New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1863-12-10
o... and NJ the adjacent waters has been

afcho
maintained BY the navy resu.ns III ;ng eap'u,s ~
navy n,izcs and the almost entire ennhialon OF a
Illicit traffic. some important boat eXpsdniohs i"i
n,,;,c out vessels ard d, roying Rebel salt works
icve TSen projected and exec ted with success Lying
aJiacet 70 Cuba and not far distant from Nassau tho
coast Of Florida presented many available P rh l
ending the blockade, eli ~ by small vessels, wnci
we're capable OF penetrating tie shallow hsrp3s is
rlcts which udent ts shores. Bw the trade has MOI
been carried with implnity-more than ono nunuiyu
craft OF various descriptions have neeh c".uIeu " ~
stroyed by Ills squadron during the current year
wESTlRN GULF SQUADRON
The duties Of tie Western Gulf squadron un'p nc aa
of the year Rcar.Admira Farrnsut icit nmseii COM
peled 10 employ many If lis most eicieh, NeSstn u.
active river service COOPERATING with the amy. WIZ
view to reopening tho nav satlon 81 the Mlsssspti
and expelinr hostile forces from its hanks Impressed
With the crcs, importance Of this work ana aware .,
the determination of the 1overnnrh. 70 rs,tar
so that the ocean outlet Of tie great central 'hy oi
the Uniorr should be unrestricted ana secure neai
Admiral Farragnt committed inc shpec' VI w ~ 80
biockade TO others Of his command ard devoted s u
remittuc personnl attention to the enefgttc ana 'Br
Gus ryoseeon of the conquest Of the Rebels 10 over
cc.rinc and reducing their batteries and 10 removing
evsrv Obstacle with which they sought TO oppose the
navigation Of the river 10 resist the auIorles OF
lie Union. Soon after the capture OF Newoieans ID
tle Swing OF s62 and the natural result oil tha
exent the naval forces formed Junction; aud could
the army at that time have furnished an adequate co
operating land force the reduction Of NicksDurg mrh
bsvs heep accomplished, ard The occupation and navi
cation OF the river easily secured But the omission 20
do this gave the Rebels opportunity to immensely
strengthen vicksburg ord also 70 ioriy Fort hudson
snd ly,ard GuN In addition. What therefore might
have been accomplished with comparatively little effort
IN the Summer Of le6, work Of immense and al
most incredible labor and difficulty In isOJ IL was
indjsrcnf able that communication should be opened
with Rear Admiral Porter Of the Mississippi squadron,
and Gen Grant both Of whom were operating against
/ Vioksburg Rear. Admiral Farragut therefore. moved
nm . strong force Iom Baton Rouge in March, intend
ing 10 pass the batteries Port Hudson. but only his own
fag ship tie Hartford and tie Abatross were success
full With those he succeeded in approaching nlc.s.
burg and in communicating with Rear Admiral IoIri
across the PENN sna This gallant oct Of Rear Admrai
Farrayut being effected The Navy Lad command OF the
!, river between vickshurg and Port Hudson and was
sr.hed 70 establish blockade OF Red River. and thus
intercept the supplies rom Texas destined ior we heu
armies The insurgents felt this 70 be one OF tne
serious and fatal blows inflicted on them during the
year ard nom the effects Of IL they have never reeo''
ored. This accomplished. the Admiral left his nag
shin the Hartford and returning below by way OF tre
Atohafasy he resumed operations for mai an ani'
on Port Hudson To meet the requirements OF the oc-
cason force kept always ready 10 cooperate With
ths Army In its no.s%ens Ia On .ne as Dn tng
bosis vessels ard naval battery OF shore manned py
seamen, was maintained, according the Army Nearly
5000 l3inch shells were thrown INTO The WORKS ny 'ne
mortar vessels. and the naval battery OF four pinch
gunA used preaching performed Kood ser
vice In consequence Of the capture Of 'icksonTe ON
the lh Of July the reduction Of Fort hudson became
inoyitabr and the garrison finally surrendered tie
9Th Of July TO Gen Banks, WHO for some weeks, lad
bessced the place.
his elIo0gLoIu oi W III
tonal suthority on the banks Of the Mississippi.
pursuits. Rear ADMIRAL farneut tuned over to Rear
Admiral Porter the entire control Of the Western
water, above New Orleans and departed himself for
TIA, city Deeming that lis long service and useful
lsbors Of eighteen months entitled tits gallant Queer 70
special consideration. tho department rendered him
respi,e which he accepted. and Commodore H. H. Bell
the mex, officer in rank vss appointed TO command tie
D slu.dron in bis absence.
