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ARRIVAL OF GEN. BUTLER AT SHIP ISLAND.

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portion of the national squadron from were to assemble at Ship island. Eight Ship island, when the place was surren- days after sailing, the steamer ran dered without opposition, Captain Me- aground on Frying-pan shoals, off Willanethon Smith, who had charge of the mington, N. C., from which desperate expedition, bringing off two 6-pounders situation she was fortunately rescued by which had been erected on a sand bat-Commander O. S. Glisson, who happened tery near the light-house. Various ob- to be at hand with the United States servations were sent to the North of the steamer Mount Vernon. Assistance was spirit of the population, and their re- given in hauling; the vessel was lightsources. The men capable of bearing ened by throwing over a portion of her arms had mostly gone to the war, leav- freight; three hundred of the troops on ing a large proportion of women in the board were removed to the Mount Vertown. "The people," wrote a corres- non. When she was thus got off the shoal, pondent of the Boston Journal, "ap- the troops were again placed on board, peared to be in a very destitute condi- and the Mississippi proceeded on her tion, some wanting shoes, some clothing, voyage. At the end of March, General and others bread. One smart-looking Butler had at his command at Ship island lad said to another, in the hearing of about 14,000 men, ready to take part in the officers, 'I don't care if I do get taken the projected operations against New prisoner,' to which the other replied, 'nor Orleans. The force consisted of the 12th, I, either, for then I shall be sure to get en- 13th, 14th, and 15th Maine regiments, ough to eat.' Another chap, of rebellious the 8th New Hampshire, the 9th, 12th, tendencies, said: "I've heard some talk and 13th Connecticut, the 26th, 30th, of starving us into submission, but they'll and 31st Massachusetts, and the 7th and have to put a blockade on the mullet be- 8th Vermont, with five batteries of field fore they can do this." A little boy artillery, and three companies of Massaapproached Midshipman Woodward, and chusetts cavalry unattached. There with a wistful air, and beseeching tone, were also three western regiments from said 'Oh, Mister, if you will only bring Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin. They me one handful of coffee, I'll give you were all new troops, and more than half anything-'lasses, sugar, or anything!' of them had been raised by General ButAn old man made a similar proposal to ler within the previous three months. Mr. Freeman, who asked him if they The entire number of troops assigned by were short of anything, to which he made the departmeut to General Butler's exanswer: My God, we are short of pedition for the capture and occupation everything. I haven't tasted coffee or of New Orleans, was eighteen thousand. tea these four months.' He added, 'If In the middle of April, eight thousand of you like, I'll show you some of the stuff these troops, all for which there was we use for tea,' and going off, soon re- transportation, were embarked for the turned with a bunch of dry herbage- Mississippi to coöperate with the naval large leaves on the stalk, which grows movement of Captain Farragut, who, arnear the ground, and resembles oak riving from Hampton roads at Ship island leaves." on the 20th of February, had superseded Flag-Officer McKean in the command of the Western Gulf blockading squadron. Captain David Glascoe Farragut, to whom this important work was entrusted, was a native of Tennessee. Entering the navy as a midshipman in the war of 1812, at the age of eleven, he was with

General Butler, after various delays, having completed his preparations, embarked at Boston on the 25th February, 1862, in the United States steam transport Mississippi, with 1,400 troops, to join the remaining land forces intended for the conquest of New Orleans, who.

particular directions had been given, it was enjoined upon the officers: "You must be prepared to execute all those duties to which you have been so long trained in the navy without having the opportunity of practicing. I expect every vessel's crew to be well exercised at their guns, because it is required by the regulations of the service, and it is usually the first object of our attention; but they must be equally well trained for stopping shot holes and extinguishing fire. Hot and cold shot will, no doubt, be freely dealt to us, and there must be stout hearts and quick hands to extinguish the one and stop the holes of the other."

