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could not until then entertain the proposition. But CHAP. XV. while the rebel commanders were hesitating, the men composing the garrisons were forming their own conclusions and preparing to act on them. At midnight of April 27 there was a sudden mutiny in Fort Jackson; the insurgents seized the guards, reversed the field-pieces commanding the gates, began spiking the guns, and fired upon officers who went to the parapet to control them. Simultaneously, about half the garrison deserted the fort with 1862. W. R. their arms and surrendered themselves to Butler's pickets.

Duncan,
Report,
April 30,

Vol. VI.,
p. 531.

Higgins to 1862. W. R.

Porter, April 28,

Vol. VI., p. 544.

This state of affairs left the commanders no alternative. On the forenoon of April 28 they sent a flag of truce to Porter, accepting his terms of capitulation, which were duly signed at an interview between the officers on the steamer Harriet Lane that afternoon. While the officers sat together in the cabin an exciting incident took place. The Confederate note of acceptance stated that "We have no control over the vessels afloat"; but it was taken for granted that the flags of truce flying from the Union ships and visible to all were a sufficient safeguard. Great was the consternation, therefore, when it was suddenly announced that the Confederate ironclad Louisiana, hitherto anchored above Fort St. Philip, had been set on fire by her commander, abandoned and cut adrift, and was floating down towards the other ships. Porter writes that he said to the Confederate officers: "This is sharp practice, but if you can stand the explosion when it comes, we can. We will go on and finish the capitulation." The Confed- Magazine," erate officers protested their innocence of the act,

"Century

April, 1885,

p. 950.

VOL. V.-18

Duncan,
Report,
April 30,

CHAP. XV. and quietly remained. "As the wreck in descending kept close into the Fort St. Philip shore,” reports Confederate General J. K. Duncan, "the 1861. W. R. chances were taken by the enemy without changing the position of his boats." Fortunately the Louisiana exploded while abreast Fort St. Philip, and before she had come near enough to cause damage to Porter's ships.

Vol. VI.,

p. 532.

CHAPTER XVI

THE

NEW ORLEANS

1862.

HE way was now clear to New Orleans; and CHAP. XVL as soon as General Butler could get his transports from the Gulf side round into the river again, he proceeded, after occupying the forts, as rapidly as possible up the river with his troops. On the 1st of May the naval forces under Farragut turned over to him the formal possession of the city, and he continued in command of the Department of the Gulf until the following December. The withdrawal of General Lovell, and the abandonment of Forts Pike and McComb at the entrances to Lake Pontchartrain, left him with no serious campaign immediately on his hands; but the task of governing the city of New Orleans was one which put all his energy and shrewdness into requisition. The supply of provisions had been interrupted by the military operations of the rebels themselves before the coming of Farragut's fleet; a portion of these again were carried away with Lovell's retiring army. When Butler came, starvation was close upon 150,000 people of New Orleans.1

1"My efforts to accumulate provisions enough in the city to feed the population had proved abortive, and an examination made a few days previous to the evacuation had satisfied me that

there were not in the city pro-
visions enough to sustain the
population for more than eigh-
teen days."- Major-General Lov-
ell, Testimony before a Court of
Inquiry. W. R. Vol. VI., p. 566.

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