sensible of the importance of following up his advantage, ordered a vigorous pursuit. By daylight the next morning the Union forces were pressing close upon the dispirited and fleeing enemy. So disheartened were the rebels that hundreds threw away their arms and surrendered, soon as the victorious Union columns came within range. All day the pursuit continued, and, when night came on, the country for miles around was lighted with huge fires, where the rebels were compelled to destroy their stores, to prevent them from falling into patriot hands. The road was strewed with commissary stores, and broken-down caissons and wagons. The line of retreat was mostly along the railroad by the valley of Ringgold.

The entire Federal loss in these combined battles did not exceed four thousand in killed and wounded; while that of the enemy, in killed, wounded, prisoners, and deserters, has been estimated at fifteen thousand. Between sixty and seventy cannon, and seven thousand stand of small arms were among the trophies of the victors.

By this brilliant success, the Federal power was firmly established in East Tennessee, and no serious attempts were afterwards made by the rebels to invade that portion of the State.

BATTLE OF RINGGOLD, GA.

NOVEMBER 28, 1863.

The dingy little town of Ringgold-the county town of Catoosa County, Georgia-is situated at the base of the White Oak mountain range, only a few miles from the State line between Georgia and Tennessee. It was here that the routed forces of General Bragg first made a stand, after the battle of Mission try Ridge, to oppose the pursuit of the victorious soldiers of Hooker. A brief, but desperate and bloody battle, ensued, on the 28th of November. Generals Osterhaus and Geary led the Unionists, while the opposing rebels were Hardee's command. The fight lasted about five hours, and was attended with heavy loss upon both sides. Three hundred rebel prisoners were captured, and the enemy was driven back, be yond the town, to Tunnel Hill. Colonel Creighton and Lieutenant-Colonel Crane were killed in this engagement, and the Seventh Ohio regiment lost all of its officers excepting one-Captain Creighton. This reg iment was treacherously led into an ambuscade by a portion of Hardee's corps, who displayed Federal flags. The Union soldiers behaved with the utmost gallantry. From Ringgold the rebels fell back upon Dalton.

DEPARTMENT OF THE GULF IN 1863.

General N. P. Banks arrived in New Orleans on December 14, 1862, having been appointed to supersede General Butler in command of the Department of the Gulf. The news of this change created much surprise among all classes of citizens; and not a few of those who were opposed to the restoration of the national supremacy were sorry to part with an officer who, though obnoxious for his zeal in the discharge of his duties, had succeeded in establishing unexampled order and security in the city. General Butler tendered a cordial welcome to his successor, assuring him that the army would render a cheerful obedience to his orders. On the 15th General Butler took leave of the troops under his command, and paid a well-merited tribute to their patriotism, valor, and soldierly bearing; and on the following day he issued a lengthy address to the citizens, in which he recapitulated the leading measures of his administration, demonstrated the many great advantages which had resulted from the reestablishment of the Federal authority, and exhorted them all to return fully to their allegiance as the only means of obtaining peace and lasting prosperity to their city.

On the same day a proclamation was issued by General Banks of a patriotic and conciliatory tone. The commencement of General Banks's administration was marked by a leniency which seemed to indicate that the severity which General Butler had thought it necessary to exercise was either distasteful to the new commander, or contrary to the policy of the Government. Many political prisoners were released, and other lenient measures adopted towards obstinate rebels, which only resulted in the abuse of his clemency, and the manifestation of a turbulent spirit and disloyal conduct on the part of rebellious citizens. It soon became evident that General Banks did not possess the ability to govern a conquered city with that ease and tact which had been evinced by his predecessor; and during his whole administration he was subjected to opposition and constant annoyance from a class of civilians upon whom the more bold and energetic measures of his predecessor had always been sufficiently potent to restrain them from direct conflict with him.

Previous to the arrival of General Banks at New Orleans, he had been for two months engaged in organizing a military and naval force to accompany him, which was designed, in the first place, to cooperate with the forces of General Grant and Admiral Porter in the reduction of Port Hudson and Vicksburg, in order to open the Mississippi river to the free passage of the Federal gunboats. This accomplished, a movement on Texas was contemplated, which State was now contributing largely

by her trade on the Mexican border, and her contributions of army sub. sistence, to sustain the rebellion.

No military events of importance occurred in Louisiana until the middle of March, 1863, excepting a small expedition up the Teche river by the gunboats, in which Commander Buchanan of the Calhoun was killed.

During the first weeks in March General Banks had concentrated his army at Baton Rouge, amounting to nearly twenty-five thousand men. The naval forces on the lower Mississippi were under the command of Admiral Farragut.

Port Hudson, or Hickey's Landing, as it was called some years ago, is situated on a bend in the Mississippi river, about twenty-two miles above Baton Rouge, and one hundred and forty-seven above New Or. leans. Approaching Port Hudson by water from below, the first batteries were situated on a bluff about forty feet above high water mark.