Commodore Porter in the remarkable for the government of the squadron, after cruise of the Essex in the Pacific, participating in the memorable action which closed the history of this vessel in the harbor of Valparaiso. He had subsequently been engaged in the various duties of our naval officers in active service, at sea and at home, visiting different parts of the world, and had of late, for several years, command of the steam sloop-of-war Brooklyn, of the home squadron. When he was ordered, in January, 1862, to the Gulf of Mexico, he was informed by Secretary Welles that there would be joined to his squadron a fleet of bomb-vessels and armed steamers under command of Commander David D. Porter, the youngest son of his old friend the captain of the Essex, an officer who, for more than thirty years, had been actively employed in the naval service of his country. With this important aid, Captain Farragut was ordered to proceed to "the great object in view-the certain capture of the city of New Orleans. Destroy the armed barriers (was the language of the Secretary) which these deluded people have raised up against the power of the United States government, and shoot down those who war against the Union; but cultivate with cordiality the first returning reason which is sure to follow your success."* In pursuance of these directions, in the beginning of April, Commodore Farragut having assembled his forces, entered the Mississippi river, encountering some consider-left bank of the river, about twenty-five able difficulties and delays in getting the larger steamers of his command, the Mississippi and Pensacola, over the bar of the river. More than a fortnight was spent in this labor. At last, on the 8th of April, the work was accomplished; Porter's bomb flotilla was ordered up, and General Butler received instructions to forward his land forces. Serious work was evidently expected. In the general orders issued by Commodore Farragut

*Gideon Welles to Flag-Officer Farragut. Navy Department, Jan. 20, 1862.

The prospect of meeting such obstacles as the rebels had interposed for the defence of their chief city was indeed formidable. The previous encounter of the Union squadron at the passes of the river with the iron-clads and fire-ships of Commodore Hollins, had proved the difficulty of an undertaking which was now a thousand fold enhanced. In addition to a large rebel fleet of some twenty armed steam rams and gunboats, the advancing squadron had to contend with the concentrated fire of two powerful forts. Their progress was threatened to be impeded by a formidable barrier thrown across the river, holding the vessels of the fleet immediately within range of the enemy's guns. Forts Jackson and St. Philip, respectively on the right and

miles above its mouth, and seventy-five from New Orleans, were situated at a bend of the stream, three quarters of a mile distant from each other. The armament which they possessed at the time of their seizure from the United States government had been greatly strengthened by the addition of heavy improved artillery, and now numbered one hundred and twenty-six guns of long range and heavy calibre. Fort Jackson, the most important of the two works, and the first to be encountered, was a regular pentag

ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE BOMBARDMENT.

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onal bastioned fortification, with an out- in the rebel service. The Union forces. side water battery, mounting seventy- destined for the attack consisted of Comfive guns in all, including thirty-three modore Farragut's fleet, composed of 32-pounders on the main parapet. Three seventeen steamships and gunboats; of the guns were rifled, and twenty-four Commodore Porter's mortar fleet of were protected by casemates.* Fort twenty-one sailing vessels, with seven St. Philip consisted of a main work with steamers of light draught, and the troops two batteries attached, fully commanding under General Butler in the transports, the bend of the stream. A strong chain of which two only were steamers. was extended across the river, here half careful reconnoissance of the river to the a mile wide, buoyed by eight hulks from vicinity of the forts was made by Fleet fifty to eighty yards apart. Within these Captain H. H. Bell, on the 28th of March. defences the rebel fleet was gathered, in- He drew the fire of the enemy's guns, cluding the steam ram Manassas-a spe- estimated their range, and made a satiscies of "turtle," or rounded iron-plated factory observation of the position and vessel, armed with a single 60-pounder, structure of the hulks and chain. and a long iron point at her bows beneath the water, and the Louisiana, a formidable iron-covered battery, of great size and heavy armament, upon which much reliance was placed for the defence of the city. There were also various gunboats, and several vessels prepared as fire ships, to carry terror and devastation into the ranks of the assailants. The general command of the coast defences was in the hands of BrigadierGeneral Johnson K. Duncan, a native of Pennsylvania, and graduate of West Point, who, after reaching the rank of 1st Lieutenant in the 3d artillery, had resigned in 1855, and at the breaking out of the insurrection had entered the Confederate service. The rebel troops at New Orleans, numbering several thousand, were under command of Gen. Mansfield Lovell, a native of the District of Columbia, and also a graduate of West Point. He had served in the Mexican war as aid to General Quitman, whose plans for the acquisition of Cuba he subsequently warmly entered into, resigning, with his friend Gustavus W. Smith, of the engineers, his rank in the army to enter upon that proposed expedition. Both officers were attracted to the Southern cause, and at an early period of the war were placed in responsible positions

Report of Joseph Harris. U. S. Coast Survey, May 4, 1862.

