Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1862-05-10

the scales Of justice, in all cases with hrm
and steady hand.
The motion must be sustained. The in-
dictment will be quashed.
Flamsn Ball Esq., District Attorney, for
the United States; Pugh and Mitchell Tor the
defendant, a..I
Tie CAPTURE ef New OrloAns.-Full Details
Sfthe Reduction sf the FOrt--Tho Deatrue-
tIou Of the Rebel Fleet--Thc DomOlition Of
the Ram manaHSaS. Etc, Ete.
Events of great importance follow
one another in such rapid succession
that the daily issue Of q paper is hardly
sufficient to keep its readers posted in the
details Of what Is tFsnspiring. We yester'
day gave many particulars Of the evacuation
of Yorktown and the pursuit toward Rich
mond, and we trust shortly to devote q
couple of columns to the history Of the en-
tering and occupying Of that capital of re-
bellion. To-day we give, from the full and
clear correspondence Of the N. Y. Times, a
condensed history of the advance upon New
Orleans, with the capture Of the Forts and
the destruction of the rebel feet. The first
date is Friday, April 18th, and gives the
POSITION OF TIE ATTACKING FLEET.
The vessels are arranged in parallel lines.
On the outside are the frigates and gun0oats,
and inside, literally moored to the stumps
and margin of the stream, are the mortar
schOoners.
As the bombsrdment is to be made from a
point not more than half mile above our
present position, I viii attempt to describe
/ the natural features of the place. The river
here Is about its average width of 6ve-eights
of mile, and the velocity Of she current Is
/ from three to five miles an hour. Com
msnUlng near the forts, and extending eight
miles below them, on the west or left bank
Of the stream as We ascend, is q dense strip
of forest, about hfty yards wide, excepting
fer a space of 9 quarter of q mile in length,
where the river bends IN its course, at which
the enemy has cleared away the trees for the
purpose Of getting q better range upon our
vessels, Beyond this belt Of woods the land
disappears in an impenetrable swamp. On
the right hand or eastern bank there are no
trees, but q dead level Of marsh, probably
half 4 mile wide, and there is sufficient water
on either shore for vessels of the largest
draft. From the mast-heads of all the YES
sells the forts may be seen plainly, away
across the marshes, over the tops Of the will
lows, mangroVes and trees Of larger
growth. Is .
OoNoEALNENT or THE MORTAR BOATS.
The mortar.schooners at best afford a
small target for the enemy to fire at, but the
chances of striking them are still further de-
creased by the screen Of woods which hides
the bulls completely from the forts. Still
| further to conceal them from observation,
their masts have been dressed with ever
greens. All yesterday afternoon, the sailors
were busy in the tangled chspparRl, cutting
the branches and limbs of the trees for this
purpose. It was great fun for the tars, who
| felt no fear, in the glow of their excitement,
at disturbing the rattle-snakes and slligators
which infest the morass Imagine the pleas
antly peculiar appearance Of the sohOoners In
their leafy dresses. Eighteen Of them con-
Varted into shady boWersl A tree lashed 70
/ each -mHsVEsea, i1tsrtWinlng lts DrancnesI
and boughs beneath, laced to the rigging on
look prepared for festival instesd of war.
It is May-day, Palm Sunday and Christmas
time exaggerated; Burnsm woods come to
Dunsinane; g "forest of masts," with the
adiunets of branches and leaves.
DESTRUCTION OF FHE FIRE RAFTs.
An hour after the review, the men had an
opportunity to test in q practical manner
their means for destroying fire rafts, and they
proved to be an admirable success. A turgid
column Of black smoke, arising from resinous
wood, was seen appTosching Us from the vi
I Al. If,.l,ko y-.,o v,od,
the varied colors of which produced beau
tiful effect upon the toliageof the river bank,
and rendering the darkness intens by con-
trast when they disappeared; instantly q
hundred Dosts shot out toward the raft,
which now was blaEiag hercely and casting
a wide zone of light upon the water. Two
or three of the gunboats then got under
weigh and steamed boldly toward the IN
known thing Of terror. S0ne Of them, the
Westheld, Capt. Renshaw, gallantly opens
her steam valves, and dsshes turiouslY upon
it, making the sparks fly and timbers crash
with the force Of her blow. Then a stream
OF water from her hose plays upon the blaE-
ing mass Now the small boats lay along
side, coming up helter,skelter, and actively
employing their men. We see everything
distinctly in the broad glare-men, oars,
boats, buckets and ropes. The scene looks
phantom-like, supernatural; intensely inter-
esting. extremely exciting, inextricably con-
fused. But finally the object is nObly &C
complished. The raft Jet fercely burning,
is taken out of range of the anchored vessels
and toWed ashore, where il is slowly con-
sumed As the boats return they are eheered
by the feet and the scene changes TO one Of
darkness and repose, broken occasionally by
the gruf hail Of q seaman, when boat, sent
on business from one vessel to another, pass.
es through the feet. We have g contempt
for fire rats. They have proved, like many
other things, to be ''Weak inventions of the
enemy y "
Fire upon the fort was opened on Friday
April 18th.
oPENIHa TEE BoNBARDEnHF.
The engagement was opened by Ft Jack.
son a few minutes before O'Clock, and the
eunboat ORasco. which had gone length OF
two ahead Of the mortar vessels, was the
first to reply. Presently the bomb hotills
commenced throwing its shells, somewhat
slowly at hrst, but with increasing rapidity
as the sailors became accustomed to theiI
work. until q bomb was sent from each YES
sel on an average once In i've minutes Be
fore the 6qht commenced was lucky enough
to obtain 8 place in the fOretop of the frigats
Mississippi, where the entire field of strife
could be taken In at q glance. Prom thil
point saw the effect Of the firing. There
were 70 shots fred from the forts during the
first hour and half, the larger number o.
which came from Fort Jackson. Most o.
| al- ...,-,5 -,,a- fI,a vuaufu of the aobno-,,-,