Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-05-18
FROM NEW ORLEANS.
General Polk Advancing on
the River Posts.
DISASTER ON THE RED RIVER.
GEN. Banks Falling Back from
AIexandrin--IHOme by the Over
land ROute.-DisastrOus Effects
Of the Expedition on the Cotton
Supply.
Correspondents of the world.l
New ORLEANS, May Z.

The street talk Is very exciting. III tht
military authorities have any reliable inf0r.
nation they do much harm in not impart.
ing it to the public, giving all the facts
which can certainly do no harm here.
4 have disbeleved the story that Genera
Polk was in the neighborhood of the Mis-
sissippi, or that any large body of his in
fantry had moved from the line of the Mo-
bile and Ohio railroad; yet l have it now
from the editor of one of the leading radi-
cal organs that it is believed, nay known, al
headquarters, that he is actually at Camp
Moore with fifteen thousand men.
The Confederates here have information
! that Major General Cleburne, who was late
ly at Mobile with Tennessee division, is
there; and, as he is General Folks right
hand man, this seems to confirm the head
quarter view. 1t is also known that Major
General S. Decatur Lee, who commands all
the cavalry of Lieutenant-General Polk's
department, is above here. He was in the
fight back of Baton Rouge on the Sd, and a
heavy force of his is in possession of all the
country back of and around Natchez.
Indeed, the steamer Luminary which ar
rived night before last, brings us private in
formation that the fear was very great at
that place that it would fall into the hands
of the investing force, which was estimated
at the same magical number of fifteen
thousand men. All the civilians, officers
and men not belonging to the forces of the
place were leaving as fast as they could get
transportation.
might as well mention here, though you
will have later information than we, that a
private letter was received here by the same
boat from Memphis, which stated that For
rest had got possession of all the communi-
cations by rail with Sherman, and that he
had al 1lu dactrnua1 anuarol ancYno,tc IL,
the Tennessee and Cumberland rivers. The
letter was dated the lst instant.
There has been rumor here for two days
that Baton Rouge has been abandoned and
burnt, but no Union men believe it. The
Notifications are very strong, and there is a
sufficient force there to defend them long
time, unless it has been taken away to Red
river to be worn out or captured.
From Port Hudson we hear nothing.
There seems to have been no effort to take
it. and not even menace is heard of. Per-
haps its strength is too well known by its
former possessors to induce them to try it
at all perhaps they wish to lull its garri-
son into belief that they do not intend to
attack it, but will fall on it suddenly. l
doubt not they will find it well prepared.
The skirmish back of Baton Rouge seems
to have been more serious than was at first
supposed. The reports here give the num-
ber of killed at seventy-four, including the
gallant Colonel Boardman, of the Fourth
Wisconsin, and the major of the same regi-
ment. The number of wounded have not
heard, but the number of missing and sup
posed to be prisoners is three hundred. All
else about Baton Rouge is dark and un-
known.
A STRAY REGIMENT.
The Thirty-fifth Wisconsin infantry ar
rived here on Thursday from st. Louis.
This regiment had been directed to report
at Alexandria, on Red river, to Major Gen.
eral Steele; but, on arriving off the mouth
of that river, the gunboats could give them
no information as to the whereabouts of
that officer. In consequence of this they
continued their voyage to this city, and on
arrival were no better able to tell what they
were to do. There is urgent need for SOL
diers here, and being within department
where civil and military law are both man
for the occasion, 1t was determine
ed to use them at once, and so they were
sent up to Port Hudson.
The Colonel of the regiment, Orph, re-
ported them as veteran regiment, which
alarmed the enlisted men exceedingly, and
they vociferously declared that it was no
such thing; that they had not been three
weeks mustered in and knew no drill. To
clinch the nail, they declared that as they
came down the river, they were fired on by
the guerrillas several times, and that all
along the lower points the officers hid
themselves below, out of danger and out of
sight-a circumstance which they declared
would never have occurred in veteran
regiment. should think not.
RED RIVER NEWS AND RUMoRs.
For nearly four days we have had no ar
rival from Red river, and, as is usually the
case, we have abundant rumors in the place
of reliable news. Some of them have quite
an air of probability. One of these is that
General Banks, finding the river too low
near Alexandria for his larger transports,
had attempted to get down to Simmsport,
on the Atchafalaya by land, going uia
in the parish of Avoyeles. Here,
as our version has it, or eight miles from
as another report states, an
other battle has been fought, the effect Of
back to Alexandria. The only difficulty is,
that all these reports come from secession
sources, and while they corroborate one
another they are, of course, one-sided.
FIVE TRANSPORTS SUNK.
The most reliable rumor is, that the trans
port steamboats, Ohio Belle, Laurel Hill,
ClUy Belle, belld DOUDd, anu D1lJJle DUO
phens, have all been sunk by the Confeder-
ate batteries at Shaggy Point, between AL
exandria and Fort de Russey, where they
some days before had destroyed the steam
er Emma, of which you already have ad-
vices. This report comes from the gum
boats at the mouth of Red river, as well as
from secession sources. 1t is known that
the Mittie Stephens had her cargo on board
at Alexandria a week ago, bound down,
and her non-arrival had for the last four
days annoyed her captain, who is here, Sc
verely. He now believes her lost.
There is q further report that the two
Bellies had on board regiment of Ohio
troops. 1t is not believed that the boats
were destroyed; but that they were COM
PEELED to make landing and that the troops
have surrendered. 1t is more than likely
that the boats have since been destroyed If
taken, for gunboats have gone up the river
10 drive of this snag battery and open the
blockade.
There is no reason to believe the accounts
that have been sent forward of the slaugh-
ter of the negro soldiers taken on the En-
ma. Nothing is known about them, either
pro or con. They may have been killed, or
not; any statement that they have been put
to death is mere matter of inference.
THE Democracy of the 10th Congression-
al District of Ohio meet in Convention, at
Napoleon, Henry county, on Wednesday,
the 22d day of June, 1854, for the purpose