April 27, 1863, The New York Herald
The news from New Orleans is most important and encouraging. Gen. Banks has done able service in that region, as we announced on Wednesday. The details of this brilliant affair reached us by the Fulton yesterday. Severe battle was fought on Friday, the 17th inst., at the Vermillion Bayou, in which, after a hard contest with the rebel batteries and a strong force of infantry, our troops gained a complete success, driving the enemy from his position, capturing his guns, and taking fifteen hundred prisoners. In addition to this the batteries at Bute la Rose were silenced by our fleet, the valuable salt works of Petite Anse, which supplied the whole interior with this indispensable article, were captured, and a number of the rebel boats were destroyed, during the expedition of General Banks into the Bayou Teche region. Thus the finest portion of Louisiana is at the command of the Union forces, and rebellion in that quarter is tottering.
Meantime the attack upon Cape Girardeau, Mo., by the rebels, under Marmaduke, has not only proved a failure, but a severe defeat for the enemy. After a fight of three hours with General McNeill they were gloriously repulsed. Reinforcements of men and gunboats reached McNeill during the fight, and he is now in a position to maintain himself against another attack. At last accounts the enemy was still retreating. Our loss in killed and wounded was only twenty.
From Tennessee we learn that General Bragg is in occupation of Manchester with a large army. Some deserters state that the Kentucky, Tennessee and Missouri troops in Bragg’s army have lately been very mutinous, and much trouble has been experienced in putting it down. The Tennesseeans, it is said, laid down their arms, refusing to do duty.
Our news from Key West is to the 13th inst. General Woodbury is in command at that post. An expedition to Bayport, on the west coast of Florida, with seven of our gunboats, resulted in their withdrawal out of a narrow creek, where they could not operate, but not until they stood a heavy fire from the rebel batteries, and had the satisfaction of seeing a rebel schooner, laden with cotton, turpentine and rosin destroyed by the hands of the enemy.
The news from Gen. Hooker’s army is unimportant. Everything is quiet along the river.
An arrival at Fortress Monroe informs us that all our Monitors were lying off North Edisto island on Thursday last, and that our land forces then occupied the island.
The first installment of our returning volunteers, whose term of two years’ service has expired, will be received in this city tomorrow. The Seventh and Eighth regiments of New York Volunteers will arrive at that time. Thirty-six more New York regiments will be mustered out of service between now and the 4th of July.
Our accounts from Mexico to the 31st ult. show that the Mexicans, so far from being defeated at Puebla, as reported through French sources, have frequently repulsed the enemy and are probably still in safe possession of that city.