Daily Nashville union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1862, 1862-05-07
oAprURE OF ssw ORLEANS.
Further $50 what Took place Be-
fore the Surrender Of she city.
HIenLY INTEREsTINa FAoTs.

$. ship Hartford, mouth Of the MISSISSIPPI
pi,) is altogether the clsarest and most
satisfactory account we have yet seen Of
the operations Of the Union feet previous
to the capture of the city:
REcoSNorsAxcE Up THs RrysR- IMPORTANT
DISCOVERIES.
On he 26ih alt. q Reconnaissance was made
up the Mississippi, fer the purpose Of ascer-
| tanning the position Of the reported obstruc-
| tions across the river, and Of drawing the Gre
Of the enemy's batteries, by tbs gunboats
] Kenuebec, Lieut. Commanding Russell. and
the Wassahickon, Lieut.. Commanding Albert
| Smith Fleet Captain II. II. Bell being on
board the former vessel, proceeded within
| two miles Of i ort Jackson. No batteries
! were discovered below the fort. but as soon
az the steamers approached within range Of
| Fort st. Philip, which is situated on the left
| bank of the river, the rebels opened FIRE upon
| the Kennebec from two rihed cannon, and
| threw some thirty shell, which exploded
above and around the steamer. Lieut.. Rus
| sell. who will be remembered for his bravery
! ia connection with the Judith affair at PEN
sacola, mar RuvTed the Kennebec so skillful.
] ly that. although she was twenty minutes
/ under fire, rot single shot took effect. The
| fire was not returned by our steamer, IL be
| ing useless to contend with such a superior
| force. The she'll fred by the rebels from Fort
| st Philip we're judged to have been 100
| FOUNDERS of Wbicn calibre there is supposed
| to be four rihsd cannon mounted on the
fort Fort Jackson, which did not open Are,
| is reported to mount 95 guns bearing upon
| the channel through whsh our ships will
have to paes, and Fort ST. Philip IS guns all
of which command the approach up the riv-
er, which st this point is only seven hundred
yards wide.
A deserter from the rebel army reports
| tha they have powerful batteries at English
! Turn, short distance below New Orleans,
| each one.of which commands reach in the
river. A diagram Of the position which
these batteries occupy has been shown me,
! which represents the first as rakiug the river
| a distance Of one mile aud o half. Above
| this is another which commands the first
turn, running essterly distance OF half
mile. The third battery at the third turn
| which the river makes at this point, raking
the river two miles, and the fourth battery
at the upper bend OF oil isreported to be one
aud three.quarters miles from the last men
| toned work, l am not prepared to vouch
| for the truthiulneas Of these statements,
which will be verified or eontradicted as the
feet advances up the river.
By this reconnaissance our officers have,at
| length obtained something reliable in regard
to the much talked Of distractions which the
rebels have placed across the river. At
point about three hundred yards below Fort
Jackson, the officers discovered eight schoOn-
ers, some of them as large as five hundred
tons anchored fore and aft across with the
current. These schooners are loaded with
| cotton to prevent them from sinking in case
| L he hot A hoa ahafV
! cable is stretched acress the river over the
decks Of the Hchooners, which are securely
| linked together, and another chain Is report
| ed to be secured to the bulls under water
The main channel of the river through which
our ships will be obliged TO pass, runs close
| under the guns OF Fort Jackson, and here the
! rebels have "a light chain, one end Of which
| is secured to q schooner and the other to the
| shore This is dropped when any OF the reb-
| el steamers pass down or up, aud Is drawn
taut by means Of a steam engine on the bank
On one side of the river the rebels have con-
structed mud battery with which to pro.
tect the chain from any attempt which may
be made 10 cut it,
IL has been observed that the quantity Of
drift logs which usually come down the
Mississippi OF this season is much smaller at
this season than ever before In fact have
not seen any pieces Of DRIFT " God larger than
a mans body, which fact is accounted for on
the supposition that the rebels are holding
back all the logs they can obtain, for the
| purpose OF constructing barrier against the
| Union feet. The readers of the Journal will
| recollect that in a former letter 1 referred to
au immense raft Of logs, which a rebel pris-
| oner Informed me was mOored across the
| river; which bciog true will account for the
scarcity Of drift logs. | should not be sur.
prised If, al a convenient moment, the rebels
| let loose this immense raft, which, borne by
| the swift current, may sweep down upon our
| fleet and create dangers for which we are not
prepared.
| sHoCgISG ACGIDENr eS BoARp l1iR PENSACOLA.
II is my painful duty to record the parlio-
| ulars OF melancholy incident which occur
| red on the 30lh ult., on bOald the slOOp OF
| war Pensacola. While efforts were making
! 10 get the vessel over the bar, large haWEeF,
/ drawn beyond its tension, parted, the inboaId
| deck sweeping the deck which was filed with
| men. A large nnmbeT OF sailors and several
! officers were knocked down one man, Ere
! derrick Beth, captain OF the alter guard, was
| iustapNy killed another seaman, named
/ Conuor. was rendered insensible, and died on
! tha following day, and five other men were
/ more or less injuIed. Among the latter was
! Acting Master j. d Robinson. Of New York,
/ who sustained a compound fracture Of one
| leg. Il was At first feared that amputatou
/ would De unavoidable but The surgeons are
now coD6dent OF saving the limo, aud the
/ officer Is in fair way o. recovery.
| SAILORS DROWNED FROW THg MORTAR VESSELS
| While the mortar lotiila was az auchor oI
/ Pilot Town, a sailor attached 10 the schooner
/ Norfolk Packet, while at work ou'the outside
| Of the vessel, accidentally fen overheard aud
/ Yves not seen TO rise. Every Effort Wus made
! to recover his body, but without success, the
| swift running current carrying the u9iortu-
late mau doHn ihe river. 1 have not teol
| able to ascertain the name Of The man, bat
| learn that be belonged iu lass Boston. A