The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1863-05-18
BY TELEGRAPH.
TO THE
Portland Daily Press.
FROM NEW ORLEANS.
Arrest Of the Editor Of the Era.
Brutal Murder of Capt. Howard Dwight
RUM0RED COMMANDMENT OF PORT
HUDSON.
Capture of Alexandria and Destruction
of Fort Derussey.
FROM NEW ORLEANS,
Capture of Alexandra and Destruction
of Fort Derussey.
THE RAID OF GEN. EMERSON.
Burning of the Sloop-of-War Preble.


NEW York, May II.
The steamer George Washington, from New
Orleans 10th, arrived here at noon to-day
Among her passengers is Col. Jonas III. French.
An Opelousas letter of the 9TH says: Intor-
nation from Grand Gulf and the gunboat
fleet under Com. Porter, has been received
there, with the details of the capture OF Port
Gibson. When our troops were nearing Port
Gibson they were met by hundreds of families
fleeing from the interior to escape the raid of
Illinois cavalry, and the prevalent opinion
among the secesh was that Port Gibson was
the safest place in that region. The damage
done by our cavalry is said to be rreparable.
1t was rumored at Opelousas that Port
Hudson had been evacuated.
Lieut. Col. A. c. Hills, editor of the Era,
has been placed under arrest for having al
lowed a questionable article to be published
in that paper. John f. Hayes and L. G. Ira
cy, of the Era, have been expelled from New
Orleans for writing and publishing the same
article.
Quite an excitement occurred on the even
ing of the It'll at the opera in New Orleans,
occasioned by the audience demanding the
national airs to be played, but nothing serious
resulted.
Gen. Sherman has ordered all places of
amusement hereafter to submit their pro-
grammes to the provost marshal prior to per-
Torrance, and suggests that national airs be
played.
Capt Howard Dwight, Adjutant General on
Brig. Gen. Andrews stafi, died suddenly on
the It'll. Capt. Dwight Boston boy,
brother of Brig. Gen. Dwight, formerly cap
tain in the Missouri Union Cavalry. His fi-
neral took place at New Orleans on the 9th,
and his body was put on board the steamer
George Peabody to be sent to his father in
Boston. The manner of his death is thus des-
cribed in the Era: He left the headquarters
of his brother, Gen. Dwight, on the morning
of the 4th with dispatches for Gen. Banks, and
was proceeding rapidly along the road from
Alexandria to Franklin. On reaching Cour-
tableau he was hailed by three rebel guerrillas.
He stopped and asked them who they were,
when they presented their revolvers and asked
him to dismount, as there were three TO one
and the captain was unarmec. He was forced
to comply, remarking, 81 cannot help myself
and therefore surrender" But the heartess
representatives of the chivalry retorted, We
don't want prisoner; kill the id Yankee"
and they Immediately fired two shots at him,
one of which took effect in his leg, brit the
other, which proved mortal, passed through
his head. The guerrllas then left him lying
in the road, but the body was watched over by
small boy who had witnessed the cold blood
ed transaction, and afterwards related the cir
10 sUlilt Ol OtU. tJNigutS CaNaiTl
which happened to pass that way soon after,
and found the body.
The Era of the 10th mentions a rumor that
Port Hudson was bombarded by our feet on
the night of the Sth and all day on the 9th.
Admiral Farragut arrived at New Orleans
on the afternoon of the 9th from Brashear
City. The Admiral and his officers left the
flag ship on Red River, and brings the impor-
tant intelligence that Alexandria was captured
tb. al, hxyA d,,,ir. nd
Prior to the capture of Alexandria, Fort De-
russey on Red River was demolished after a
fight, and a rebel gunboat captured After
the capture of Alexandria on the morning of
the 9th by our gunboats. the advance cavalry
of Brig. Gen. Dwight dashed into the place,
thus forming a junction of Farraguts and
Gen. Banks forces.
opelousas dates of the 9th say our army
was then on the march. Gen. Dwight's brig
ade was supposed to be in Alexandria, and
Gems, Emery, Weitzel and Grover with their
forces close behind.
A Baton Rouge letter of the I'd inst, saws
Col. Grierson's force, the 9th and It'll Illinois
cavalry and a battery, numbering some 900
men, followed by several hundred negroes and
large number of prisoners, rode into that
city that day. They left Lagrange April 10th,
burnt the rebel stores and railroad depot at
Okelona, the depot and two heavily laden
train at Newton, on the Charleston & Vicks-
burg Railroad The ordnance train contained
5000 loaded shells for the Nicksburg batteries,
which exploded terrfcally. From Newton
they followed the railroad TO Meridian, burn
ing all the bridges, thence south on the Mobile
d. Ohio Railroad to Enterprise, where they
destroyed the rebel ordnance works. They
then went back to Newton, burning all the
bridges from thence to Jackson, including the
great bridge over Pearl river near jackson,
and tore up two miles of the track, thence they
followed the jackson g. New Orleans Railroad
south to Louisiana. A rebel force at Clinton
was evaded by making circuit around them.
Our forces destroyed their camp equipage,
stores, &c, and captured 800 prisoners. While
crossing branch of the Amite river 1t. Col.
Blackburn was severely wounded and left in
the hands of the enemy. Col. Grierson cross
ed the Amite river on the morning of the LIST,
ten miles from Baton Rouge. He captured
rebel cavalry picket Of 100 men and horses,
burned Capt. Wetherbee's house and captured
looking rough but in good condition. Every
railroad in Mississippi has been cut by Them
They have supplied themselves with fresh
horses on the route and brought in over 800
contrabands on horses, nearly all of the latter
also leading horses.
The Era of the 9th gives the particulars of
the burning of the sloop-of-war Preble at PEN
sacola, April 9th. The fire caught accident
ally from az open light carried into the store
room. All hands were saved. The Preble
after burning number of hours blew up with
terrific explosion.