On the night of 14-15th March, Admiral Farragut passed the rebel batteries at Port Hudson with his flagship, the Hartford, and the Albatros. He attacked the forts with his entire fleet, but all but the two vessels above named were repulsed, and the Mississippi, having grounded, was set on fire and abandoned. A graphic description of this event is given by a correspondent of the New York Herald, on board the Richmond, from which we subjoin the following condensed account, written at the time:

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The rebel batterics extend about four miles in length, with a gap here and there between. Below, just before the high bluff begins, a very large number of field batteries were placed in position. These batteries are by no means to be despised; for in such a narrow part of the river they are just as effective as siege guns, especially as they can be handled with far greater facility than ordnance of larger size. Proceeding upward, the regular fortifications commence. They seem to consist of three distinct ranges of batteries, numbering several in each range. It does not seem, however, that either of them mounts guns of very large calibre. The river now begins to trend to the west, forming a faint representation of a horseshoe, in the hollow of which the town of Port Hudson is situated. It is right in that hollow, and just below the town, that the most formidable battery-the central one-is situated, on the highest bluff. Four heavy guns appear to be mounted there in casemates. I say appear, because the flashes from these guns revealed nothing; but the flame from the muzzles showed that all beyond was in ob. scurity-precisely as would be the case with guns in casemate. The other guns, en barbette, or peering through open embrasures, revealed, when fired, something of the lay of the land behind and around, though but for a moment. Above the town are other batteries, only less formi dable than those just below. Beyond these the high bluffs gradually

subside into the general level of the surrounding country. Right opposite the principal batteries, on the right bank of the river, is the point of land on which the Mississippi grounded, in consequence of which she had to be set on fire and destroyed."

After describing the first shots from the Hartford, which were promptly returned by the rebel batteries, the correspondent thus describes the mortars opening fire:

And now was heard a thundering roar, equal in volume to a whole park of artillery. This was followed by a rushing sound, accompanied by a howling noise that beggars description. Again and again was the sound repeated, till the vast expanse of heaven rang with the awful minstrelsy. It was apparent that the mortar-boats had opened fire. Of this I was soon convinced on casting my eyes aloft. Never shall I forget the sight that then met my astonished vision. Shooting upward at an angle of forty-five degrees, with the rapidity of lightning, small globes of golden flame were seen sailing through the pure ether-not a steady, unfading flame, but corruscating, like the fitful gleam of a fire-fly, now visible, and anon invisible. Like a flying star of the sixth magnitude, the terrible missile-a 13-inch shell-nears its zenith, up and still uphigher and still higher. Its flight now becomes much slower, till, on reaching its utmost altitude, its centrifugal force becomes counteracted by the earth's attraction; it describes a parabolic curve, and down, down it comes, bursting, it may be, ere it reaches terra firma, but probably alighting in the rebel works ere it explodes, where it scatters death and destruction around.

"The Richmond had by this time got within range of the rebel field batteries, which opened fire on her. I had all along thought that we would open fire from our bow guns, on the topgallant forecastle, and that, after discharging a few broadsides from the starboard side, the action would be wound up by a parting compliment from our stern chasers. To my surprise, however, we opened at once from our broadside guns. The effect was startling, as the sound was unexpected; but beyond this I really experienced no inconvenience from the concussion. There was nothing unpleasant to the ear, and the jar to the ship was really quite unappreciable. It may interest the uninitiated to be informed how a broadside is fired from a vessel-of-war. I was told on board the Richmond that all the guns were sometimes fired off simultaneously, though it is not a very usual course, as it strains the ship. Last night the broadsides were fired by commencing at the forward gun, and firing all the rest off in rapid succession, as fast almost as the ticking of a watch. The effect was grand and terrific; and, if the guns were rightly pointed -a difficult thing in the dark, by-the-way-they could not fail in carrying death and destruction among the enemy.

"Of course we did not have everything our own way; for the enemy poured in his shot and shell as thick as hail. Over, ahead, astern, all around us, flew the death-dealing missiles, the hissing, screaming, whistling, shrieking, and howling of which rivaled Pandemonium. It must not be supposed, however, that because our broadside guns were the tools we principally worked with, our bow and stern chasers were idle. We soon opened with our bow eighty-pounder Dahlgren, which was followed up not long after by the guns astern, giving evidence to the fact that we had passed some of the batteries.

"Soon after firing was heard astern of us, and it was soon ascertained that the Monongahela, with her consort, the Kineo, and the Mississippi were in action. The Monongahela carries a couple of two hundred. pounder rifled Parrot guns. The roar of cannon was incessant, and the flashes from the guns, together with the flight of the shells from the mortar boats, made up a combination of sound and sight impossible to describe. To add to the horrors of the night, while it contributed toward the enhancement of a certain terrible beauty, dense clouds of smoke began to envelop the river, shutting out from view the several vessels and confounding them with the batteries. It was very difficult to know how to steer to prevent running ashore, perhaps right under a rebel battery or into a consort. Upward and upward rolled the smoke, shutting out of view the beautiful stars and obscuring the vision on every side. Then it was that the order was passed, Boys, don't fire till you see the flash from the enemy's guns.' That was our only guide through the palpable obscurity.' Intermingled with the boom of the cannonade arose the cries of the wounded and the shouts of their friends, suggesting that they should be taken below for treatment. So thick was the smoke that we had to cease firing several times, and to add to the horrors of the night, it was next to impossible to tell whether we were running into the Hartford or going ashore, and, if the latter, on which bank, or whether some of the other vessels were about to run into us or into each other. All this time the fire was was kept up on both sides incessantly.

"Muzzle to muzzle.' This phrase is familiar to most persons who have read accounts of sea-fights that took place about fifty years ago; but it is difficult for the uninitiated to realize all the horrors conveyed in these three words. For the first time I had, last night, an opportunity of knowing what the phrase really meant. The central battery is situ ted about the middle of the segment of a circle I have already compared to a horseshoe in shape, though it may be better understood by the term 'crescent.' This battery stands on a bluff so high that a vessel in passing immediately underneath cannot elevate her guns sufficiently to reach those on the battery; neither can te guns on the battery be sufficiently depressed to bear on the passing ship. In this position the rebel batte