The New York herald., 1863-02-11
IMPORTANT FROM sA1oN ROUGE.
Oar Baton Rouge Correspondence.


Oar Baton Rouge Correspondence.
BATON RoUGE La, Jan. %, 1858.
fAs Rebels Rdaforced at Port Hudson and tie Dsfnces
Strengthened 70 tAs Eamy-TAs Rebels Offer
to Receive all Desssrs and Send Them North Payoed
Prisoners Of Way-The Negro RsgiReats, &c., DC.
The HxRADs map and description Of the rebel delences
Of Port hudson, published the 11h inst, admitted
all sides 70 have bean correct but what strictly
at the time the map drawn and tho description
written not true for tho enemy, understanding the
value Of time has strained every energy 10 strengthen his
defences at that important point
Rmn RxroRcExHNTs.
The effective ARhtng force 1t Port Hudson until recent
y has been less than ten thousand men, but within the
last few days this force has been materially augmented
Has tho Union force a Baton Rouge been reinforced and
organizcdP Did not the rebels know IT, and whenever
regiment arrived from New urleans the military
authorities over the line promptly informed Of the
fact BY their faithfol allies and spies in this
cityf And while that regiment was coming
from New Orleans, were not thousand
conscrips also their way TO Port Hudson' We're
two thousand slaves making wider the bitches more
impossible the abas in front Of the rebel eathworks7
Was not time more useful 70 them than TO us'
No sooner did troops At this point assume mesc-
ing attitude than the fighting force M Port Hudson
rapidly increased, and s probably little less than
twenty thousand. When speak Of troops
ing menacing attitude, do not mean that they have
advanced but DO mean that wonderful improvement
has been made recently their organization and dpos
ton From state Of semichaos they have been brought
TO order and temporary and clumsy organ ,estab
shed only becanse nothing better could be done under
the circumstances, has been perseded by which
renders army formidable and effective. The rebels
quite well aware Of this the general who
accomplished H. Whild our force comparatively
organized for forward tho enemy contented
ments but the moment forces were made III for
advance he hurried forward his conscrpts TO meet u.s.
man TO man.
cannot with propriey speak definitely or what has
been done here But the result the other side that
thousands Of II woods have been eveed TO tho
ground 70 obstruct the passage OF attacking force
every road and approach has been made inpassaoo
far engineering skill and negro labor could accomplish
IL the earhworks have been strengthened every poss
BILE way and the fighting force Of the enemy within
week has been increased from ten Thousand TO twenty
thousand Thus this position, which, with proper
force might havo been carried six weeks ago without
difficulty, has day by day grown TO be second Yicks
burg, and II will now withstand bloody and protracted
siege Is TO the lower Mississippi what Vicksburg Is 70
the upper-the butt and very seafnark OF utmost
sar-and viii require great sacrifice OF life before IL
yields 10 an assault.
IMPORTANT pIsoofRS-prfkR1Es 10 Bk PARoxD AND srsI
NORTH.
within the last few days number OF dcsertions have
taken place As the arrangements for preventing
the deserton of soldiers on the boats going TO
escape 10 this way quite impossible, II was
Justly supposed that tho deserters must go over the
two OF our deserted from picket line Monday
night There doubt but they went from their
posts 20 the enemys country.
Great vigilance exercised 20 discover the secret OF
this dsgraceu conduct and yesterday this vigilance
rewarded man who attempted TO get inside our lines
arrested, and on his person were found memoranda
certain soldiers which II appeared that these
Gals had made arrangements with the 70 desert al
four O'Clock the morning; but they advised
10 desert at two O'Clock instead as there was proba
bty that Baton Rouge would be attacked before the hour
agreed upon also appeared that tho rebels had made
napr hat ALL Ininn ho ehapld la
sert should be guaranteed safo conduct through the
enemys country and should be sent the lines North
The number who had shown any disposition TO avail
themselves OF such isnominous terms very insgn
towards would accept such offer and tho army better
Tysg ssoRs NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. op or1uRs.
In my last letter 10 the HERALD from this city gave
account of the arrival Of negro regiment herethe Third
Native louisiana Volunteers, Colonel Nelson--and the
great commocn caused by the event among both officers
The regiment was 9usrered inside the fortncations
leviug regiment Of whites which sent out TO the
front They we're at once " work tbe foStnca-
tons and IN eyeng certain ruined walls 10 the ground TO
clear for the range OF our artillery; and u was also
made known that the regiment not 10 be into any
brigade with white soldiers. This qnctcd much u the
excitement which had been created by the coming o tho
regiment. Nevertheless, there 10 still strong feeling on
the subject tn ughu officers are not without appre
tensions that serious mischcf viii result from this cx
-Four ofnccrstwo Of them belonging 70 tho One Hun
dred and Thirty third New York (seoond Meropoitan)
have sent In their resignation, placing squafey upon
the ground that the has determined mako
soldiers OF the es and two OF these designations have
already been forwarded TO the commanding general
department for his action.
The principal OBJ ecton 10 negro regiments IA the fact
that part Of the officers are black part whe and
the fear that they will be brgsded with the whites and
that white soldiers will be required 70 salute black
officers.
rRonABix osokrzAuoS MICRO RygrnrSrs
IL N the opinion of correspondent that these cir.
have received tho careful confederation Of
General Banks, and that organization will be effected
which, while will mako available the large negro force
which may be readily brought together will Mt tho
same time avoid the principal objections against coIorcd
regiments.
THIS organization must necessarily recognize the pren
dice which exiss against the negrv but n vii, AZ mo
same time appeal 10 the pie of The negro and
hod be ore him Inducements 70 become good aud faith
fol sodier.
me negroes " am msinformed wii be Organized
AZ al - arms ant thtuN he uhta,i ,tfi,.i,