The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1864-03-31
pI1oM RED RIVER ExPEDITIoN.
Fort Dsbussey Red River, Louisiana, !

Fort Debussey, Red River, Louisiana, !
alaisad q March Is, via Cairo "a. |
This fort was captured to-day by the |
United States forces under General A. |
]. Smith. The expedition left Vicks-
burg on the 10th, landed at Semmes.
port on the 18th, and marched to Bay-
GU Glace, where General Scurry's reb-
el brigade had been encamped, but
which fed on the approach of our
transports, leaving considerable camp
equipage and commjssary stores.
General Smith pressed forward to
Yellow Bayou, where q strong fortif-
cation had been erected but the reb-
els again fed as we came up. The enc
my was pressed, and some skirmish-
ing occurred, resulting in the capture
ofseveral prisoners and a small wagon
train. AT daylight yesterday the en-.
tire command started for Fort Derus-
sey, twcnty-eight miles distant, and
at4 o'clock, p. NJ, the Sd and 9th In
diana batteries opened on the Fort,
which replied vigorously with three Of
its heaviest guns The cannonadc con-
tinued an hour, when General Smith
ordered the 1st and I'd Illinois, of the
10Th Corps, under General Mower, to
charge the enemy's rife pits and storm
the fort, The 58th, l19th and seth In
diana and oath Missouri regiment
charged over the deep bitches and thick
abattis amid calling fire, and within
twenty minutes after the order was is
sued the color sergeant of the 58th IL
linois planted the American flag upon
the enemy's works. The victory was
complete, and resulted in the capture
of 323 prisoners, including "a commits
stoned officers; two 9-inch Dahlgrcn
guns, 24-pounders; four 32-pounders
two 6-pounders lot of small arms /;
1000 barrels of fine powder; an i'm
mense quantity of assorted ammuni-
ton, and several thousand dollars
worth Of commissary stores.
Fort Derussey is most formidable
work, quadrangular in shape, with
bastions and bomb-proo& covered with
railroad non. A powerful water bat
terry connects with the fort, the case
mates of which are capable of resist
ing shetland shell of the heaviest cali
Der. The position ofthe guns was capi
tai for rapid and effective fire on al
boats attempting to go up or down the
river. About 800 negroes were EN-
pioyed for a year constructing the cartl
!, works. General Smith will superin
tend the thorough destruction Of tn,
earthworks tomorrow. 1t will tax,
5000 men two or three days to des
troy them.
Glorious news may be expected from
Generals'Banks and Smith within tw'
weeks. Their designs, strength ant
position are contraband at present.
Among the artillery captured ar
two guns belonging to the schoone
Morning Light, two rided guns from
, the Harriet Lane, captured last sprini
off Sabine Pass, and one heavy gul
, from the Indianola, sunk in the Missis
, sippi last year by the rebel ram Webl
The rebels boast that their iron -plat
cd ram Missouri, now in this river, ca
f sink any gunboat in our navy. Th
| Webb and Mary Jane are also cons
5 dcred impregnable to any of our hc
tilla.
{ Admiral Porter has been busily Ell
gagged for the last three days in reno,
ing Instructions from Red river, cor
sisting of RATS and piles driven int
0 the channel. Transports are now prc
G eeeding up the river without interrul
: ton,