Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

at once to send off his munitions | work, he moved on.
and provisions by steamboat and rail-
road, while the greater part of his
conscripted militia disbanded and
dispersed. What was left worth tak-
ing was sent off to Camp Moore, 78
miles above, on the Jackson Rail-
road.

The Cayuga,

not having observed the signal for close order, was considerably in advance, and so for 20 minutes exposed alone to the fire of the Rebel batteries. But the Hartford now came up, dispensing liberal broadsides of shell, shrapnel, and grape, the first of which drove the Rebels on the right bank from their guns; while the fire of the Pensacola, the Brooklyn, and the residue of the fleet, which came up in quick succession, very soon silenced the remaining forts, and set their gunners in rapid motion. toward places of greater safety. No further obstacles nor perils but those presented by burning steamers, cotton-ships, rafts, &c., were encountered until, at 1 P. M., the squadron anchored, during a violent thunderstorm, in front of New Orleans, whose levee for miles afforded a mag

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, burning cotton, sugar, and other &c., were set on fire and consumed." staples of South-western commerce; On reaching the English Turn, while the river in front was so full of six or seven miles below the city, he burning ships that great vigilance descried the new earthworks on both and skill were required to avoid banks, known as the Chalmette bat-them.10 teries; when, forming his fleet in two lines, and allotting to each its proper

15

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

16

There was no attempt at resistance, but on shore anarchy and impotent

consumed; the value of which would have been about a million and a half of dollars. The tobacco stored in the city, being all held by foreign residents on foreign account, was not destroyed. The specie of the banks, to the amount of twelve or fifteen millions, was removed from the city and placed in a secure place; so were nearly all the stores and movable property of the Confederate States. But other materials were embraced in the awful conflagration. About a dozen large river steamboats, twelve or fifteen ships, some of them laden with cotton, a great floating battery, several unfinished gunboats, the immense ram, the Mississippi, and the docks on the other side of the river, were all embraced in the fiery sacrifice. The Mississippi was an iron-clad frigate, a superior vessel of her class, and accounted to be by far the most important naval structure the Confederate Government had yet undertaken."

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-Officer D. G. FARRAGUT, United 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 shall 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

18

answered. The malevolent folly of the municipal authorities served only to expose their city to destruction. A force landed from the Pensacola had hoisted, unopposed, a Federal flag over the Mint, and left it there unguarded. Ere it had thus remained many hours, a number of young Rebels mounted to the dome, tore it down, and dragged it through the streets. It would have been entirely justifiable and proper on the part of Farragut to have required of the authorities its immediate and respectful replacement, on penalty of the destruction of their city; but he forbore; and, even when he required them, two days afterward, to take down the flag of Louisiana, still floating over the City Hall, the Mayor positively refused. Capt. F. finally closed" the absurd altercation by sending a

force from his ships to take down tho flag: a vast crowd looking sullenly on, or giving vent to their wrath only in idle curses. They failed to comprehend their position; but they respected the two brass howitzers, well manned and supported, which stood in front of the City Hall while the operation was quietly and thoroughly performed.

Capt. Farragut had not waited to obtain formal possession of the city before moving up" to the two forts at Carrollton, eight miles above, where he was surprised to find the gun-carriages on fire and the guns spiked. The works were formidable, but constructed to resist an advance from above; so that, being taken in reverse, they had been adjudged indefensible.

Gen. Butler, having witnessed from

which had been hoisted by my orders on the Mint was pulled down and dragged through the streets. All of which goes to show that the fire of this fleet may be drawn upon the city at any moment; and in such an event the levee would, in all probability, be cut by the shells, and an amount of distress ensue to the innocent

sist your force, do not allow themselves to be insulted by the interference of such as have rendered themselves odious and contemptible by their dastardly desertion of our cause in the mighty struggle in which we are engaged, or such as might remind them too forcibly that they are the conquered and you the conquerors. Peace and order may be preserved without re-population which I have hitherto endeavored to sort to measures which I could not at this moment prevent. Your occupying the city does not transfer allegiance from the government of their choice to one which they have deliberately repudiated; and they yield the obedience which the conqueror is entitled to extort from the conquered. Respectfully,

"JOHN T. MONROE, Mayor."

[ocr errors][merged small]

assure you that I desire by all means to avoid.

"The election, therefore, is with you. But it becomes my duty to notify you to remove the women and children from the city within 48 hours, if I rightly understand your determina

tion.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
(Signed)
"D. G. FARRAGUT,
"Flag-Officer Western Gulf
Blockading Squadron."

It seems incredible, yet it is a fact, that Monroe sent a rejoinder to this letter; in which, amid bombastic and turgid babble about flagrant violation of those courtesies which prevail between belligerents, and shells tearing up the graves of those who are so dear to them, he whimpered out: "Our women and children cannot escape from your shells, if it be your pleasure to murder them on a question of mere eti

"I deeply regret to see, both by their contents and the continued display of the flag of Louisiana on the Court-House, a determination on the part of the city authorities not to haul it down. Moreover, when my officers and men were sent on shore to communicate with the au-quette." Even Pollard barely represses his disthorities, and to hoist the United States flag on the Custom-House, with the strictest order not to use their arms unless assailed, they were insulted in the grossest manner, and the flag

gust at the silly repetitions and vanity of literary style protruded by this Bobadil of a Mayor. May 1. 20 Afternoon of April 26.

19

SURRENDER OF THE REBEL FORTS.

