Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1863-11-05


The Climate
Correspondence of the State journal.
New ORLEANS, La, Oct 18th, 1863.
Dear Journal We reached this city on
the 10th inst. after tedious Journey, grow
ing out of distractions from sandbars and the
immense movement of troops, which absorbed
some eighty steamers
There was no special news either at Vicks-
burg, Natchez, Port Hudson, Bayou Sara OF
Baton Rogue. A "gobble" or two of few
men on either side, comprised the stock OF
two proceeding weeks. Nor does war news
abound here The 18th Army Corps has
moved from Brashier City to Vermillion River
and the Tensas, but so far without serious op-
position. Indeed it is doubtful if the traitors
can in any way muster more than 10000 men
in all Texas, and it is not believed that anv
very serious fight will take place. 1t is at
Galveston and on the Rio Grande that armies
are wanted.
| need scarce say that this city and the
country about to fresh Northerner like N.Y.
self, abounds in many new and curious things.
1t is upon the coast proper, although the great
river has pushed narrow delta 100 miles out
into the Gulf The sea sends up its estuaries,
or rather the land has been pushed into the
sea, leaving the estuary on either hand. Lake
Pontchartrain is but eight miles distant, and
supplies most bountifulIy this market with
oysters, schrimp, crabs, croakers, and the
endless variety of ocean fish adapted to warm
water. The country about for hundreds of
miles is a low level fiat, through which the
Mississippi wends its way, and the whole of
which would be subject to overflow annually
had not levees been constructed to hedge in
the surplus waters. The immense deposit of
mud at the bottom of the stream, being great
or than the quantity washed into the Gulf
lifts up the body of the river, so that not on
iy its waters but the lands adjoining are high
cr than those in the rear, which are nearly on
level with the Gulf 1t is thus that water
runs from the river instead of towards it.
These immense bottoms are the sugar clne
lands, and sugar is the product of the coun-
try from the mouth of Red River downwards.
King Cotton lives higher up stream.
Vegetation here puts on the tropical type.
1t is the country of the orange, banana, pal
metto, and countless Towering shrubs creep
ers, vines and trees of the hot regions of the
globe.
The city is surprise. 1t is by far the
cleancst, neatest and most comfortable place
| ever visited. Its walks and principal streets
are smoothly paved with blocks of granite
brought from Massachusetts, all kept so scru-
pulously clean that dust and mud are almost
unknown The river front is twelve miles
long, with variable depth of houses of from
one to two miles. 1t covers more than twice
the ground of a northern city of the same
population, as dwellings must have air and
cannot be packed together Indeed, all seem
to have yards and gardens filed with most
beautiful trees and shrubbery, which gives
them peculiar air of comfort Such a thing
as a cellar or basement is unknown here
The business houses are generally built of
brick, although great many are of granite.
iron and marble. 1t is quite rare to see them
above four stories in height. Most of them
are but three stories. Everything about
them gives evidence of taste and GREAT
wealth. In the streets one hears at every |
turn the jabber of French, Spanish, German,
mixed more or less with good old Saxon
Business, need scarcely say is at low cbb.
Built up purely by commerce-one of its
ereations-secession was death to its every
material interest. Its immense levee, once a
wonder of hustle and activity, is compare
lively deserted, and the 1000 draws formerly
in use are rusting ingloriousv Army sup
plies, munitions, with small iags of sugar and
cotton picked up somewhere, represent the
whole.
Secession is not as vindictiyc as formerly
But little is said of it in public. Nearly half
the women seen in the streets are in mourn
ing and as more than 10000 men went from
the city into the traitor ranks, three -fourths
of whom are dead, the use of so much Grape
can be accounted for without supposing it
worn to spite the Yankees. Indeed they
have cause to mourn-in reality, as nearly
every house has lost some relative or friend
The CLEAN of federal bayonets in the streets
and the fleet of black looking gunboats in the
river, with cannon ever pointed on the city,
are constant admonition to loyalty and ODE
dience.
went last night to the Exchange to hca
Gov Hamilton of Texas speak, and to see
New Orleans audience. 1t was an immense
room, admirably fitted up, its walls covered
over with inscriptions in laurel of the deeds
of our great generals and commanders and
their names. Among the latter | acknowl-
edge to a thrill of pride at seeing the name
of our Paine. About 5000 persons assem-
bled, of whom full 500 were women. The
speech was much ADLER than had expected
devoid of all taunts or personalities-a most
logical as well as happy effort 1t was MAIN
ly devoted to that absorbing topic, the ex-
tinction of slavery. What will your misera-
BILE copperheads think when told that a South
Carohnian, in the principal hall of New Or
leans, to an immense audience of citizens for
two hours, held forth in burning language the
crime they had committed against the GOV
eminent, and the certainty of the result that
slavery was dead-hopelessly dead without a
chance in any possible event of Il resurrec-
ton. He Invested them of every hope-he
hedged them III with arguments so potent that
conviction was irresistible he showed them
that the idol was already overthrown, and
asked them to adjust themselves and their
affairs to the fact and the successive an