, 1866-06-21
LOUISIANA.
The Disastrous Effects OF the Late
Floods.

The Disastrous Effects OF tho Late
Floods.
Correspondence OF the Nov York TtmesI
NEW ORLEANS, Jane Z, 1866.
The unhappy condition OF Louisiana, so tar
as her producing character Is concerned, Il
not only Interesting IS 1t relates 70 the pres
cDt and future prosperity Of the State, bnt
also nationally Important so fur as her PrG-
ductiEe resources affect the material weltare
of the country at large. 1t Is safe to say,
that probably In no land Of equal size and Of
such naturally abundant resources, was there
ever country 50 prostrated, 80 perfectly
overwhelmed BY misfortune. The conse-
oueuce must be, sooner or later, pecuniary
prostration and individual suffering that Is
difficult to realize. The disasters Of which We
speak are the immediate result Of two-fold
misfortune inundation, for want OF e6i-
Client levecs, OF the rich bottom lands from the
natural aud ordinary annual rise Of the Nis-
sissipp1 River, and the extraordinary hoods
Of the Washita and Red Rivers, following the
four years Of arrangement and losses luci-
dental to the war. 1t Is true that st the
present time tho 1argest part Of the richest
and most productive lands Of the State Are
1666-67, as far rs these lands are concerned,
arc already more than half destroyed.
The fioUdcd country, from the e1traoEli-
nary rise Of the Washita and Red Rivers, In
cludes almost literally the entire parishes OF
Eatchitoches. DeSoto, Raptde, West Baton
Rouge, and the best portion Of St. May's
Parish, known az "the suga.-oowl of Louis
Iana.n Here ne have at glance group OF
the largest and best parishes Of the State
under watcr-pa5fshes which, In 1860, ac-
cording to official Statistics, contained over
Ste, 900 acres Of land under the most careful
cultivation. In caue, cotton and com. SO
destructive and thorough has been this flood
II. A.. -, hnA aT fxrt
Red River, In Texas, that has been completely
swept away. Alexandria. which is thirty
feet aboye ordinary hfgh~water mark, and
located below "the rapids" Is now four feet
under water; an the Buildings erected on the
sites OF those destroyed BY the army at the
time Of" Banks expedition have crumbled
away. and other buildings which escaped the
condition Of the plantations, residences, gin
houses, fences and other necessary expensive
improvements, may be imagined, and the
amount Of the permanent Injury must be
added to that Of ths animal crop.
Turning to the Mississippi gre bottom
including portion Of AyoIelles Parish,
with Pelnt coupec, West Baton Rouge,
1berville, including a large portion oi the
wea1thlest and most highly y-cnltiYated sugar
region Of the State; shis section Is under
water, from The ordinary annual rise Of the
AISlsA1ppa HFeI. lHt ieSees "A1Cu "sIe
destroyed through the continuance Of the
war, were subsequently made IN haste and
with, from unavoidable circumstances, insult.
cient care, and consequently gave way ths
moment their protection was required. In
lStD these parishes produced In round NUN.
bess 6, 900 hogsheads Of sugar, 7s, COO barrris
OF rnotasses, and s., ,0oo bales OF cotton. The
section includes that part Of the State that
| but for the destruction Of tho levees BY act
of var. could have been cultivated With gen
! cal sucecss ii splte Of al Casualties, aad th'