Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1863-06-11
Correspondence ofthe Daily Spy.
From the FOrty-SecOnd Regiment.
LAKEPoRT, NEAR New ORLEANS, La,
May 26, 1868.

/ different field of observation from other com
panies perhaps may be able to write shor
letter, which shall be of interest to many o
the readers of your paper. Our station il
at the lake'end of the Pontchartrair
rail road, which extends distance of five
miles from New Orleans to the lake, which
gives it its name.
Company F., Capt. j. d. Cogswell, }
which is stationed here, is included in the
provost guard of the defences of N. Orleans.
Our duty is to arrest the enemy (and disloyal
spectators) in all attempts to convey contra
band stores to the opposite shore, to act as
guard on board the schooners and boats trans
porting government stores to the forts, togeth-
er with other incidental jobs. The command
of this station together with the St. John bat
terry and bayou st. John, devolves on our 1t.
Col Joseph Stedman, and thus far business
seems to have been done to the satisfaction
of all.
We. of course, do not experience the change
and excitement incidental to the field, and
often we hear the wish expressed that we
yet, as long as we perform our duty well we
need not feel sensitive of blame, for we are
occupying the post allotted to us by our gem
eral in command. We have at least very
healthy station, no less than the summer re-
sort of New Orleans people, free from yellow
fever ravages and nearly all other trightful
diseases.
Since the issue of the order for the trans.
fer of registered enemies to the other side,
this place has been quite busy. The order
allowed those who had means to charter
schooners for their own private Transporter
ton, land many availed themselves of this priv
iege; still there were many of the poorer
classes, for whom the government furnished
transportation on the A. G. Brown, a steam
err taken from the enemy about month ago
in Pearl river. About five hundred have
been conveyed on !his boat at the various
places designated by the confederate author
tiles On the nineteenth of this month eighty
one came on board for jacksonville, and as
it seemed necessary that they should have
military escort, | was detailed to command a
guard of six men to perform this duty.
At II o'clock M. we pushed from the wharf
and taking N. N. W. course we made the
mouth of Tchoufunkty river in about two
hours. We crossed the bar and folowed the
stream for about two miles, coming in view of
the first thoroughly confederate town on which
L have had the fortune to set my eyes. Eve
rything was expressive of the condition of af-
fairs in secessia. The fishermen's huts were
abandoned, light houses presented no signs of
inhabitants, the freight ways were burned and
not until we reached miserable apology of
a wharf did we discover the least sign of pop
ulatOn. Here a few women appeared, half
hidden in the stern of an old schooner, call
ing in satanic screeches for ''three cheers for
jeff. Davis" They were given by few on
board in the same diabolical, half smoothered
tones which proved to me conclusively that tine
contederaey is hollow void, in which the
where one feels as if the earth beneath hin
may open and cerberus instigated by the
Ate of rebellion may howl upon him.
Soon after the cheers were given | saw
young lady (') perhaps fifteen years old, run
down to the landing triumphantly waving the
''Stars and Bars" either as a welcome to her
friends on board or as defiance in our faces.
No attention was given either of these demon
STATIONS. but as soon as the lines were fixed,
the luggage was thrown ashore, news ex-
changed, fines cast off, and the flag of truce
put about for more friendly harbor.
| made more pleasant trip the day follow
ing, and with more agreeable class of the
enemy. The ''Brown" was advertised to run
to Pascagoula for the accommodation of those
who wished to go to Mobile. At the hour APP
pointeda crowd commenced congregating on
the wharf at our landing, some to 90 aboard,
but a far greater number to bid farewell to
brothers and sisters, husbands and wives, pa
rents and children, who were bound for the
land of Dixie. For nearly five hours all was
hurry and hustle, trunks and boxes were ex-
f.hn cd
til five O'Clock P. NJ, when the guard went
aboard and we cast off to visit another portion
of the promised land. There were on board
one hundred and ninety enemies, but OH shore
there were nearly five hundred persons who
gave them a last farewell worthy a more
honorable departure. There was no noise,
but handkerchiets were waved most earnestly
until we were far out into the lake. | learn
ed from one gentleman of the number, that
many of the young men had refused to take
the oath, because they feared the conscription
in New Orleans; but their prospects of sol
diering IN the confederacy are not much
brighter, for they are anxiously looked for in
Dixie, and in a few days will no doubt Shout
der the musket and ''otf to the wars"
AT half past nine in the evening we arrived
at Fort Pike and lay there till morning. Very
early we started on our way, passing through
the ''Rigolets" into Lake Borgne, and leaving
St. Josephs island on our left, we came OPP
posite Bay st. Louis just as heavy gale came
in from the gulf. Finding it impossible to
outride the storm in safety, Capt. Ellery of
the Brown, put in under lee of small island
in Bay st. Louis, and there we remained until
the next morning. At half past five we
touched at Pass Christian, and passing on
twelve miles, we touched at Tea Garden
wharf at Mississippi City, over against Cat
island. We stood on our course, passing be-
tween Biloxi and Ship Island, and soon APP
preached Pasgagoula, between which and
Horn island is the passage into the open gulf.
We remained at Pasgagoula only longenough
to pass the luggage ashore, exchange papers
and news, bid farewell to II few pleasant ac-
quaintances formed on the voyage, and then
we made haste to leave the hostile shore. The
localities mentioned above are all on the
northern shore of the gulf, on the coast of
Mississippi
| omitted to say that at Pasgagoula the
English ex-consul at Mobile came on board
with his passport, in company with Spanish
commissioner from Havana, en- route tor New
Orleans.
LAKEpoRT, May 2s.-W just hear through
rebel sources that our forces up the river have
met with reverses both at Port Hudson and
Vicksburg-heavy losses, including several
important officers-but as yet we give no Gre
dence to the report, as least so far as 1t con-
Germs Port Hudson. l myself saw dis
charged soldier this morning from Port Hud-
son only night before last, who said our army
was, at the time of his departure, by far in
the ascendency. Our forces had kept up a