Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1863-01-08
1resPondeuce o. tne new York Morlo
WaTnN Tsorf1r IA T,ocar,+ a. D

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! Correspondence Of the New York World
BATON RoUGE, La, December H.
Baton Rouge Is agsin IN possession of the Fedei,a
foTess- Ths very morning the stars aud sripeg 8tr
hOisted upon the stat Of the State house amid the hearty
cheers Of our troops s this pleasant afternoon II
the center If tie late seeesh camp surrounded BY li
eaatAwosks and ntrenehinents thrown mp probably ole
[ . year ago, before TIE battle Of Baton Rouge,
Festardsy morning the expedition to BstOn Rouge by
part OF the forces OF Gen. Bsuks started up the river
4 in command of BrigadieF-Genara1 C. Grover. The
steamer North Star co FIRST b ang the general end
his stan and the 4lss Massachusetts regiment, Col T. O.
| CkieEernE Relieving her were the steamer United
Staes. Northern Light New BTunsvick P0eahontss S.
4 SpanidiRs, Illinois and Aary 5Oardman, al briag-
/ ing troops The Hiehnond, Capt Alden which was
subsequently made the hsg-ship Of the expedition,
eame Up the river the day peyious and the Aloatross
followed this morning The rou.csd Essex which
VIII be remembered formerly one Of q mInodbre
Footss nvmcble feet has been 10 the river for some
time and took su important part in the expedition
The y nonar Cayess and Catahdia completed the list
( Of gEnboss.
leans, provided with OF TIVE boat howitzsrs,
which were mounted he bows, ard the spae ariil-
feTy held cs FiaRes wheels aud things of hat 6sseEp
ton, were piled up deck along the ganwaes TO pro-
tee the soert from shots from stray guerllas that
might be proving aiong he banks
Itwas knowa that the rebels hat picket guard Of
from hnnsred to I've hun red at Baton R ige
with few field pieces, and tDat thyFs tou-
sands Of -ebss Por Hfdson Aftsen miles further up
the river The bI rs st Baton Rouge feet
higher than the gupbo Is on the water, ard it was
though Fel possible that the rebels might try to hold
the int. hIlents with their batterv until TsinfoFoe
ments should arrive from Port Hndsou
The transports a. ct steamed up the MsssHipp al7ay
and aDehor curing thepight sbout thirty aes
from Baton Rouge. During ali the af ernocn tha troops
most cf which were raw, were drilled deck in the
movements for firing and instructed IN light mATch
ing order. They were ali in good spirits and lively
ditio1
In the early gray Of the morning the transport feet
got under weigh agssn tie North Star leading and soon
N Eight Of the city OF Baton Rouge. The gun
boats were already oppositeit mov7g up and down to
discover the fort fcations where the rebel battery
supposed tS be planted The old intrenchments men
tened the first part Of this letter were easily seem
jast north Of the city but not gun mounted upon
them. There no evidences of any recent works.
aud fact nothing more thar strong picket guard
expected here The town seemed almost deserted,
only few negroes and fewer white people being seen
They came down the banks stood on the street
corners, looking at the operations in the river. soli
tary seeesh horseman, wearing toe unifofm Of rebel
officer rode along the banks watching the gupb0ats, and
finally he hurried off toward the woods that covered the
county behind the fortifra ions. There were People
the North Star who fsncied they signs e febes
behind tae esrthworks but could discover none.
At Hns o'clock the ron-elad Essex steamed up 70 the
bank, within pstoshot Of the forfestion and threw
dozen nine-ineh shells into the woods beyond As
response elected the transport United States came
alongside and the l3 LIST regiment New York voiuliteer
go Charles Turnbu, OF the Metropolitan brigade vas
the first step shore and take formal possession Of
the deserted works. detachment Of marines came up
the same time DRAG ging small howitzer and planted
1t the heights Another detachment of half dozen
gallant from the Essex started for the State l5ouss
and in less than ten minutes raised the stars and stripes
troops then landed from the transports.
visited every portion Of the city and talked with
numerous denizens, both white and black, Probably
Eve stores open sad at only twenty thirty
residences there any signs Of humanity About
thousand negroes and whites, and perhaps dozen
women, were however along the river, ookBf at the
soldiers They sll had starved, ieuk appearance, ho
Iow-cheekod and gaunt. I'VE starving sail they
food is that hardly obtain IL In any
way. Polk is 3 dollar pound. aEd most other meats
impossible 70 get at all" Wheat biead has baen IN
kn w for the last three months and sweet Iotatoes
have formed the principal article Of Diet
] learned that picket guard OF aboat five hundred
Louisiana rebels with Two small field pieces command
ed by Colonel Shields bad left the place about half
hour before the landing Of troops post haste for
Port Hudson, where there are ls0 TO 15ol)rebGls.
Some of the negroes said thsy tried to take away q
few begs of corn but shells burst close by them in
the woods, AM tn dropped the to expedite their
discover p 0fessed be Union One Of them, a
Frsnchm an who eonversed in broken E3ngi d. said hu
emily, Tn % glad the Union soldiers have COME Per
haps wei gAt hing 10 eat when the seee are al
gone from the country. Some Of the people he'd ef
the city that very morning, but went away fort
night previou sly. was assured that they
pectsd he arrival Of Federal soldiers for three weeks
before Spies were constantly arriving from New Or
leans and they kept wei informed of all the
nents Of troops and gunboats there. Hna Of rebel
piek4ts hal also been pit up for twenty m le down
the Tver skukngi guerilla fashion behind tie banks
and watching and reporting every gunbost
Soon after the troops landed 1--WE eyed czsns called
General Grover and claimed protection for the town
aud the few aged men, the women children ard negroes
who remained General Grover assured them be de-
81 ed to injHre such.
his evening field battery will be landed. Some six
thousand troops shore and ah attack is
possible tonight OF course the retakizg Of Baton
Rouge Is only preliminary 70 heavier work aurther
streara The rebels have batteries along the banks
few miles further up which we may attack in few
days Meanwhile the gunboat ard infantry force viii
both be stfsrg gthened Some more thousandsff troops
10 be sent there within the next forty ysight hours