OUR FLEET ATTEMPTS TO PASS THE FORTS. 91 The silence was broken by our mortars, whose gunners, prepared for the rapidest possible fire, at once filled the air with their shells, and roared out to the Rebels their warning that the hour had come. As our ships in their three lines closely followed each other, Capt. Bailey, in the Cayuga, was first observed and opened upon by both forts as he was passing through the breach in the barrier. He did not choose to give better direction to the enemy's fire by replying; and, though their balls were abundant, they mainly passed over and around him. Approaching Fort St. Philip, he ran close under her guns, giving her broadsides of grape and canister as he passed; the Pensacola, Mississippi, and Varuna, pressing closely in his wake, followed his commendable example. All of his division passed the forts essentially uninjured. three largest ships-the Hartford, so swift, the night so heavy, that the Richmond, and Brooklyn-was to fleet advanced but four miles per keep near the western bank, fighting hour. Fort Jackson; while Capt. Bailey, with the Cayuga, Pensacola, Mississippi, Oneida, Varuna, Katahdin, Kineo, and Wissahickon, was to hug the eastern bank, exchanging compliments with Fort St. Philip. Capt. Bell, with the third division-consisting of the Scioto, Iroquois, Pinola, Winona, Itasca, and Kennebec-was to keep the middle of the river, and, disregarding the forts, to attack and vanquish the Rebel fleet in waiting above. Lieut. Weitzel had wisely suggested that, as the guns of the forts had been fired at a high elevation in order to reach their remote assailants, and as the vessels would naturally be expected to keep the middle of the river, the Rebel gunners would be pretty sure to fire over them if they kept close to the respective shores. All being ready, Gen. Butler and his staff went on board the Saxon; every naval officer was at his post; and the silence was only broken by an occasional fire from the mortar sloops. At 11 P. M., a signal from the Itasca announced that the opening in the cable was still unclosed. The night was dark and heavy; the moon-what there was of it-would rise at 3 A. M. At 1," all hands were called, steam got up, the last preparations made, and at 2 the signal to weigh anchor was given from the flag-ship. Half an hour later, Farragut's division was ready. Capt. Bailey, a little slower, was farther away; it was 3 before the latter was fairly abreast of Farragut, when each division moved silently up stream. The current was Capt. Bell's division was less fortunate. The Pinola, Scioto, and Iroquois, ran the gauntlet of the forts unharmed; but the Itasca, when directly opposite St. Philip, received a volley of balls, one of which pierced her boiler and compelled her to drift down the river. The Winona recoiled from that fire, and failed to pass. The Kennebec was caught in the cable; and, when liberated, lost her way in the dense smoke; finally returning to her former anchorage below the forts. Capt. Farragut, in the fore rigging of the Hartford, anxiously watching every visible movement through his night-glass, had advanced within a "April 24. when he was opened upon from that Fort and repeatedly struck. Still steaming directly for the fort, and replying only from his two forecastle guns, when within half a mile he sheered and gave them broadsides of grape and canister, which soon drove every man from their barbette guns; but those in the casemates rendered full and quick returns for every volley received. The Richmond, closely following, hurled grape and canister in profusion. mile and a quarter of Fort Jackson, | silenced, and her garrison were seen by our men in the tops of the Brooklyn, by the fitful flashes of their bursting shrapnel, running like sheep to their coverts. Thus passing the upper fort, Capt. Craven engaged several of the Rebel gunboats, at 60 to 100 yards. He was an hour and a half under fire, lost 8 killed and 26 wounded, while his ship was badly cut up by shot and shell; but she bore her full part in the attack on the Rebel batteries below New OrThe Brooklyn, bring-leans next morning. ing up the rear, ran over one of the hulks which had upheld the chain, during a hot fire from Fort St. Philip. Hardly had she been freed from the hulk and her head turned up stream, when the ram Manassas came butting into her starboard gangway, first opening her iron trap-door at ten feet distance and firing at the smoke-stack of the Brooklyn a heavy bolt, which was caught and stopped by the sand-bags protecting her steam-drum. A guard of chain armor, which had been woven over her sides, shielded her from destruction by the ram, which soon slid off and disappeared in the darkness. A few minutes later, while still under a raking fire from Fort Jackson, the Brooklyn was attacked by a large Rebel steamer, to which she gave a broadside at 50 yards, setting it instantly on fire and putting an end to its career. Still groping onward in the thick darkness, Capt. Craven soon found himself abreast of Fort The Varuna, having safely passed St. Philip, and so near that his leads- the forts, found herself" amid a nest man reported 13 feet of water. Bring- of Rebel steamers,"" into which she ing all his guns to bear for a few mo- | plunged, firing broadsides at each as