, 1863-05-12
Operations Of General Banks in
Louisiana.
THE SUMMING UP or RESULTS.
BRILLIANT ACHIEVEMENTS.


from the N. 7. Times, IayT.}
The Iemoteness Of Gen Banks department
and infrcquency Of communications with him.
render it difficult to keep the public supplied
with accurate and connected details Of Ills op-
cratlons. or to accompany the accounts We do
publish With the requisite explanations Of his
plans and purposes. Hia late campaign from
Berwick's Bay to the Red River was IN many
respects complete surprise to the country.
Ihe first increment Of Gen. Banks in field
operations was his advance from Baton Rouge
to cooperate with Admiral Farragut, as it ap.
peared, In an attack upon Port Hudson.
But he speedily Withdrew to Baton Roues.
and to New Orleans, foiled, as it seemed fo
The public, and without military glory, lis
return to New Orleans was an occasion mol
unlmproyed BY rebels for rejoicing over his
supposed discontinue But General Banks
had not withdrawn to New Orleans to forlifT
and defend himself as the secessionists had
begun to Imagine. On the contrary. he re
turned to break the coil that the euboldened
enemy was attempting to form around his
department. Leaving the Mississippi River,
and leaving the gunboats to defend New Or,
leans from the Gbulous thousands that were
to descend upon it from Mobile, Jackson and
other stroDgholds on the East, Gen. Banks
set out to attend in person to the increasing
bands that had begun to threaten his outpost5
at Berwick's Bay, on the West. The bulk Of
the rebel forces in Louisiana had gathered
r
lin-the former town almost in sight Of the
Union picket at Berwick, and the two latter
OF Bayou Teche, q few miles further west.
They had become SO bold as to mediate an
advance in force upon New Orleans from this
direction, and by gnnboat feet from the
Gen. Banks had hurried back to New Orleans
to defend that city. But without waiting for
their advance, Gen. Banks suddenly appeared
al Berwickfs Bay, With nearly his whole army.
And, not pausiug there to fortify or defend
himself. he Immediately sought the camps
4 day or two OF rapid advance and sSirmish-
ing brought him to Camp Beasland, near Cen
teIyille, where the rebels in force were en-
countered, under Generals Sib1ey, Taylor and
Monton. Alter severe fight, on the 12thaud
18th Of April, the rebels evacuated their posi-
tlon at night, leaving two cannon and consid-
erable small arms and ammunition, with all
their sick and wounded, behind This battle,
called the battle Of Bethel Place, was one Of
the most eTetltab1e engagements Of the war.
It was skillfully mannnyred on the Union
side By Gen. Banks III person. Every arm of
thc service except cavalry was engaged, six
within rifle range Of each other. The gun
boat Clifton, closely bcset BY rebel torpcdoes,
did gallant work in the fight. The rebel dc.
feat and generalization was great, rs exliti-
ted by evidences Of panic in their fight.
On the 18th Of April the enemy was again
struck two miles west OF Franklin, and after
brief hut severe contest compelled to re- r..
treat. By the time Gen. Banks had reached
New Iberia, twenty miles west Of franklin,
he had captured about 500 prisoners: a rebel
steamboat, the Cornie; about 500 horses,
mules, &c; had caused the destruction by the
rebels of their gnnboats Eart-and Diana, and
Louisa, Derbo, Uncle Tommy, Blue Ham.
mock and Cricket, all Of which were burned
Oh the Teche to prevent them from falling in
to our hands. Seven miles from New iberia,
Ten. Banks took possession OF the celebrated
island Of rock salt in the middle Of u mud
lake, from which the rebels have been sup.
+ piled by way Of the bayons connecting with
the Red River. at Alexandria, and thence by
Red River to Vicksburg. The rebel works 1t
this salt mine Gen. Banks destroy ed.
Even at this point in his victorious march.
the pubic In New Orleans did not understand
the intentions Of Gen. Banks, and the papers
we're discussing the probability Of his return.
But he still! moved on, fighting . detachment
Of tho enemy again near Ver1nillionyillct TWEEN
II miles above New Ibcria-the gunboat Ileet
in the meantime reducing strongly fortified
place on his right flank, called Butte Ia Rusc,
The next place we hear Of Gen. Banks, be is
at Opelousas, still thirty miles further On the
chief town Of tho Attakapas country, the
great sugar district, and one Of the richest in
all the South. This seemed iii tstopping place
for the victorious General But no-he PUSHES
on, and does not stop until he reaches and
occupies Alexandria, on tho Red River, near
seventy miles north of Opelousas. Here he
finds foundry and exclusive machine shops
Of the rebels, one Of the chief depots for
the gathering supplies for the rebel armies at
Port Hudson and Vicksbnrg, and the head
quarters for the time being Of the Rebel Gov
ernment OF the State Of Louisiana.
Gen Banks is now master of all, or nearly
all. the bayons Of ofLouisiana; he Is above Port
l1nds on, and ready to cooperate with Farra-
banks of rebels, and reducing Port Hudson.
The Iebcl forces ut Pattersonvil1e, Franklin,
1berin, Ope1ousas and Alexandria numbered
detail, and dispersed by the rapid marching OF
General Banks, who moved his army abont
1G0 miles in two weeks time, fighting battles
on the way, and in Ill his fights not losing a
total of Two hundred men. His achievement
is extraordinary, and his laurels may be proud
" Woln