The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1880-04-08

itiNt - ttl III -IttHStal - AtEAlsg I'm IN.
Penln>ula, upon Richmond. VA, -ecre,.,
httlng out a vast armada ~ as-ail the ',Cres
cent tity. Troops were shipped ever,
week, o>ten>lbly u various points along The
South Atlantic coast, blt the bulk ol then
10 eventually reach .\hiD Island. ! dot, al
sand III the Cult, about III mile, from Ii.
mouth OF the Mississippi. Gen. Ben r
Butler. the already famous Hero oil Bi,
Bethel, where ms troops were whipped
by one thiri their nunDer,) arrived abou,
the !ast 81 February to taAe command OF the
Lana Forces tl4obJ II Al an acting
Admiral ID. G Farragut At the same time
took command ol the Feet, upon which
was to devolSe the real work Ut the eNpeli.
ton.
THE ARMADA.
\ magnificent, AMI formidable. spectacle
indeed, was that which arose iron tne sun.
crluhsoned waters oi the Gulf, 10 the gaze OF
the startled confederate pIcActs at the mouth
OF the Mississippi on the evening OF Apnl
18th 1863.
F!rs5 came, a forest Of white sailed Shins
OF the Line, II IN number, proudly led by
Fariagut Al the Hartford. Then followed
an hali score OF teamer and gun boats puf.
mug Ioftl huge volumes OF coal smoke. Be.
hihd these came commodore Porter's u
mortarshlps. Following were a dozen bulk
eNlSt ttu 60 n
iantry lntersper>ed with "a swarm OF snaI.
icr craft carrying supplies, dispatches, plots,
etc. IL Was a verltable Armada de,-
cendlng, with untold horrors en- tram, upon
the unsuspectlng Or!eanese.
II FoRTIFICATIoNs.
New Orleans lies SO low, and i so hej cca
IN by marshes and shallow bayou's, as 70 be
easily defended from assault by land a fac,
demonstrated by the victory al the cotton
bale breast works of "Chalmette.' January
Sth 1919, which made Andrew Jack SON
President. But against "A fleet in posses.
sion OF the river the city is virtually defence.
less. Hence the real siege Of tn. c,,y
was about 10 begin at the Forts" ON the
river, - miles below.
The forts, 81. IHtW,p. and .J1,I.sou waro
on opposite sides otthe stream about y m,les
frUuu Its mouth. They had been recently bult
by the Federal Of solid masonry
on artificial foundations, like Fort Sunn,er
and together, mounted about 100 guns. of
heaVy pattern. They commanded the chan
mel, thalf a mile Wldel at point blank ran,f,
out 10 prevent any sudden dash AT nlpnl
lne OF obstruction" were sunk iust below.
the forts aud also strong chains was stretch
ed from bank to bank, buoyed at short in
by dlsmasted schooners, moored %
plies, forming an huge raft, or pontoon
these 'ob>tructlons' lay the Con
totllla to cooperate With in defend.
ing them.
The forts We're strongly garrisoned and
provlsloned tor three months, and were com
naEded by Gen. johnson Is. Duncan West
ONT ofhcer OF GOODNESS and ability. esteem.
ed one OF the best artllierists ia the Confad-
eracy. At New Orleans were some :. NnO
Confederate troops, but they might a. vol
have been at Memphis So far a. concerned
the defence OF the city,
A FIERCE B~OMBARDMENT.
On the 10th OF April, Farragut anchored
he bulk OF his fleet behind a screen Of wood.
below the forts, and set his heavy mor,ars
1t Work,-throwing bombs big as tonr.
barrels, and which exploded with the
rash of an earthquake. On the 18th. tho
he forts from dawn till dark. the mor,ar,
done throwing l,4On shell. Luckily 2 Iarge
tell INTO the river and surronnd;no
"amps, casting up miniature volcanoes OF
nud, TO the aStonlshlnent and Indignation
numerous aliiCators resident therein l.
Incredible indeed, that so httIc oat
lge should have resulted from he fe.r,,l
ire, for although 5000 shells wore ln,,eJ
the forts during the week. ',u.. Dun
an was able to report on the eight d.y of
ne sige that he had lost but > men killed.
,"oN' o"u . guns uIsuiOnftrd The
'ortS. moreover, had not been idle
yell planted shot had sunk one of lorter's
.nortars vessels and three Others uer, truck
nd disabled.
The people of New Orleans, rern-ing Der
confidence IN their miiitary ,onlmanders.
nd full OF Creole y~ivac,ty, began to euioy
ne siege as a kind OF gale occasion. Ever
forming the newspapers weie blazlnc with
n'husiasn' and every evening crowded
teaners vent down the river ...r,n.
parties to witness the niagnlhcer
yrotechnical display of the oombarIme,.
little interruption OF business occurrel.
aud places Of amusement were live
than ever, and y common street INQUIRY
as whether Farragut had yet fred away
fool-powder.
how thick Is the veil which separates Noe
ON To Be- vet how quickly pulled aside
o,day and Tomorrow are Siamese WINS
Ike as two peas; yet the one cannot even