ments, he poured in grape and canis- she passed it, exploding the bailer ter so that the fort was completely of the first, which appeared to be The Cayuga, having saluted and passed Fort St. Philip at short range, still pushing on, encountered, when just out of fire of the fort, the entire Rebel flotilla, consisting of 18 gunboats, including the Manassas and Louisiana. For a moment, her doom seemed certain, as no supporting ship was to be seen. By skillful steering, however, Capt. Bailey avoided all their attempts to butt and board, and had already forced three of the less formidable to surrender, when the Varuna and Oneida were seen coming to the rescue. At early dawn, perceiving a Rebel camp on the right bank of the river, Capt. Bailey anchored close beside it, and ordered the Rebels to pile their arms on the bank and come on board as prisoners, which was obeyed. The captives proved to be the Chalmette regiment, Col. Sysmanski. Their flag, tents, and camp equipage, formed a part of the spoils. 14 Commander Boggs's official report. THE REBEL FLOTILLA VANQUISHED. crowded with troops; when it drifted ashore, a wreck. Three other vessels, one of them a gunboat, were likewise driven ashore and blown up. At 6 A. M., the Morgan, partially iron-clad, commanded by Beverly Kennon (late of our navy), attacked the Varuna, giving her a raking fire along the port gangway, which killed 4 and wounded 9 of her crew, then butted her on the quarter and again on the starboard side, but without sinking or disabling her. Meanwhile, the Varuna had planted three 8-inch shells in her assailant, abaft her armor, with several shot from one of our rifled guns; when she drifted out of the fight, partially disabled. Ere this time, another Rebel iron-clad, with a beak under water, had struck the Varuna in the port gangway, doing considerable damage, while our shot glanced harmlessly from the armor of the Rebel boat. The enemy then backed off for another blow, and struck again in the same place, crushing in the Varuna's side; but she being under full headway, her enemy's beak for a moment stuck fast in her side, and the ram was drawn around nearly beside our steamer, which was thereby enabled to plow her with five 8-inch shells abaft her armor. This finished her performance, and she drifted ashore, a burning wreck; while the Varuna, now in a sinking condition, was run into the bank by her commander, her anchor let go, and her bow made fast to the trees; her guns all the time at work crippling the Morgan, which was making feeble efforts to get up steam. When the water had risen over his gun-trucks, Commander Boggs turned his attention to getting the wounded and crew out of his ves sel. had 93 The Oneida, seeing her sinking, rushed to her assistance; but Boggs waved her on to the Morgan, which, already in flames, surrendered; she had lost over 50 of her crew killed and wounded, and was set on fire by her commander, who left his wounded to the flames. Fifteen minutes after she struck, the Varuna was on the bottom, with only her top-gallant forecastle out of water. Her crew gained the shore, losing every thing but the clothes they stood in. Our loss in this desperate fight, not including 6 or 7 previously disabled on the mortar-boats, was reported as only 30 killed and 119 wounded; the fleet surgeon adding that several vessels had not yet made their official return. The Brooklyn, Pensacola, and Iroquois, had suffered most severely. Gen. Lovell, who had witnessed the combat of our fleet with his forts and flotilla, and its triumph, hastened up to the city on horseback, narrowly escaping capture on the way, and gave orders to Gen. Smith, in command of the land defenses, to make all possible resistance at the earthworks below the town; but the high stage of water, causing the guns of our vessels to command the earthworks, rendered them untenable by infantry. An attempt was made to raise 1,000 desperate volunteers who would undertake to board and carry our vessels by assault; but only 100 could be found. In short, New Orleans was lost when our fleet had passed the forts; and all her intelligent Rebels knew it. Gen. Lovell, after consultation with the municipal authorities, began at once to send off his munitions | work, he moved on. The Cayuga, not having observed the signal for The Rebel flotilla having been mainly destroyed, Capt. Farragut, with his nine vessels that had safely run the gauntlet of Rebel forts, fireships, rams, and gunboats, while steaming slowly and cautiously up the river, had not yet reached New Orleans when he was met by ample evidence that the city was virtually in his hands. Cotton-loaded and other valuable ships came floating down the river wrapped in flames, the mute but vivid witnesses of the enemy's despair. "I never witnessed such Vandalism in my life," he reports, "as the destruction of prop-nificent but melancholy spectacle of erty all the shipping, steamboats, &c., were set on fire and consumed." On reaching" the English Turn, six or seven miles below the city, he descried the new earthworks on both banks, known as the Chalmette batteries; when, forming his fleet in two lines, and allotting to each its proper 15 At 10:30 A. M. on the 25th. 16 Pollard says: "No sooner had the Federal fleet turned the point, and come within sight