, 1865-02-25
0CR NEW ORLEANS LETTER,
The Drafl---0penlus Of the Campaign and
Its Indications.
The Galveston Blockade and Texas
NIn11crA.
lFFoua Our Special Correspondent
new ORLEANS, Feb. 16, 1866.

lsrona Our Special Correspondent
New ORLEANS, Feb. Is, 1866.
111H DRAFT.
1t Is not little matifyi}az.to those who
like to see fur play, to Know that the draft Ia
not likely to skip the crowds who have come
here from various quarters for the express
purpose Of escaping1t. General Hurlbut has
determined that these persons shall not thus
elude The obligations of citizenship, and hls
order requiring all to report for enrolment
is being rapidly enforced, and On the 18th
the drawing, actually begun in the Fourth
Ward, and proceeded quietly. It produces
considerable excitement among the woul8-be
excmpts, some Of whom are eTen returning
from whence they came. have known in.
diYiduals who came here for various REASONS,
chief among which is usually q pursuit OF
health, to come suddenly to the conclusion
that 1t VAS quite as healthy at home.
OPENING OF THE cAMpA1oy.
The busy notes Of preparation begin to fill
the halmy air hcreabouts, and It Is made de-
cidedIy manifest that the army Is about to
come forth from its rest of hibernatiou. II
it we're permissible to relate oil that trans
rires here, 1t might be shown that he public
Aay looh look for. news from the South Of On
interesting sort.~
Prominent among these Indications are the
:, t:ders received BY, and the movements Of,
tue Qaarte1maste4' : Department.. These are
always significant, though not always salts,
factory. First, there Is the line Of railroad
which 10 DOW being rapidly constructed right
through the heart Of tue city from the river
to Lake Pontchartrai4. Over 400 men arc
now employed on this work late and early.
This Is being bnilt, undoubtedly, rs the initia.
ton Of IN inland line Of communication to
1o htt r,F ~,
Another Item showing that renewal OF
activity Is contemplated, Is the movements
Of the commanding General Gen, CanbI
left here last Sunday On tour Of inspection.
and will not return until the 18th.
Again, Capt. Chittendcn, Chief Of the Cav
airy Quartermaster Department, has received
orders 10 establish post of supplies at Gal.
the rlyer. This point has no importance in
ITSELF and has lately acquired it only BY the
heavy concentration Of cavalry ut TINT point.
Last, but not least, is the state Of ieVerish
mobility generally observable among tile
troops. Regiments orc marched and counter
marched about, with little purpose, to one
not in the secret, but in that manner which
almost inSariably~ presaGcs marches and
battles.
1t requires no great exercise Of the prophet.
ic talent to discover that all these movements
and preparations are toward Mobile This. city
occupies such q relation 10 o wise scheme ol
milstary operations In this department that a
proper solution Of the problem as it staudz
before General Canby, demands as unerring'y
ditions Of an algebzalc proposition demand
that the unknown quantity should be Of such
value and no other. There liz striking mar.
allelism between the probable campaigns ol
the armies in the. East and West, which Is at
the same time pleasant to truce, and satistac.
So F~E-
posr pervadlpg our highest councils.
GeneraY Sherman set out from Chat ttanooga,
aud, passing Though At'anta On his way
struck boldly out for the sea, taking Savan.
nah, and setting it up Us new watef-base f11
q new campaign nofthward. Let Mobile in
the West stand for Savannah In the East. As
new pase for campaign nofthwaEd % meet
great value. While Generals Sherman aud
Grant in the East direct their cndeayo7s 10,
wards literally crushing one half OF the Con.
fedtIacr between them, Generals Cauby aud
Thomas will pursue similar policy iu the
other half: What degree Of Opposition will
probably be encountered by IN army moving
On Mobile, OF course cannot be foreseea bai
it may be stated@that it is the opinion 0! many
he competent to judge that 1t will b. very
sl1gh&- &-thdt tho place will fall into our hand;
upon a mere demonstration blast. upon
rams' horns. General Sherman. it will be re,
membercd, said, The Contederacy gains
strength by sur1cndeling their seaport cities,
abundance than BY biockade-rrnning, and
qnite as cheap, aud with lcas risk, BY SNUG.
Cling through them when in Federal posses.
s1on.' The rebels are not slow to learn from
him, and 1t is pretty safe to predict that none
but hiobilians vii make q very desperate
light TO save that city.
TEE GALVESTON BLOCKADE. -~.
From officers Of the U. S. steamer Bien.
willie, who have lately arrived from off Gal
weston, we have some items Of interest. At
ter experiencing tremendous gales off the
mouth Of the Rio Gfande, In which for q day
and night the vessel was only kept aloat
by the incessant labor at The hand pumps 0l
ail on beard, the Btenville rejoined the fleet
at Galveston to repahAud relt. On the Srd
large CIyde-built eide~whecl steamer in at
tempting to run the blockade at Galveston,
r7tn ashore in dense for and lay fast
aground. As soon as she discovered her the
Bienv,lle steamed alongside, rs near a. she
could approach, and gave her lcisurely bat
1e1iag Wlth shot and shell that completed the
THAT was her name) was rendered total
wreck, though the rebels claimed that they
EayefhereDtire cargo.
On The I'll another large steamer, the
Wren, In attempting to come out from the
city with cotton, 1uH aground IN similar
manner, AS SOQ3 as LIE EAu-pD0k6 A4AAE OAl
the situation they opened upon. her heavy
capnouade. and would has speedily compelled
her to surrender, bad not the rebels saved
Themselves by cne OF their old tricks. They
noisted white flag from the Court House o1
the e1tv. which caused the gunb0ats to de-
III far time. Meanwhile the rebels worked
win The greatest industry, and succeeded
! G9 fore the ruse was d covered, in Citing he,
off and sail,ng away In triumph. The flag o.
trnre xag then Immediately taken down.
Sfnne hy this deception, two boats crew
nj men one from the BienGille and the Other
fiom tie Princess Royal, At once volunteered
| and asked permission to attempt to take tht
W1en in The barbor by boarding. Ihey WeE!
u. rmitfcd to make the attempt, but failed
throurh strong adverse winds. They sue
| cefded: however, In the darkness, IN bringing
off fTo schooners from under theIery guua Q
Eo,tP tPofnt. under which they lag. ThcybEert
loaded with cotton, amounting In the aggre
f. rnte 1o 46O bales. All this was accomplished
| Without the loss ofa man.
TEXAS MATTERS.
! From Houston papers OF the 6th, # appear
+bot he TEXAS rebels are having their oWl
ouarIels and ranics. The dalVeston Ne1r
11nhl;sfes come. Official correspondence be
Tween Kirby Smith, Ste'l}ng Price and Thos
c. Reynolds. whi:h show 4 %.as uitsessene
Of opinion as to the conduct M ana outcome Q
the Missouri campaign. last 1a1l. soon are
The rebels returned to Texas; Reynolds, stJl
Ing himself Governor Of Missouri, ,Publishc'
etttr In the Af,cs, bitterly denounclng PElc
rs an nnbec!le, aud man totally unit =