The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1864-04-02
general Smith is disposed to punish all


steamed up the Red river, which proved |
to be extremely tortuous and difficult
of navigation At a point sixty-fve
miles above Black river, we came upon
a small earthwork, without guns, dis
tant by land about FIVE miles from the
main fort. Hewn piles and timbers
had tiOated past during the day, pre-
pairing us for the evacuation above.
Meanwhile the column under Gen.
Smith, with Morse brigade in the adj
vance, made a night march across from
SimmspOTt Before they had gotten
five miles out on their march they were
beset by the enemy's cavalry, which
kept harrassing front and rear during
the entire route \ company of caval-
ry, under Capt Hughes, preceded the
column, skirmishing continually. Gen.
F. Kilby Smith, who commanded the
division in the rear, was often obliged
to form in line to repel their threaten
ed attack Notwithstanding that a de
lay of three hours occurred in rebuild
ing a bridge destroyed by the flying
enemy, the entire march, thirty miles
was accomplished in twenty hours, and
as the result showed, captured a strong
position before sundoWn-a feat which
has hardly a parellaL The country
back of the fort is an undulating table
land, beautiful to behold, and inhab-
tied by descendents Of the early French
settlers. Indeed many of them had
hoisted over their porches the tri-color
of France, although they have been
living here receiving the privileges of
citenship for more than twenty years
1t was about three o'clock as the head
of the column neared Fort DeRussy;
sOme time was spent in making eau
tious approaches to the position, when
the lines were moved mp to the edge Of
the timber The fort then opened
heavily with four guns, firing shells and
shrapnel, our forces bringing two bat
teries into action. The cannOnading
continued two hours, when Gen Smith
ordered a line Of skirmishers to adj
vance, when heavy fusiladc followed
4 charge was ordered; the jSth Illinois
and the Sth Wisconsin led, when Just
as the men had reached the ditch the
garrison surrendered About this time
the boats made their appearance, the
Eastport in the lead They fired two
shots without effect, across a rock, when
the cheers Of our delighted soldiers told
them the fort was ours The gunboats
were not engaged; the honor of this
victory may be set down to the credit
Of the land forces.
The fort consists of two distinct and
| formidable earthworls connected by
covered way The upper part, the one
/ facing the road from the interior, Is
| beautiful specimen Of engineering skill,
/ and is remarkable for the substantial
and permanent manner in which every
/ part is constructed 1t mounted at the
/ time Of capture four guns, two field and
/ two siege, though capable of accOmmO-
/ dating twenty. 1t is perhaps a quarter
Of a mile from the river bank, and sea
ted on the gradual slope of a ridge, the
first seen on ascending the river In
the lower work commanding the river
was q casemated battery of three guns
/ of superior construction. Upon n solid
frame Of twenty inches of timber were
laid two layers of railroad iron, the up
per tier reversed and laid into the in
terstices of the lower But two guns
were in position in it--One ele5en-inch
/ columbiad, taken from the lndianola
and an eight-inch smooth bore On
! each side were batteries of two guns
| each, one a seveHinch rifle Of Parrott
pattern, making in all eight siege and
! two field pieces There were found be
sides large quantities Of ammunition
/ and a thousand muskets, besides flour
/ sugar, &c.
Our loss in the affair was four killed
and thirty wounded; rebels five killed
and four wounded Two hundred
/ prisoners constituted the garrison then
! in the fort, all of which fell into our
/ hands, with twenty-lour officers A
/ force Of about a thousand men has been
/ stationed at De Russy, until recently.
The smallness of the garrison is a mat
/ ter Of much surprise as the enemy
must have known of our presence for
some days; besides il appears that a
small number left in the morning be
fore the attack Two thirty-two pound
[ ers, on wheels, were hauled off only a
/ few hours before our arrival, and mar
| rowly escaped capture by our forces.
/ Ir is unaccountable that the rebels
I should leave so valuable q position al
most defenceless at this time, and can
/ only be accounted for on the ground
/ that General Banks was menacing
| Alexandria, and decided to sacrifice
one Of the two places TO hold the other.
/ The troops have already re-embarked,
and are on the way to Alexandria.
Fort De Russy takes its name from
[ Col De Russy, who formerly command
ed in this vicinity, and lives not far
distant Lieutenant Colonel Bird was
in command though he reported to
General Walker, whose headquarters
were at Alexandra
The following officers are prisoners:
Capts. Stevens, Moran, Wise, Wright,
Laird and King; Lieuts benson, Fuller,
Forgarty, Clayton, Trumbull (Eng,)
Burbank, Hewey, Assenheimer, Fall,
Hauk, Ball, Little, Barksdale, Sprinks
RringhUrst and Stout
From various sources we gather that
the rebels here have about abandoned
the idea Of defending any Of their nayi-
gable streams When asked TO account
for their apparent neglect Of so Inn
portant a fort, they reply that this was
considered merely as an experiment IN
engineering Certainly very credltable
one. and one which the gunbOats alone
might have vainly assailed for a month";
but claim that so soon as we leave the
rivers. they Will fall on Us for destruc-
ton. This certainly does not find cor
roboration in the fact that they surren-
dered TO forces which marched across
the country OF this sort was the un-
finished obstruction of piles about nine
miles below here, which the gunboats
had TO tear away % allow the huge
transports to pass through. As nearly
as can learn. Walker has two thous-
and men, mostly infantry, south Of US.
Taylor has. perhaps, as many at Alex
andria and il isprobable that they may
be united at the latter place. Banks
has some, doubtless, IN his front, about
Opelousas
The Red river has not been used for
large transports or gunbOats since May
last. being hitherto too low. The NeDD'
Missouri. Grand Duke and Mary heene,
are at Shreveport, armed me uls-
tanccs on this river from the Misslssip-
nj are. Black river, 40 miles Dehussyl
20 miles Alexandria, l4O miles ShreVe-
port 40 miles.
CcrTov SPEcULArons-It is currently
rerorted in New Orleans that the mill
tarv operations now going on IN LOuisi-
ana viii result I'M the shipment Of large
n