of the city, than the work of destruction of property commenced. Vast columns of smoke ascended to the sky, darkening the face of heaven and obscuring the noon-day sun; for five miles along the levee, fierce flames darted through the lurid atmosphere, their baleful glare struggling in rivalry with the sunlight; great ships and steamers, wrapped in fire, floated down the river, threatening the Federal vessels with destruction by their fiery contact. In front of the various presses, and at other points along the levee, the cotton had been piled up and submitted to the torch. It was burned by order of the Governor of Louisiana and of the military commander of the Confederate States. Fifteen thousand bales were burning cotton, sugar, and other There was no attempt at resistance, consumed; the value of which would have been MAYOR MONROE ON EXHIBITION. 95 rage strove for the mastery. As our | Bailey that he had already evacuated squadron neared the levee, our sailors the city, which he now formally gave a cheer, to which some few in turned over to the municipal authothe adjacent crowd responded, pro- rities, leaving them to act as they voking thereby pistol-shots from should see fit. Capt. Bailey now rethe irate Rebels surrounding them. turned to the fleet to await such After a brief delay, Capt. Bailey was action; and the Mayor, refusing to sent ashore to demand the surrender haul down the State flag from the of the city; when the valorous.mob City Hall, sent to the Common received him with groans, hootings, Council, which was in session, a mesand threats of violence, which did sage recommending that an answer not prevent his proceeding, under the be returned to Capt. Farragut, statescort of more considerate citizens, to ing that the city, being incapable of the Mayor's office; the mob that fol- offering further resistance, yielded to lowed him contenting itself with physical force alone, without giving assaults on such citizens as were sus-up its allegiance to the Confederate pected of Unionism. On reaching the City Hall, he made his demand, requiring that the Federal flag be displayed from the public edifices; to which the Mayor responded, disclaiming any authority to comply A messenger was thereupon sent to Gen. Lovell, who informed Capt. 17" MAYOR'S OFFICE, CITY OF NEW ORLEANS, "CITY HALL, April 26, 1862. "Flag-Oficer D. G. FARRAGUT, Unitel States flag-ship Hartford: "SIR-In pursuance of a resolution which we thought proper to take, out of regard for the lives of the women and children who still crowd the metropolis, General Lovell has evacuated it with his troops, and restored back to me the administration of its government and the custody of its honor. I have, in council with the City Fathers, considered the demand you made of me yesterday of an unconditional surrender of the city, coupled with a requisition to hoist the flag of the United States on the public edifices, and haul down the flag that still floats upon the breeze from the dome of this Hall. It becomes my duty to transmit to you an answer which is the universal sentiment of my constituents no less than the promptings of my own heart on this sad and solemn occasion. The city is without the means of defense; and is utterly destitute of the force and material that might enable it to resist an overpowering armament displayed in sight of it. "I am no military man, and possess no authority beyond that of executing the municipal laws of the city of New Orleans. It would be presumptuous in me to attempt to lead an army in the field. if I had one at command; and I know still less how to surrender an undefended Government, while it had no authority over the Custom-House, PostOffice, and Mint, and would do nothing with regard to them. This undignified and ridiculous betrayal of spite and chagrin was reiterated by the Mayor in a letter" to Capt. Farragut, which was tersely and fitly place, held, as this is, at the mercy of your gunners and your mortars. To surrender such a place were an idle and unmeaning ceremony. The city is yours by the power of brutal force, not by my choice or the consent of its inhabitants. It is for you to determine what will be the fate that awaits us here. As to hoisting any flag not of our own adoption and allegiance, let me say to you that the man lives not in our midst whose hand and heart would not be paralyzed at the mere thought of such an act; nor could I find in my entire constituency so desperate and wretched a renegade as would dare to profane with his hand the sacred emblem of our aspirations. "Sir, you have manifested sentiments which would become one engaged in a better cause than that to which you have devoted your sword. I doubt not that they spring from a noble though deluded nature; and I know how to appreciate the emotions which inspired them. You have a gallant people to administrate during your occupancy of this city-a people sensitive to all that can in the least affect their dignity and self-respect. Pray, Sir, do not fail to regard their susceptibilities. The obligations which I shall assume in their name shail be religiously complied with. You may trust their honor, though you might not count on their submission to unmerited wrong. "In conclusion, I beg you to understand that the people of New Orleans, while unable to re |