Evening star., 1863-03-24
FROM THE GULF DEPAR rMEN9.

sR &c on noiSsa in Force-From Haton
Rouse-The Movem ent believed to- be q
Feint to Cover the Passage of Com. Far.
risut Past the Port Hudson batteries,
and mp the Mississippi.
NEW ORLEANS March 15.1[Corres pondence
New York Evening Post].-Our news from
Baton Rouge is meagre in, detail. A reconnois-
sanee in force took place some days SINCE. We
learn that this was accomplished by three
brgades, which adyanced slowly from Baton
Rouge on the road leading towards Pert Hud-
son, remov ing3feiled timber. etcs,- with which
the way was ,obstructed, until they reached
a stream some six miles from Baton Rouge, the
bridge over which had been destroyed. The
force then returned to Baton Rouge, and no
further news of a forward movement has
reached New Orleans.
THE REBEL. POSITION AT PORT HUDSON.
Army officers are satisfied that the strength
of the rebels at Port Hudson has been much
underrated, and that the place Is occupied by al
least forty five thousand men, a large propor-
ton OF them well drilled and acc ustomed to
service 1t is said that General Joe Johnston is
or is to be in comma nd. Port Hudson, with the
natural advantages OF its position, its forifica-
tions skialfully constructed and dalad. out, its
large body of defenders and its experienced and
able commandant will undoubtedly prove a
dearly bought acq aisition when 1t comes into
the hands of the government. 1t is a matter for
very grave doubt whether this department can
its reduction.
The danger Of flank movement by the
enemy, bringing force between the ad vanc cling
army and Baton Rouge, or falling suddenly
instant In a word, General Banks has not
men enough under him fit for service to UNDER
take forward movement of great magnitude
and at the same time properly protect the terri
tory already occupied, and keep up his connec-
tion with his base OF operations.
THE REAL PURPOSE AND IMPoRTA ANcE or THE
MOVEMENT.
/ am informed by an official of yery high
position, that the movement against Port
Hudson is merely a feint to yer an attempt
to be made within a few days, if it did not take
place last night, 70 run the fleet under Admiral
Farragut past Port Hudson, for the purpose OF
taking possession of that great highway for the
passage of Confederate supplies, the Red River,
and OF stopping the career of the Queen of the
West and her associates between Port Hudson
and Eicksburg. If the fleet should succeed in
this enterprise they would infiict damage upon
the rebellion hardly to be over estimated. The
amount Of supplies of provisions and manufac-
tured goods crossing the Mississippi for the
Confederacy, within this region, now wholly
un der rebel control. is prodigDus.
To obtain permanent possession Of the Red
river and the Mississippi along this region
would be worth more in the United States, in
the present and the future, tran almost any
other possible success. The rebel are fully
aware OF IN This, as the presence OF two great
armies at Ficksburg and Por: Hudson, land the
force under Bragg before Rosecrans-which
also protects the Mississippi by guarding the
fanks Of the armies on its banks-sufficiently
attests. The time is not long passed since a
f"w gunboats, actively cruising up and down
the river south of Ficksburg, could have kept
it open from the Delta to that point, and have
prevented the erection of the fortifications
which have made Gibraltar Of Port Hudson.
Even now there are five or six bluffs unpro.
tected by strong defen ces between Vjcksburg
and Port Hudson, and the advent of few
heavily armed steamers pom that part of the
river would prove a godsend to the Union
cause.
Give the rebels time. and there is no doubt
that they will make the most Of the natural
strength Of these positions. Vlcksburg and
Port Hudson now in our hands, it would be
necessary to occupy those intermediate bluffs
without delay, build strong works upon them,
and place strong garrisons therein. Then
$1,000 men would be none too few to hold the
river and keep it's ma vieation possible, antl
the successes of our arms in theinterior should
render 1t impossible that the enemy could at
tempt to regain The control OF the great aorta of
our western prosDerity