miles. 1t is
connected with Knoxville by the East TcnneS-
see 1t Georgia aihori, 10 miles long, and
communicates with Atlanta, Savannah and
IL. AL.
Railroad. owned and controlled by the State OF
Georgia. Thus the facilities for the concen,ra-
ton and movement OF troops and munitions of
war a.e exceedingly good at this point. The
machinery from the various workshops in Nash
willie was removed prior to the evacuation, TO
Chattanooga
Matters at Island No. 10.
The correspondent of the Cincinnati Times
who is with the Federal iotilla on the Missis-
sipi, in his letter of the 26th ult, has the fol
lowing paragraphs
There is no intention or desire on the part
of Commodore Foote to shell out the rebels at
present, as another and better plan has been
adopted, lone that will probably secure a large
number of prisoners. The Commodore is in
no haste to drive off the seccssonSts; indeed
he wishes them to remain until certa des MS
are fully carried into effect, which will be in u
few days.
Though, it is stated, twenty-five or thirty
thousand of the enemy are prepared to defend
the Island, and dispute our passage of the Mis-
| sippi, cannot believe it. Nor can resist TIT
conviction that n great many of those who
were there at the commemorate I of the bonn
bardment departed some DAYS ago.
The purpose of General Pope is to cross tn
river and cut of the retreat of the rebels, i
! possible, aud attack them in the rear. AS sooI
as his army has succeeded in crossing the Mis-
sissipp, doubtless the rebel spies will com
munirale the information to headquarters and
the enemy will use their best endeavors to es
cape. do not anticipate much of II balllt
. here. but do look for an entire evacuation al
!, no distant day.
| do not look for any special activity herr
> this week, as the ilotla is waiting to see how
the experiment of cutting canal through the
; mainland will succeed. Col Bissell is ener'
get,cally engaged, and some parties think we
> will he enabled to get fou: or five small boats
below the Island BY the beginning OF the coming
week. Should the attempt fail, however, Other
means will he tried.
, II l. ron,rtn,I ,b,t savnr,l nf the tuuS have