On the 16th of April, full supplies of coal and ammunition having arrived, and all preparations being completed, Commodore Farragut ascended the river with the fleet. The mortar flotilla, which it was intended should commence operations, was, after a careful survey of the region, placed in position by Commodore Porter on the right bank of the river, in line under the lee of a thick wood closely interwoven with vines, the foremost vessel at a distance of 2,850 yards from Fort Jackson. The intervening trees in that direction, for a distance of three hundred yards, presented an impenetrable mass through which no shot could pass. To add still further to the protection of this bombarding fleet, Commodore Porter caused the masts of the vessels "to be dressed off with bushes, to make them invisible to the enemy, and intermingle with the thick forest of trees and matted vines behind which they were placed, an arrangement which proved to be an admirable one, for never once during the bombardment was one of the vessels seen from the forts, though their approximate position was known. As the bushes were blown away during the bombardment they were renewed, and the masts and ropes kept covered from view."* Fire was regularly opened from the mortar batteries on the 18th upon Official Report of Commodore Porter, April 30, 1862.

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Fort Jackson, each vessel firing every the crews, and produced more accurate ten minutes. The enemy responded with firing. Overcome with fatigue, I had spirit and with effect. Two of the mor- seen the commanders and crews lying tar boats being penetrated by shot, and fast asleep on deck, with a mortar on one of the divisions which had been board the vessel next to them thunderplaced by the shore opposite the fort be- ing away, and shaking everything around ing compelled to retire a short distance, them like an earthquake. The windows while several gunboats were sent to were broken at the Balize, thirty miles divert the fire of the foe. In the after- distant." During this bombardment the noon, however, the citadel, a structure five fire rafts were sent down the river of brick and wood in the centre of the by the enemy. They were readily, howfort, was set on fire, and a quantity of ever, turned aside from the vessels of the clothing and stores in it destroyed. fleet, except in one single instance, when 1,400 shells were fired on this first day from the force of the wind and current of the bombardment. The second day two of the gunboats suffered somewhat in one of the mortar boats was sunk by a a collision, and being dragged across the rifle shell from the fort, while some offi- bows of the Mississippi. Having kept cers' quarters in the fort were set fire to. up this feu d'enfer for three days withThe next night Captain Bell was sent out silencing the fire of the fort, Commowith an apparatus of electrical batteries dore Porter was inclined to despair of and petards, accompanied by two gun- taking it, and, indeed, as he himself tells boats, to break up the chain barrier. us, "began to lose his confidence in morThey advanced under cover of the fire of tars," when a deserter presented himself the whole mortar fleet. One of the ves-1 with such an account of the havoc in the sels, the Pinola, Captain Crosby, carried fort, that "he went to work with renewthe operator, who planted his petard but ed vigor, and never flagged to the last." failed to explode it in consequence of the For six days this uninterrupted destrucbreaking of the wires. The other gun- tive mortar firing was continued, when boat, the Itasca, Lieutenant Command- Commodore Farragut, on the 23d, reing Caldwell, grappled one of the hulks, solved, according to a plan he had preand was driven with it by force of the viously formed, to advance with his fleet current on the shore, a position from the following night, with the intention of which she was extricated by her consort passing the forts, and proceeding at once which had removed a portion of the chain, to the capture of New Orleans. Lieueffectually broken the line of the ob- tenant Caldwell was again sent up early structions, and opened a passage for the in the night to make an examination of Union fleet. On the third and fourth the passage through the obstructions days the mortar practice was somewhat which he had previously opened. interrupted by the necessary delay in discharged this duty while the enemy sending for fresh ammunition. On the were sending down fire rafts, and by fifth the fire from the fort was quite an- means of their watch fires on shore, noying, as it obtained the range of the directing the fire of their guns against bombarding vessels. During all this time him. He accomplished his purpose, the latter were constantly at work. To however, without injury, and signalavoid fatigue, as far as possible, Commo-ed that the passage was still clear. dore Porter divided the divisions into Every preparation had now been made watches of four hours each, firing from by Commodore Farragut for the impendone division about 168 times a watch, or ing movement. He had, indeed, taken altogether, during the 24 hours, 1,500 extraordinary precautions to divert, as shell. "This," says he, "I found rested | far as possible, danger from his fleet in

He

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