Litchfield enquirer., 1871-11-23
HOW NEW ORLEANS was nl<EN

1 HOW MEW OMIEAM0 WAS tAkE tN '. The Hon. Gideon Welles. the l,ls S<e- retary of the Navy. has published Npap6f
 in the December Galaxy, which crAtss Y good deal of havoc among the hislogla: .. of the late war. The veracity or iDfortaa
 tion of Greeley. Parton and Headiey arS
 sadly put to the test by the records wi1icl
 the Secretary brings from his diary ana
 note books The common idea has besn
 that Gen. Butler took New Orleans Sndh
 was the statement at the time of the event. and such has been the story told over and
 over again. Mir. Parton give 1t credenee
 in his Butler in New Orleans Mir. Gree
 ley in his American Conflict" takes it fol
 granted. But Mir. Welles puts them all
 in the wrong. This expedition was plan
 ned and carried ont entirely by the Navy Department. and under the supervision0 0f
 Farragut. The idea was first talked of in September of the year preceding. Decem.
 Der 23d, Farragut received from the Nery i Department his preparatory orders. Sec
 retary Cameron, of the War Department, l knew nothing about it at all. Secretary 1 Stanton was not informed till January | 18th, by which time the Admiral had Sis detailed orders. Butler knew nothing of it at all until the middle of January, and received no orders until February 23d. 1 The only part he took in the capture of the city Was to march his 10, 900 troops in
 when the fleet of Farragnt had cleared the l way for him. As for Porter, itseems he l had been early consulted about the expe- ditlon, and had advised the mortar fiotiiIa to lombard the river forts, which FaFra. 1 gut was sure he could pass without bonn barding. His plan was accepted, but that Of Farragut was carried out, for, after months of delay and bombardment of six days, Farragut passed the forts accord ing to his original idea, and captured them and the city at one master stroke. When l this had been done Porter meanly attemp, ted to cast blame for delay upon his com mander, Farragut. Iu his official report, dated April 30. 1862, and discourteously addressed to the Navy department instead of his flag officer. Capt. Farragut. Com mander Porter said he had urged Farra- gut to make the attack week earlier-a statement which Mir. Welles implies was false, and which. in a private letter, writ. ten ten days later, Porter asked to have omitted in publishing his report. In this way the venerable secretary comes to the rescue of Farragut's reputation. Of But. Ter he speaks centemptuously as a ''Llow. ell politician who had attained high miii-: tary rank, and of his opinion of Buffers military skill all may judge when he says of him and his t.oops. 'these undisciplin- cd volunteers under an untrained com mander were better in camp at the north, and could be better and more easily and economically supplied than at Ship Is- land" Some very severe reflections are cast upon the treatment the admiral ra. ceived at the hand of the government du- ring his latter days ssGraat changes were made in the service without his knowledge and against his judgement. He was com pelled to receive orders which notoriously emanated from one of inferior rank. Among other indignities was that of ordering the uniform and the flag of ad. miral which he had adopted when the government created and conferred on him the office to be changed. and substituting therefor different uniform and another flag. wholly unlike the coat he wore. and unlike the symbol of rank which was iden. tified with him, and from the time the of- flee was created had fioated above him. Farragut would neither change his coat nor permit the tawdry substitute for the admiral flag to wave over him. On his special, personal application, which he felt humihated to make, the secretary of the navy permitted him to be spared these indignites during his life. But it was with the knowledge that the flag which he had earned-the emblem he had chosen and prescribed as the symbol of highest naval rank-was to be buried with him, Neglect of the remains of the great naval chief and of his family marked the close. The expenses of his funeral. which was necessarily public. at Portsmouth, where he died. were borne by his widow. who has never been remunerated by the gov ernment. She, who fed with him from her home and native state, be- came with him an exile and shared his fortunes and privations in simple hired cottage on the Hudson, now lives in a house purchased with the funds contribut- ed by few private citizens of New York in grateful acknowledgement of his heroic and pariotic services. His widow has re. ceived no recognition or pension. Most naval officers studiously prepared and presented their prize claims, and some have been enriched with large amounts of prize money. Farragui, in his ansel6sh patriotism. which called out all hls energies and all his time, was neg lectful of self and fortune. He never re- ceived a dollar of prize money for the conquest of New Orleans. where more ex tenslve captures were made than in any battle of the war"
 PRISON CRUELTIEs.-While little credit can be given to the stories originated by such reprobates as the late murderer Will SOD, there are evidently many cruelties practiced in our penitentiaries. The fol- lowing from book recently written by an inmate of an Indiana prison is fright full if true:
 Among the horrible instapces quoted in Prison Life may cite that of g poor. one. legged soldier, upward of fifty years of age, and shaking with tue palsy. For some minor offence he had been sent from Park County to prison for two years. Upon his arrival he was assigned to the collar shop, and required to do the regu. lar days work. He had hardly recovered from the operation on his leg, and was very feeble. Tn addition to his other ail- ments he was subject to severe attacks of heart disease.
 On the morning of which we write he was in deplorable condition. The diet and work had reduced him to almost noth- ] ing. and the pitiful stump of his wounded reg was raw buO Di6eulnS 4u0 Aacb that he had been reduced to misery and help lessness in defence of his country failed to ameliorate his condition here.
 "Come move on;" said the brutal stew. ard. showing him with his foot.
 The old man hobbled of to his shop and lay down on bunch of straw. Soon the guard came along:
 "Well, sir, didn't make it, eh?" Mean ing that he had failed to be excused by the doctor. .'Get out of that, now. and go to your work"
 ssT am sick. and my leo is sore ard hleed