, 1864-01-20

been wrested from them, We should an
longer remain Bileut upon the strange derf
LECTION which WAC the cause OF that pfotrac
ed succession of terrible battles for it's caI
tnre.: While the contest was pending, fol
getfu1ness Of its origin was blessing: Blu
the writer OF history may as well look int
the face of tho horrible fact that thcnecessit
tor military operations at that point gre y on
OF the most Infamous derelictiou Of dnt
| with which the service Of our suffering couu
| try has been outraged.
| Attic time Of the battle of Baton Rouge, Al
gust 9Th, 1859, the rebels had not gun &
position, nor flag flying, at Port Hudson
Danger Wos experienced from gue7i1las a
orand Gull, aud occasionally at other point
open, trun' Vicksburg to It's mouth.
From the advantages Of its position, nov
M Wel known, It WAS plain enough that Por
hudson Was the most eligible place for forti
Acafton below Vicksburg. There is tho bes
o. naval authority for the assertion that
single gonboet, stationed opposite the town
eoula. hare prevented the, rebels from en-
reaehing themselves there.
lhcre we're gunboats which could well have
Geen spared Tor that purpose They were
employed to no purpose worth mentioning
n connection with the one here proposed.
Let the log g-books Of the Ecloto.. the Ejnan
1he !tasca, tho Katahdin, tell what il Was'
was lttoadd to the safety OF New Orleans-bv
1l 1nesc sman gunIoats-When larger ones and
naste1a6s n11s ,s oops Of ar lay in front Of the
banks, protecting the Aen-.oosfs Of tie hrrnt.
up town of Donaldsonyille? T.s It tn vnard
the epot1ess loyalty Of the proud and c|ass;r
city Of Plaquemfncy
The whole fault is the more asgraystcu
from the fact that the commander Of the
tfeet then In the lower river was early notI-
fEI nf fha ar1 fr~n H.
et Fort Hudson, by Capt. Wm. D. Porter,
then Of tho .. s. gunboat Essex The same
advice was communicated to tho Navy De-
partment under date Of August 20, 1859, by
the same officer. But hot q vessel madp its
appearance at the menaced point, The
rebels were allowed to commence operations
there, and to continue their work without
cations were complete, defying as strong q
could ever be spared to bear upon them.
= 1t Was then {March, 1855, that Admiral
FarIngnt made the heroic attempt to take
his hect past the batteries. Where then was
tic magnificent triumph That waited upon
LIS passage Of the forts below New Orleans.
e'e5cn months before His fiag.ship, the Hart
ford, with two small vessels, were success
ful. The noble steam sloop-oEwar Mississippi
vas DESTROYED, and the rest Of tho fleet was
beaten back with considerable damage. That
tie services OF those vessels which passed
were Of great value as contributing to the
final glorious result, is not doubted.
The army gradually gathered its force, and
dy Is fresh in tho public mind, ercept Tie ,irst
act. 1t was vast and terrific endeayor to
reduce most formidable stronghold, where.
eight months before, was mere deserted vii
|agc, scarcely noticed by us as we passed 1t
On the river. The tolls and sut1erings and
carnage Of a besieging army, in hospital aud
u nsld, unknown to any but the soldier, were
under IN almost tropical sun. Tlous-
ands of our soldiers perished before
thosc batteries, An unusual proportion Of
brilliant officers were slain. Who shall tell
p how many homes Of our land the very
Esht Of their lives has been extinguished,
where the Sad hearth is their memento Of
Pert Hudson!
For ten weeks, from the middle of August.
[se3, Admiral Farrgut with his flag ship was
It pensacola. The late Commodore Morris,
If the Pensacola, and Cart. Smith, then OF
he Mississippi, each, at different times du-
,ibg the Adniral's nbsence, had command Of
hat portion of his squadron which was in |
he river below Vicksburg. To one of those |
Ulcers Capt. Porter must have communl-
GRITTY Port Hudson. AS bis gnn-boat.
lone Of Farugut's vessels. were, It nay
,e asked why did not he take upon himself |
Ac responsibility ut Port Hudson? The Es- |
cx lad become detached from the up-riyer |
lect, ~ her tanlous passage OF the Vicksbur.e |
batteries and first contest with the ram AZ,
:ansas in July Of that year. Captain Porter |
hen received commission to cruise at dis |
Tetion between Vicksburg and New Orleans. |
t is not probable, however, that this rel;ey- |
d Admiral Farragut ola single responsibility |
II the same waters.
Many TretcLcd nfsdeeds in war NAV betol-
rnbly e1cueed BY saving it we're easy enough
o see what might have been done. But tits |
Monster refuses to be pacifcl with any
uch potcntia1-pluperfect.
Those who were In the service On the river
4 August, 1869, will generally remclnber-it !
rus plain enough then-waat' could md |
hou]l be done to avert the calamity; but it
oon passed into what might hare beeu. How
! 1t that this Inns been lost eight ofs Is
here never to be any public inquiry into and !
n1liDg to account for it?
Fur from the writer be the desire to detract
-om tho honor due to the gallant old Admf-
II, or to cast promi3cuous siur upon the
lree other distinguished officers named:
ut the foregoing statements arc facts; and
is his hope that they may so direct the his
,rian, that when he comes to write Of Port
udson, he can begin ut the beginning.