Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1863-07-03
From Port Hudson.
GEN. Growers HEAD QUARTERS,
BEFORE PORT HUDSON,
Wednesday, June 10, 1863.

Ed. Gazette;
As YOU have no correspondent in this De-
pariment few lines from me may not come
amiss. After pleasant voyage from New
York on the non-commissoned man-of-war
Mcclellan, we arrived at South West Pass
mouth of the Mississippi Ri yer Saturday morn
ing May Both. The trip up the river was de-
lightfnl, and the scenery after passing the forts
a panorama of low level land highly cultivated,
beautiful dwellings half hid in or ange groves,
and near by the usual accompaniment of ne
gro huts with their little vegetable gardens
and white washed fences. In the fields the
blacks we're toiliDg beneath broling sun a.
mong the sugar cane while around the houses
the dusky Juveniles in scanty apparel rolled in
the grass in childish innocence. L cannot won
der that with mans cupidity and love of pow
er Slavery is attractive. In feuda times lords
were "rich in some dozen paltry villages" while
here the proprietors are rich In land and hu-
man souls, lords of villages, owners of their in
habitants, despots in power, capricious as des-
potic. Avarice glutted its capacious nav, god
filed their Golfers lust ravished the powerless,
and unbrided licentiousness corrupted the land.
This bane of our Republic, conceived in sin,
supported by power ard fostered by politics,
shall be overthrown and its suffering arrayed
in blood. God speed that day.
New Orleans is almost deserted, half her pla-
ces of business are closed, all her places of a
musements, her immense levee unoccupied, cot
ton presses empty, dwellings tenantless, grass
growing in the streets, with the guns of our
feet frowning upon the rebelious City, mar
tial law proclaimed. and an army of occupa-
ton within her limits Such are the fruits OF Sc
eessionism; still thousands of her inhabitants
cherish the delusive phantom of Southern
Confederacy and wear the look of sullen sub
mls.ion Ladies wear the white and red rose
and hide their faces with their parasols when
ever they meet Union officer. The city is
nevertheless well governed, quiet and orderly
All drinking saloons are closed at 9 O'Clock y.
m, by order of the acting Mayor. The coun-
try above New Orleans does not look so invi-
| ting as below the city. Between the city and
Baton Rouge it is mostly swamps very little
land under cultivation. Baton Rouge is stu
ated on bluff and appears to have been a
pleasant place of about 5000 inhabitants
War has left its mark here; great many bull
dings are perforated with cannon balls. and
rack and ruin seems to be the order OF the day.
Port Hudson, 16 miles above Baton Rouge, is
the center of attraction at present. Our troops
have surrounded the rebels and are now mount
ing heavy guns and mortars; tomorrow is the
day set for the storming of the works, and q
general bombardment from everything we have
in the shape of cannon. This is the 10th day
of the seige; we have lost some 500 men in at
! tempting to carry the works by storm-the
cannonading is incessant, with but little dam
age however on either side. Gen. Banks com.
mands the corps in person, Gen. Augur the
the left wing, Gen. Dwight the center and Gen
Grover the right wing. The rebels are now
throwing shells at these headquarters (Gen
Grover's) which burst in uncomfortable prox-
unity. Our sharpshooters prevent the rebels
| from using their guns during the day They
make up loss time at night. We must cap
ture Port Hudson within few days, as this
! Louisiana swamp which we are encamped ir
is very unhealthy and our troops are beginning
to suffer. Gen. Banks has sent about two
thousand prisoners to New Orleans and taker
immense quantities ofsupplies, 1000 head o.
cattle and several hundred head of horses
As 1 close this letter I notice the rebel com
missary store-house in flames caused oy a shell
! fred from one of our 80 pound Parrott guns
the loss to the rebels will be irreparable as the
building was large and stored with provisions
and ammunition, all of which will be ultimate
ly destroyed. I will write you again soon
and keep you advised as to the movements il
| this quarter. Yours &c. S. L. G.
The ESCAPED HPPoPoTAMUs.-Tha am
phibiOus monster, the Hippopotamus, whose
escape from shipboard while in transit from
Buffalo to Detroit, we have already mentioned
has been re-captured, after twenty-four hours
soiourn in the water Tie circum stances o.