April 24, 1862 Thursday
At 2 A.M. two red lanterns rose to the mizzen peak of U.S.S. Hartford on the Mississippi River below New Orleans. Farragut’s large fleet of wooden frigates and gunboats was about to attempt to run past the Confederate forts, crash through the remainder of the barricade, and head for New Orleans (
http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/ba ... _1862.html and
http://americancivilwar.com/statepic/la/la001.html ). About 3 A.M. of a dark and chilly night the fleet was under way. The first division of eight vessels got through the barricade without discovery. But at 3:40, as the moon rose, Forts Jackson and St Philip opened fire. The second group of nine ships, including Farragut’s Hartford, followed, slowly coming under heavy fire. Porter’s Federal mortars from below added to the din and fury of the fight. Darkness, smoke, flashes of guns, screams of shells, Confederate fire rafts, and some confusion among the Federals, but they got through – all but three smaller vessels, which were badly disabled. The forts had been proficiently manned but they were no match for the moving targets on the river. An important lesson was being learned – that ships could generally, although at a cost, get past fixed fortifications.
Once upstream, Farragut’s fleet faced more fighting against Confederate gunboats, including the ram C.S.S. Manassas. The ram, battling gallantly, struck both U.S.S. Mississippi and U.S.S. Brooklyn but to no avail. A few of the Confederate squadron fought capably, while others of the makeshift fleet fled before the Federals. Although considerably cut up, the North had lost only U.S.S. Varuna and 37 men killed, 149 wounded. The forts suffered light casualties, but the Confederate squadron had at least 61 killed and 43 wounded. Altogether 8 Confederate vessels were lost, only 2 escaping. Moving rapidly forward, leaving the forts to die on the vine, Farragut advanced on New Orleans, anchoring April 25 at the panic-stricken, undefended city. Confederate Mansfield Lovell had been unable to defend his area. By courage and daring the Federals had climaxed with victory a campaign that resulted in the capture of the South’s largest city and most vital port. Soon the North had a new base for operations against the heartland of the Confederacy. The Battle of New Orleans was one of the more decisive in the West, and a new hero had been found, this time a naval man. “Like Grant, Farragut, always went ahead,” wrote young officer George Dewey, years later to “go ahead” himself at Manila Bay.
Other fighting of the day was pale in comparison, but there was skirmishing at Tuscumbia, Alabama; at Lick Creek and on the Shelbyville Road, Tennessee; and on the Corinth Road, Mississippi, all part of the Federal probing into northern Alabama and Mississippi.