Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1863-03-31
LATEST NEWS.
BY TELE GRAPH
TO THE WORCESTER DAILY SPY
IMPORTANT FROM NEW ORLEANS.
THE FIGHT AT PORT HUDSON.


New YORK, March 90.--Our New Orleans
adyices state that on the approach of Gen.
Banks forces the rebels retired to Port Ilud-
son. Col. Clark Of Gen. Ranks staff was Sc
rionsly wounded in the leg while reconnoiter-
ing. The man who shot him was subsequent
ly killed. Gen. Banks was at New Orleans
March 23d On the return of the army to
Baton Rouge he issued general order an
nouncing 1.-THE entire object of the expedition
accomplished, and that it was complete sue
cess" The movement is understood to have
been a mere diversion to enable Farragut to
pass the batteries, and not the reduction of
Port Hudson.
Another account says the army now extends
from Baton Rouge to few miles outside 1t
is said that information was received by Gen.
Grover that the rebels were about to attack
Baton Rouge, which rendered retrograde
movement advisable.
Our fleet Is now a few miles below Baton
Rouge, the Essex being nearer Port Hudson.
The rebel force there is said to number
10000. Report says the Mississippi, before
her destruction, had silenced two rebel bat
teres which opened on her, except one gun !;
and that the Richmond, which had passed
Port Hudson, returned, and mistaking the
Mississippi for rebel gunb0at, which might
have come out of one of the bayous, fired on
her so rapidly that she nearly swept her
decks. This was not discovered till she was
aground and her destruction ineviteble.
A semi-otfcal account vi the naval engage
ment says AFTER the arrival OF the army
from Baton Rouge, and the skirmishes of Sat
urday afternoon admiral Farragut'S fleet,
which was at anchor five or six miles below
Port Hudson, prepared to pass the batteries.
The signal for the advance was made at half.
past nine o'clock. Ii was beautiful star
light night. The Hartford, with the Albatross
alongside, took the lead, and both success
fully passed the batteries, but with what dam
age we are not informed as there has of
course been no communication with them
since their passage.
The Richmond and Genessee followed. The
Richmond was exposed to the fire of all the
batteries and received a shot through her
steam drum and was obliged to fall back out
of the range of the batteries. She dropped
down the river and anchored Her loss is
three men killed and seven wounded. Lieut..
commander Boyd Cummings was mortally
wounded. i shot from the batteries took off
his left leg below the knee, and the same shot
passed through the smoke stack of the gun
boat He died on the 18th at New Orleans.
The Monongahela and the Kineo went up
next in order. Capt. McKnstry Of the Mon
ongahela was standing on the bridge when it
was shot away from under him and he was
very seriously injured. 1t generally report
ed that in this case amputation of one leg will
be necessary. The entire loss on the Monon-
gahela was seven men killed and twenty-one
wounded. The Kineo was under a severe
fire. Her rigging was badly cut, and her rud,
der port shot away. A hawser was entangled
about her propeller and she became unman-
ageable and was obliged to drop back out of
the fire. The Monongahela also fell back
out Of range The less on board of the
Kineo if any is not reported. The sidewheel
gunbOat Genessee was somewhat damaged,
and also fell back. The amount of damage
on board this boat is not known here at pre-
sent.
The Mississippi went up last night anu
grounded on tile bank, in a position which
placed her nearly in the center Of the entire
range of the shore batteries, which extended
nearly three and half miles. She grounded
at u o'clock at night, and stood fire forty
minutes before she was abandoned. Acting
master Robert f. Kelly was killed, and 40
men are killed or missing. When the ship
"
stroyed. Some OF the men took to the boats
and pulled for the shore. One boat went to
one OF the other vessels. Several men jumped
into the water and were picked up by the boats
of the fleet. OF those who landed on shore,
Capt Fantaine of the marines, and three men,
were taken prisoners. The others walked
down the levee and were taken off to the fleet
in boats.
The naval engagement lasted from ten
O'Clock till about one iii the morning. The
confederate batteries at first fired badly; but,
after the Mississippi grounded and the range
was attained, the firing was very effective.
While the gunboats were under the batteries
the six mortar schooners and the iron-clad Els
sex lay below the point and fired across, keep
ing up a continuous Smelling of the conteder-
ate batteries during the entire engagement.
OF course there are no means at present Of
learning the amount of the confederate loss on
shore. Fires were built all along the bank on
the opposite side, throwing glare of light
across the river, and bringing the entire fleet
into full view Of the batteries during the en-
gagement.
New YoRK, March 30.-The New Orleans
Picayune Of March % says THE Monon-
gahea, whose machinery was unniured
during the fight of last Saturday night re-
paired the damage done to her wood work,
and is in good order again. She is cow in the
hands of Capt. Melancthon Smith and execu-
tive officer Lieut. Dewey, late of the Missis-
sippi On Friday she steamed up the river
to Il point near the lower batteries at Port
Hudson, and threw several shells from her
2O0-pound rifed Parrot guns.