, 1863-04-03
TH:: MOVEMENT AGAINST
PORT HUDSON.
General Banks Land
Movement.
THE ATTEMPT TO RUN BY
PORT HUDSON.
The Destruction of the Mississippi

~A~- ~~]tSNAts
The Destruction Of the Mississippi
Especial Correspondence Of tho Chicago Tribune.]
iouso's Po1sT, L., March Is, 1862.
TIE SITUATION.
Ne have had several exciting days within
the past week, and none moro 60 than this.
Last Friday the Admiral's boats arrived be-
low; on Saturday our eyes were greeted With
| the sight Of tall spars floating up to the old
anchorage Of the Queen. The Hartford flag
| ship il a noble craft, and her presence does
| much to cnliyen us. The catastrophe to the
rams this morning oYezwhelms al other topics
and while waiting for the particulars to come
across the points, may give you an account
Of the perilous passage up the river, BY the
| Port Hudson batteries
TIE ENGAGEMENT At TIE Port HUDSON Eat
| TER1Es.
have conyerscd with one OF the officers
from the Hartford and Albatross, from whom
I guther the following interesting statement
OF the engagement. It appears that Admiral
Farragut had been waiting anxiously for the
1fflfsll u NCAC4+A ~ NC-NpcthLE h4tu
him in attacking Port Hudson. The whole
fleet lay Oft Baton Rouge, the Essex and Mis-
EiGsippI making an occasional cruise up to
within sight of the hostile batteries.
The smoke Of steamers could be plainly dis
| covered at the landing, and, from the reports
| Of deeertcrs, it was feared that an attempt
| might lie made to crush Or board some Of our
| vessels at Baton Rouge. The Admiral or
| dcred the most perfect preparation Of netting
and chains to be wove round the boats to pre-.
vent boarding, and kept bright look out
| from bis smallest boat for rams. Several very
! heavy guns had been mounted at Baton Rouge,
Eo that it is noWas formidable in our hands as
Ticksburg is in the enemy's.
MOVEMENTS or GENERAL DASKs.
It was not until the 9th inst that General
Banks and Staff left New Orleans, arriving on
the 11th. The next day all was hustle and
preparation on shore and afoat. Reviews
and eoaling commenced. On the 18th diyis
ion Of troops, with four war vessels, steamed
| up to within ten miles of Port Hudson, and
OH the succeeding evening another started uI
| with six mortar Echooners. On tue SAINT
afternoon
| TIE H0HTaRs OrEHED FIRE
from the head Of Boplcts Island, where tht
last troops we're landed. The rebels made M
reply. The range was full three miles from
the lowest batteries. At ten in the morning
the flagship arrived with &c II. Banks. ST!
nals were hoistcd to lash the vessels By coup
les in the following order:
THE ORDER IN WHICH TIE VESSELS MOVED
First the Hartford and Alba:ross, then th,
Richmond and kiueo, followed by the Gene
see aud Mononsahela, the MISSISSIPPI (paddle
alonc. Tie Essex and Sachem were to re
main behind with the mortars. About nint
o'clock signal was made TO get ready for ac
ton. Al half past ten the order to steam u.
stream. The Might was moderately dark aus
the outline of the shores could be dimly seen
The ships took the order prescribed, ans
steamed up in the order mentioned in nit
channel. The two leaders hld gotten abreas
Of the lowest batteries in profound silence
The only visible thing was first seen OF
! the opposite share, where u light could b.
seen swinging Us if by hand. In Two minutes
more, or ut eleven clock,
4 ROCKET WAS sEST UP,
the scrccching Of the fiery messenger soundin.
strangely On the ear. In perhaps half i min
ute more, q second was sent up from differ
ent part Of The bluffs, this time pointed VI
the strcan as il to attract the attention O
the upper batteries. Then came Il yolley 0
small ~ ms and Mnskcts which did no damage
The next instant y flask and u rush, then III
BOOM Or HUNDRED AND Twenty POUNDED
went off III far, less time than it takes t,
Writc it. Some ten or twelve guns were play
ing rapidly upon the leaders Of tho lleet
which kept steaming on hcadlessly.
TILE HARTFORD OPENS HER BATTERIES,
firing hy sections Of them with the utmos
!! regularity. The Richmond, which was thcl
s.A tu3x 5-41
Steadily the vessels kept steaming up. I'll
Admiral stood upon the poop deck, glass il
hand, unmoyed; and as wide awake and ster
Us ever in his life. Pilot Tom Carroll was i
the forcluast directing the course Of tho shi
through i hoscpipe. The binding smoke q
r to more than the row Of bright flashes whiu
+ | kept spouting from the blutf.
After being about ten minutes under flrt
lights were discovered approaching the Harj
) Admiral, who directed o broadside to be hur
i. | c} at them. in the darkness it was 1iMcul
to tell how far distant they might bc. Tn
A]batross commenced firing her bow gun 0
deck at one Of the hostile vessels, whic
h1d gotten abreast of her, and the Hartfor
, side. The outline Of the vessels could be di:
= covered BY the lookout, who AYERS that the
were black gunboats or rams, most probabl
!, the Queen and the Webb, which wc were at
: Vised were preparing tor all encounter. Th
r c1a1nor and roar Of the cannon from til
Il whole four starboard vessels aud the ba:terit
d now became 50 great tint but Itt1o could b
!. | distinguished beyond the inccssant and dea
, ening cannonade. The suspicious craft hos
ever were seen to move rapidly up the rive
a and were not afterwards heard Of
= The course Of the channel is such as to lea
close under the bluffs, as you approach tn
town.
TIE HARTFORD HAD PAsBEp TIE CITY,
t when ill ct once she Was discovered to has
+ grounded. She wa6 drawing seventeen and
half feet Of water. Tho eddy formed By Il
= rushing OF the current under the bluffs, Ia
Is taken her too near the shore. She was imm
|, diate'y backed, and the Mbatross also, and
about five minutes got of. It took fully tt
L minutes before she could be straighteued u
&c into the channel, oil this while the rebels we
It playing furious}y with eolld shot and shell
around the vessel, not one shot in ten strikin
Occasionally there would come blast Us
r the vessel WIS strnck with myriads Of ha
" stones. The bursting Of shells and the rusl
10 Ing Of slot through tile shrouds are describe
j. by those who we're stationed a.oft, as belr
:. terrific. Slowly aud gradually the two re
- sells crept up, making about five miles l
u hour. On making the turn shove the upp
batteries. the stern guns OF both vessels on
e. could play upon the batteries. 1t was 0
:, served by Some that the rebels had ligh
- | moving up and down the river, said to be ca
-ium lights, which shone across the rive
much like locomotive head light. Thes
t. however, do not seem to have been Of mu,
\, use, es they we're not observed By others.
:. THE RICHMOND AND ugR PARTNER.
- The Richmond and her partner were seen
III the maze Of movements, backing aud flli1
ID got aground also, it Is presumed At any ia
n the order Of battle waslcst.
THE MISSISSIPPI