21

97

the Saxon the success of Farragut's above the forts towed their ram attempt to pass the Rebel forts and Louisiana out into the current, set barrier and destroy their fleet for- her on fire and abandoned her, with bidding approach to New Orleans, all her guns shotted, expecting her made haste to join his land forces to drift down upon and explode in below, and to conduct them, under the midst of Porter's fleet; but, just Weitzel's piloting, through the shal- as she was abreast of Fort St. Philip, low bays and bayous in the rear of she blew up and sunk, injuring no Fort St. Philip, landing them from one but a Rebel soldier in the fort, his row-boats on the first firm ground who was killed by a fragment. Of that he reached above the fort; the three remaining Rebel steamers, thence occupying the levee and one had been scuttled; the others throwing a detachment across the surrendered without resistance: their river so as completely to isolate both officers, with those of the Louisiana, forts and their garrisons. While he being sent North as close prisoners, was effecting this, Commander Por- because of their attempt to destroy ter, with his mortar-fleet below, our fleet while a capitulation was in resumed and continued the bombard-progress. Commander Porter turned ment, sending up" a flag of truce to demand a surrender, which was refused; but, next day, 250 of the garrison of Fort Jackson, having heard, or inferred from the blackened fragments floating down the river, that New Orleans was captured, refused to fight longer, and, spiking the guns on the upper side of the fort, sallied out and surrendered themselves to Gen. Butler's pickets. Lt.-Col. Higgins, who commanded the forts, seeing that all was lost, now made haste to accept the favor able terms of capitulation previously offered by Commander Porter, before the latter should be made aware of Butler's position above and the mutiny and surrender of half the garrison. While the terms of capitulation were being reduced to writing, the Confederate naval officers just

21 April 27.

22 The Rebel loss by the bombardment of Forts Jackson and St. Philip was reported by them at 11 killed and 39 wounded. The prisoners taken by us at the surrender were 393. This does not include about 300 captured with the last of VOL. II.-7

the forts and their contents immediately over to Gen. Phelps," and they were very soon being repaired and fitted for effective service; while Gen. Butler, leaving Gen. Williams in command there, and having easily reduced Forts Pike and Wood, at the entrance of Lake Pontchartrain, brought his steamers around into the Mississippi, and, taking on board 2,000 of his men, moved up to the city and took possession-Capt. Farragut very gladly relinquishing to him the difficult and disagreeable duty of bandying words with its spiteful, shuffling authorities, and dealing with its ferocious and ruffianly mob, who would have taken exquisite pleasure in making mince-meat of either of them.

In the conferences which ensued between the commanding General

their gunboats, nor the Chalmette regiment encamped on the levee, which surrendered to Capt. Bailey. Our total loss of men in the bombardment, running the batteries, destruction of the Rebel fleet, and capture of the city, was but 40 killed and 177 wounded.

his bands were able to play, and after having waited upon Capt. Farragut and heard his account of all that had occurred since our fleet first appeared before the city, ordered the immediate debarkation of his troops, which began at 4 o'clock that afternoon :" the crowd requiring to be slowly pressed back with the bayonet to obtain space on which our regiments were thus enabled successively to land and form; Gen. Butler and his staff-no horses having yet been

and the municipality, Mayor Monroe | "Picayune Butler," which none of was counseled and prompted by Hon. Pierre Soulé, a gentleman whose ability and tact shone forth in striking contrast with the pitiable exhibition previously made of himself by the Mayor. In fact, if Soulé had had 10 or 15 good regiments and as many batteries at his back, he might have argued Butler out of New Orleans. A wide diversity as to premises rendered the progress and results of these discussions quite unsatisfactory to the weaker party. In the contemplation of Gen. Butler, landed-marching on foot at the New Orleans was a city of the United head of the 31st Massachusetts and States, wherein Rebellion had been 4th Wisconsin to the music of the temporarily dominant, but which had "Star-Spangled Banner," variegated now been restored to its rightful and by nowise complimentary observalawful allegiance, and wherein no tions from the mob, along the levee authority must be asserted, no flag to Poydras street, thence through displayed, but those of the Union. St. Charles street and Canal street, Soulé, Monroe, and the mob, could to the vast, unfinished Custom-House, not see the matter in that light; but where our artillery was duly posted insisted on regarding our forces as and the men fitly quartered; while intruders, who ought in simple de- the General and his staff returned to cency to abscond; but who, since his steamboat, and the 12th Connecthey refused to do this, should in all ticut, Col. Deming, bivouacked on things consult the feelings and tastes the levee by its side. of the patriotic and indomitable Southrons, who, from behind their barricades of women and children, delighted in hallooing, wherever Butler appeared or was expected, "Where's old cock-eye?" "Let me see the damned rascal!" "I see the damned old villain," &c., &c., interspersed with "Hurrah for Jeff. Davis !" "Hurrah for Beauregard !" "Go home, you damned Yankees !" &c., &c. It was amid a tempest of such outcries from the throats of 50,000 venomous Rebels, that the General, after vainly endeavoring to comply with a popular demand for

That evening, Gen. Butler finished his proclamation and sent it to the office of The True Delta to be printed, only to learn that the application was too late. Next morning, it was renewed, and plumply refused by the proprietor. Two hours later, a file of soldiers drew up before the building, when half a dozen of their number entered the printing office and proceeded inoffensively to print the obnoxious paper. The True Delta of next day commenting rebelliously on this performance, Gen. Butler suppressed it till further orders: which brought the concern to reason. The 23 May 1.

« AnteriorContinuar »