The blockade OF the Gulf has been In the main. e.
fcent and successful although reyerses at Galveston
AID Sabine Pass occurred. md for time reckless nd
ventuIers and foreign cnpitas;s 70 rome extent sue
ceeded by peryerting neural privileges aud 1suGrlen
" abusing Ieutrai rights the Ro Grandc IN carrying
on Illicit trade with the Rebels through Matainor"
Tie Rio Grande being the boundary between TIE nfee
States and Mexico open 10 the navigation Of both
countries and could not therefore DO biockhdcd WIN
knowledge Of this fact multitude OF sohcnss were
projected and under the disguise Of neutral trade Aata
ofas suddenly became great commercial art FOR ne
Rebels and their friends. But hs shrewdly devised
schemes were soon interrupted VIII disastrous eohse
quences Of those Who participated In them enc
TIE occupation OF the Rio Grande aud browhs'le hal
pot nna termination 10 the lately extensive commerc.
Of Mstamoras, which 10 stconiLg 10 in..snineant ~
= was before the Rebellion.
MISSILES rPI SQUADRON. -, ,nr.scc
The Anssississ u ossiccre the Rebels and restore
the national escendcDoy IN the great central valley O
' the Union
readiness Of resources emineniy fitted him for that
command has exhibited extraordinary yieor in vnriou.
naval expeditions tie Mississippi and It's tributaries
and in jealous c,Ope alton with tie Amy In most OF III
H. capture Of Arkansas Po., on the Willie River
In January tie destruction Of tho batteries at Grand
Gulf in May. and IN oo0persion with tie army tho 10
I, ducton OF VcksburE. which finally surrendered on
tie sth OF July the mos. prominent ~ tie remark
able achievements Of IBIS squadron soms Of which are
uarke BY Incidents Of singular and romantic daring
In tho Appendix 10 this report VIII be found correct
records OF The eltraordna. adventures attending The
efforts TO get control Of the Yhzoo by sweeping rO ts
channel tie network u torpsdoes e'po''s machines
ana conirvsnces for submarine warfare near ~,
,, confluence with tho Mississippi. These effort,
1cCra By sS s 12, 10. nsd .ng az
; Bayou snd Deer Creek" on TIE rgh. bani
= Of the Mississippi scenes Of interest were alse
enacted by NE hardy sailors md boanen on the ryer'
! Of Arknntas aud northern Iorisiana Tie CrIlber
land and tie Tennessee have been actively patroled BY
our vigilant spd sk!n naval ofeers ami the exciting
chase VI Nor by our steamers on tie OHIO over
distance Of go miles in.sroepting him and has band
when attempting to etcaYe patu h! attracted the ~
teniion Of tie country But The great ana important
exploits VI this squadron in the vicinity Of Vics
burg where tie main strength Of the naval ss well NJ
Of the military forces were centered Tie magnitude
Of TIE dclenses at this place which were inepded 10
repulse any force, naval military OF both combined
vEch could be brought against item, made the Siege
Formidable ald seemed for time ~ defy oil attempts
at their reduction. In overcoming them the navy
necessarily performed conspicuous and essential part
For oiytwo days without internission. The mortar
boats were throwing thels into AL parts u tie city
end even into the works beyond IT, Heay! gnns
mounted on scovs commanded the important water.
batteries AID for fourteen days maintained an ncesssnt
FIRE upon them. Thirteen heavy guns were landed IRON
the vesDs, ard officers and men (wheTe they could be
speYed) sent 10 man them. Tie GuLboats below
tie city in co0pefatOn with the army were continually
engaged in sheng tie place During the siege C,Cvl
shells were thrown from tie mortais. gunboGts End
naval batteries apon the city and Its deienses before
they caplulaIsd.
The cestion and organization Of this large squadron.
which has done such effective seryoe0a the Upper Mis-
sssppi rnd it, ubutaies extending over distance 81
more thsn three thousand miles may DC Justly contd'
cred among tbs most wonderful events q the times IL
IL but little two yeaIs since had not naval yes