Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-05-16
THE CAPTURE OF NEW ORLEANS,
.gccOmHsS fro., Ehe Federal Side.
Couegpoudenes Kew york IimeaI

Correspondence New yoTk TimesI
APRu, ,IS.-Yesterday morning. the mortar he'
was all ordered up the river, stiff southeast win
affording the sailing vessels an opportunity Z
come up without the aid of towboats, and tn
entire squadron is no" al ancher, eGcePth
three of the mortar schooneTs on the west shore
the advanced vessels probably mile distant troI
the sharp bend in the river, directly above whic
the enemy has stretched q chain barrier, support
| ed on buikg The vessels are arranged IN paTal
| lei lines On the outside are the tngate5 ant
! gunboatq. and inside, literally moored to tn
gtumps and margin Of the stream, are the morts
schooneTs
IA me bombardment is to be made from
pornt not more than half mile above our pres
t1t nosition. / will attempt 20 describe the natu
raj features Of the place. The river here i
about its average width of hve-eighths Of "a mile
aud the velocity of the current Is from three &c
five miles an hour Commencing near the forts
and extending eight miles below them, on the
west or left bank of the stream as we ascend, !,
! A dense sir.p of forest, about fifty yards wide
excepting for a space Of quarter OF mile IN
length where the river ascends IN its course, al
which the enemy has cleared away the trees foI
the purpose Of getting better range upon olu
vessels Beyond this belt OF woods the land
| disappears in an impen trable swamp On the
/
| bat a dead level of marsh, probably half mile
wide and there is sufficient water on either
| shore for vessels of the laTges; draft From the
| mastheads of all the vessels the forts may be
| seen plainly, away across the marshes over the
tops of the willows, msugT0ves, and trees OF
larger growth.
The mortar schooDers at best atfo-d q small
TARGET for the enemy to FIRE At but the chances of
striking them are still further decreased By the
Z -, Il, hula
" from toe forts SILL further 20 conceal them
from observation, their masts have been dressed
with evergreeus All yesterday afternoon. the
sailors were busy in the tangled chapparel, cut
ting the branches and limbs OF the trees for this
purpose. 1t was great fun for the tars, who
felt no fear. in the glow Of their excitement, at
disturbing the rattle-snaBes and aligatOrs which
infest the morass. Imagine the pleasantly pecu-
liar appearance of the schOoneTs in their ieaty
dresses. Eighteen OF them converted into sha-
dy bowers 4 tree lashcd to each masthead,
INTERVIEWING its branches and boughs beneath,
laced to the rigging on either side, Jutting
refreshing shade They look prepared for tes
tivsl instead of for war 1t is May-day, Palm
Sunday and Christmas time exaggerated; Bur
nam woods come to DgnsnGne; " forest OF
masts, with the adjUnc!s os branches and leaves
FIRE RATS.
Early IN the morning large fatboat, Glled
with cords of pine wood. was Sc. on ire and sent
down the river with the current. As il came
dangerously near one OF two OF the advanced
vessels of the feet cables wera slipped and there
was a season OF general excitement Not know |
ing the character of the blazing pile, and supPos
ing that it might contain toTpedoeJ or other in
f-rnal contrivauces, Capt. Smith, of th5 M,Ssis- |
sippi, put some II fed shot IN it. A stray ball IN
fortunately struck tie guu5Oat KstahdiG. carry
ing away her cUtwater But as the damage was |
no worse the incident WAS looked upon as com 1
Mindful of the mornings experience with the |
raft Capt Porter ordered all the boats belonging
70 the mortar fotllls to be fitted with grsPnel
ropes, ffe buckets and axes in preparation for
another, should the enemy send one down In
the evening about sunset the boats were review
I'd. They pulled by the Harriet Lane in single
line each officer in charge being questioned as
be passed by Commodore Porter as follows
. Fire buckeis7 axes ropes D. A responsive
Aye, aye, sir" and the Commodore directed
' Pull around the Mississippi, aud retl.n to your
vessels" The Mississippi being quar- er of
nile ahead, the men gave way 5lugdIiy, II order
10 beattbe rival boats There weTo not less than
$50 boats under review, many 0. them teR-0ared,
md the whole scene reminded me Of q grand J
regatta than Of anything els.
An hour aftsr the review, the men had an op
1ortunity to test in q practical manner their
means for destroying fire RATS. and they proved
10 b. IN admirable success & turgid column Of
olgclSsrnolte. Arising from Tesin0Usa azEOsd, vas
seen approaching US from the vicinity Of the
forts Signal lights wers made the varied cCloIs
1f which produced q beautiful eflct upon the
foliage Of the river bank aud rendering the
darkness intenser by contrast when they disap.
Deared instantly q hruJ.ci boats shot out
toward the raft which now was blazing fercely
and casting a wide zone of light upon the
water Two or threa Of the gUaboats then got
under weigh and steamed boldly toward the I'M
known thing Of terror One OF them, the West
feld, Captain Renshaw, CALAMITY opens her
steam valves, end dashes fui0usly upon It, max
ing the sparks fly and timbers crash with the
force Of her blow. Then q stream Of water from
her hose p avs on the blazing mass. Now the
small boats lay alongside, coming up heiter
skelter, snd &C lively employing their men. VS.
see everything distinctly in the broad glare
men. cars, boats, buckets, and ropes. The
scene looks phantom-hEe. supernatural; in
tensely Interesting, extremely exciting, inextri
cably confused. But finally object is nobly
The Yatt. yet fercely burning,
Is taken out of range Of the anchored vessels,
and towed ashore where it is slowly consumed.
AS the boats return they are cheeTed by the feet,
and the scene changes 10 one of darkness and
repose, broken occasionally by the gruf hail of
q seaman, when boat sent on business from
one vessel to another, passes through the feet.
We have contempt for FIRE RATS They have
proved, like many other things, to be weak in
yeations of the enemy.