Newbern progress., 1863-02-04
TIE REBEL IRON CLAD VESSEL cor.
TON-BL 0WN 70 a TONS
The Rebel Force FEanked and lis
/ Surrender Inevitable.
Late Nsrss from Baton Rouge,

via Key West the 9th ult. gsssss zsssssi
Gen. Grover was at Baton Rouge with .
heavy force, some twenty regiments His
command was. composed largely of green
troops, and he was drilling them. There was
q strong force at Carrollton, under Gen. Sher-
Major Gen. Banks was stilI III New Orleans
Jacob Barker had appealed to the Major Gen
eral several times for permission to revive the
Adrocate, but Gen. Banks will not permit the
publication Of that rebel sheet again.
The Fight at BeraoicRs Bay
NEw ORLEANS. Jan. 15
Westward the star of empire takes its way,
and so does WeitzeI. Ag last letter By mail
steamer on Tuesday informed you of the con
centration of Federal troops at Berwick's Bay.
From the moment it was uncertain whether
WeHzel intended merely to defend the position
at Brashaer city against an advance from the
other side of the bay, or to cross over and
attack the Confederates in camp this side of
franklin. All doubt is removed.
On Monday all of the regiments detailed for
the expedition had arrived at Brashaer city.
At 3 o'clock on Tuesday morning. Jan. 18th,
Gen. Weitzel commenced moving his men
across the bay. The means of transit were
the four gnnboats Calhoun, Kinsman, Diana
and Estrella, all carrying men and towing fiat
boats filled with troops A part of the infan>
try were first taken over, then the Louisiana
cavalry, and last the artillery, consisting Of
twenty lone field pieces belonging to the 4th
and 9th Massachusetts, and 1st Maine batteries,
with q few regular army artilIerists. The
landing was made directly opposite the city,
and was completed at 10 o'clock AZ Ne, aud
the force advanced by tae road along the river
to pattersenville. -
Com Buchanan Of the Calhoun, command
Iing the gunboats, then took on board the bal>
ance of the Infantry, and steamed up the Atch-
afalaYa river from the same point, Patterson
vile, distant some twelve miles from Brashaer
city, and FIVE or six miles from Franklin. =.
The Louisiana cavalry, in the advance on the
road, met the enemy pickets and had skir
Imish. They lost one man, but killed and
wounded six on the other side and took forty
prisoners. The five hundred men composing
this body of cavalry are mostly foreigners, and
were enlisted in New Orleans They know
that if they were to fall into the hands of the
Confederates they would be considered as
traitors and would be dealt with accordingly.
Therefore they fight well, fight to the death,
and have no idea of surrendering as prisoners
A glance at the map Of Louisiana will show
chat the Berwick's Bay region is worse g cut
up " than the army was at Fredericksburg
The whole country is a conglomeration of bay
bayou, lake and river, with very little land and
a great deal ofwater. A few words, how ever,
will give clear idea of the route to and scene
of the present plan of operations.
From Berwlck's Bay the sunboats went up
the Atchafalaya river past Pattersonville
fSwhich is on the left bank, near the entrance
of the bayou ard into Bayou Teche. Frank
lin, the point to be reached, is on the Teche
Eve or six miles beyond PattersonYille, with
Centreville midway between. A mile or more
withinsthe entrance of the bayou, for a long
time there has been formidable obstruction,
consisting of some sunken boats, With live oak
a.. il !.
penetrable barrier. This is on Cornay's plan-
tation. The bayou bottom is. sandy and the
water clear, the nature of the obstruction can
be plainly seen, and it has beer thought for
weeks that if tie gunboats could J" only get at
lit,'' the barrier conld be blown up in an hour,
thus opening the way by water to Franklin
and far ther up the Teche - ssasss s.
It's easy enough to get to It, and the gun
boats arrived and landed the infantry on both
sidessof the bayou. But just above, on Mrs.
Mead's plantation, the Confederates have two
batteries, mounting eighteen guns which cover
the obstruction. Further up at Centreyille. or
Franklin, lies the gunboat Cotton, which can
come down to the barrier and engage the gun
boats on the other side. There are eight or
ten small river steamboats, up the bayou, two
or three of which are reported to be armed.
Now for the programe. To take these bat
teries, blow up the barrier, beat the eonfeder-
ate force between Centreyille and Patterson
vile, catch the gunboat Cotton, if he can, and
to occupy Franklin, was the work laid out this
week for Weitzel.
- .asa=zs5zE sFs q - azsss January Ie.
If there is such thing as an excitement in
this city nowadays, it is on the arrival or de-
|parture of New York steamer. al five
o'clock last evening, the deck OF the Bio Bio.
was thronged with passengers. and those who
had come to say good bye,n and see the
steamer off Steam was up, hands were clasp
when lol down comes d message from. Gen
Banks that the steamer naust be detained tilI
a P. III. today. The Columbia had passed the
Ralze and would bring dispatches vi h,ch r,,,,st
be answered by the Bios mail. The detentis,,
affords an opportunity to send you seine d.
a. r. q ~ - IL 1,.<t "a - q