The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1863-02-28

ID
canal at vicksburg, is success! We hear Of
there being nine feet Of water in 1t already, Of
o dredging boat having passed through it, Of
Union field batteries at either end! The Sc
cessionists here are horribly apprehensive on
the subject, promise you. almost as much
so as Of the return Of Gen. Butler. 20
At Baton Rouge, until very recently, nothing
seems to have trsnspired Of consequence. Tho
Essex keeps watch and ward on the river
above, as usual, occasionally steaming up to
within . safe distance of Port Hudson, just to
see how things look in that direction At
Louisiana's capital, in order to avoid any gra-
tuitous panic, in case of attack, it is unders
stood among the inhabitants that If they hear
the "long roll" beat they are to flock to the
levee, there to abide the turn ofevents, The
l74th New York is now quartered in the PEN
itentiary the 9th New Hampshire (once on
the opposite side of the river) near the United
States barracks On the last night Of the
preceding month the first mentioned regiment
gave minstrel entertainment in the large
hall, Of their building, at which Gems. Grover
AID Dudley, and many field and staff officers,
attended. The pecuniary results, $l4O, were
devoted to the regimental hospital. b'.l7
There are two hotels now open at Baton Rouge
both better supplied with guests than the means
of satisfying them. One, the Verandah, the
proprietor of which charges 81 SO for board per
day, declaring that unremunerative, has been in
operation for four weeks. a53 .}sa5l s'fa51
Now for my most important news, which T
have reserved to the last, very much on the same
principle that induces boy to eat all the crust
of his pie before attacking the fruit, and posi-
bly, with the same result, the palling of the ap-
petite. Here it is, however, as limited in the
very first paragraph of my letter. The thing is
imminent; hence, unless the 1890" catches the
Creole, and Capt. Semmes anticipates your rea-
ding this letter, suppose no mischief can &C
crue from my telling you what know about it.
To-day or tomorrow witnesses the inception
of movement designed to "clean outn the
Teche pronounced Tssb) country Of rebel for
ces in possession of it. 1t will be attempted as
. follows: .ss--.--,.ss ,-at -.
Il Gen. Weitzel who left this city on the after.
noon of the 9Th for his headquarters at Thibau.
dauxville, will advance with his brigade from
Frashier City up the Teche country, Gen. Psine,
with an equal command, simultaneously descens
ding the Mississippi from Baton Rouge to Pla-
| quemine, and thence proceeding by the bayous
|of that plentifully irrigated region across the
La Fourche district, with the intention of effec-
ting junction with Gen. .Weitzel, before which
considerable work must be performed by the
latter. Let me endesvor to describe its nature {:
Ion the left bank Of Ethe:.Teche bayou is Pater-
sonville, which must necessarily become the
base Of Gen., Weitzel's military operations, stan.
ding in district burnt and devastated in the
recent expedition from Berwick's BAY, which re.
suited in the destruction of the Cotton and the
death OF Commander Buchanan. Two miles
further up is a formidable obstruction, placed
in the stream By the rebels, comprising a sunken
steamboat, two fat boats, and a raft of live
oaks, the whole presenting au impenetrable Bar.
rler until removed Beyond this, and an abs
rupt bend in the bayou, about four miles from
Jacksonville, are two rebel batteries on either
eide OF the river, comprising fourteen guns, de-
Tending the town Of Centrevile The next point
Of resistance is Franklin, ten miles from the en-.
trance of the Teche. Last of all we come to
New-lberia, or Newtown, a strongly fortified
place, where, if our troops penetrate thither, the
struggle must culminate as Pa 1sa9Jlisd
! The number devoted to this service, comprise
ed in both brigsdes, is 5000 men, o., whom g..
600 are infantry, about 900 cavalry, and the re-
mainder serving in the FIVE batteries accom-
panying the expedition. Of them, Gen. Paine
takes but 5000, Gen. Weitsel the remainder, his
being the lions share both of danger and re-
sponsibility. The district through which Gen.
Paine's men will march is nominally in our pos
session and free from guerrillas. The occupa
ton of that invaded by Gen. Weitzel inevitably
involves struggle. rs,- s.r. "a,
The force of the enemy, commanded by Col.
Dick Taylor, (ormerly Of this city,, is estimated
at $500 meI, including 1900 cavalry, two regi-
ments Of the regular Confederate army, three
batteries-one Of them ,Simms-and a number
Of conscripts. They are now encamped at Cen.
treville and Franklin. IF driven from those
places successfully, they wilhprobably fall back
upon and make stand at Nsw-Iberia. Among
the other defences of that place may be emu
Emerated the guns Of the Cotton, recovered from
the bottom Of the bayou for that purpose. 'il
Five small gunboats-the Calhoun, Kinsman,
Estrella, &c.,-will accompany the expedition.
Gen. Paine has three transports for the convey
ance Of his men.