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CHAP. LII.]

THE NATIONAL FLAG INSULTED.

339 you have devoted your sword. I doubt not that they spring from a noble though deluded nature, and I know how to appreciate the motives that inspire them. You will have a gallant people to administer-a people sen. sitive of all that can in the least affect its dignity and self-respect."

The national flag on the public buildings.

It is insulted.

In this refusal of the mayor to hoist the United States flag on the national buildings-the Customhouse, Post-office, Mint-the Common Coun cil of the city united. Hereupon Farragut sent a party on shore to perform that duty. "They were insulted in the grossest manner, and the flag that had been hoisted by his orders on the Mint was pulled down and dragged through the streets." He therefore notified the mayor to remove the women and children from the city within forty-eight hours, as the fire of the fleet might be drawn upon it, and an amount of distress ensue to the innocent population which he had heretofore declared that he desired by all means to avoid.

The mayor expresses his views on the

ents.

To this the mayor replied, addressing his communica tion to "Mr. Farragut," as he ventured to rights of belliger designate the United States officer, that the interference of the United States forces while negotiations were pending between him and the conqueror "could not be viewed by him otherwise than as a flagrant violation of those courtesies, if not of the absolute rights which prevail between belligerents under such cir cumstances," and that his "views and sentiments in rela tion to such conduct remain unchanged;" that the notifi cation to remove the women and children was an "utter inanity." "They can not escape from your shells if it be your pleasure to murder them on a question of mere eti quette. Even if they could, there are but few among them who would consent to desert their families, and homes,

and the graves of their relatives in so awful a moment. They would bravely stand the sight of your shells rolling over the bones of those who were once dear to them, and would deem that they had not died ingloriously by the side of the tombs erected by their piety to the memory of departed relatives."

Farragut now raised the United States flag upon the Custom-house, and sent a letter to the mayor requiring him to "see that it was respected with all the civil pow er of the city."

Singular character

ence.

History may be searched in vain for another such correspondence as this between a city taken by of this correspond storm and its conqueror in the flush of vic tory. It is impossible not to see that the recalcitrant civic authorities were implicitly putting their trust in the forbearance of that Great and Clement Power which they were ostensibly defying. They knew that it would do them no wrong.

two forts.

General Butler, who had witnessed the passage of the forts by Farragut, now proceeded to execute his part of the duty. He brought his forces into the rear of St. Philip, Porter keeping up a bombardment. On the 27th of April the garrison had become so demoralized as to Surrender of the refuse to fight any longer. The forts were therefore surrendered on the next day. While the terms were being adjusted, the officers of the Confederate ram Louisiana towed her out into the current and set her on fire, with her guns all shotted, expecting that she would drift down and explode in the midst of Porter's fleet. For this they were sent close prisoners to the North.

On the 1st of May New Orleans was formally occu pied by United States troops.

The loss on the national side in achieving this great victory was 40 killed and 177 wounded. It was not

CHAP. LII.]

BATON ROUGE.

341

alone the capture of the city that was accomplished, but the destruction of iron-clads which would shortly have become very formidable.

Bailey, the captain who had led the right column, truly described the battle: "It was a contest between iron hearts in wooden vessels and iron-clads with iron beaks, and the iron hearts won."

en against

ships.

Among naval authorities, the battle of the Mississippi caused, if not a reversal, at least a suspenThe value of wood- sion of the opinions formed from the combats of the Merrimack in Hampton Roads. Farragut, an officer equal to Nelson in audacity, without hesitation took all odds. He fought walls of stone and a fleet of iron-clads with a wooden fleet, and actually won the battle.

The fleet moves up

The Mayor of Baton
Rouge.

New Orleans having thus been occupied, a part of the fleet was sent by Farragut up the Missis the Mississippi. sippi, capturing without resistance Baton Rouge, the capital of the state. On taking possession a correspondence ensued with the mayor, the counterpart of that which had taken place with the Mayor of New Orleans. That officer declared that his city would not be surrendered voluntarily to any power on earth, and declined to "offend the sensibilities of his people by hoisting the flag of the United States." Captain Palmer, the commander of the Iroquois, hoisted over the arsenal the flag, and, in reply to the mayor, remarked that "war is a sad calamity, and often inflicts severer wounds than those upon the sensibilities." In à letter reporting the state of affairs to Farragut he said, "Here is the capital of a state, with 7000 inhabitants, acknowledging itself defenseless, and yet assuming an arrogant tone, trusting to our forbearance. I was determined to submit to no such nonsense, and accordingly weighed anchor and steamed up abreast the arsenal, landed a

force, and took possession of the public property of the United States, and hoisted over it our flag. No resist ance was offered."

The Iroquois left Baton Rouge (May 13), and, proceeding up to Natchez, took possession of that city.

Capture of
Natchez.

Demand for the

burg.

On the 18th of May the advance steamers of the squadron had reached Vicksburg. A de surrender of Vicks- mand for the surrender of that city was at once made, to which the military governor replied, "I have to state that Mississippians don't know and refuse to learn how to surrender to an enemy. If Commodore Farragut or Brigadier General Butler can teach them, let them come and try."

the place.

Porter's mortar-boats had to be towed up to Vicksburg. It was not until the 28th of June, when sixteen of them had arrived, that Farragut was ready. The ac tion commenced at 4 P.M. by a bombardment. Farra Farragut attacks gut's flag-ship, the Hartford, with six other vessels, then passed the batteries. She was under fire about one hour and a half, going at her slowest speed, and even stopping to silence a battery as she passed. The loss in all the ships was 15 killed and 30 wounded. A junction was made with the forces which had come down the river from Cairo. The United States flag had been carried in triumph throughout the whole length of the Mississippi.

Operations against Vicksburg abandoned.

Further operations against Vicksburg having been for the time abandoned under orders from Washington, there being no sufficient land for ce to co-operate, and the ships being unable to make any impression on the Confederate works, Farragut once more steamed past the batteries, and, as the river was now falling fast, went down to New Orleans (July 28), and thence to Pensacola; the latter place, having

CHAP. LII.]

BUTLER IN NEW ORLEANS.

343

been evacuated by the Confederates, had been made the dépôt of the Western Gulf squadron, its advantages being superior to those of Ship Island.

Confederate attack on General Williams's troops.

While a part of the squadron lay off Baton Rouge, an attack was made by the Confederates on the command of General Williams, occupying that place. In the action that officer was killed. The gun-boats could not be brought into posi tion until late in the day, when they compelled the Confederate left wing to make a precipitate retreat. A Confederate ram, the Arkansas, which was to have taken part in the engagement, remained a short distance above. Next morning the Essex encountered her, and, after a short engagement, blew her up.

Capture of Gal

veston.

During September, detachments sent by Admiral Farragut took possession of Corpus Christi and Sabine City; and in October, the defenses of the harbor and city of Galveston were captured, there having been only a feeble resistance.

in New Orleans.

General Butler now entered on the difficult task of The rule of Butler governing New Orleans. Its population, though greatly diminished to strengthen the Confederate armies in the Border States-a cause of bitter complaint to the inhabitants-still numbered about 140,000. Almost one half of it was of foreign birth. Perhaps no city in the world had in its lower classes a more dangerous and desperate population. There was a widespread hope that a French force would soon come to their help.

By firmness, strict yet considerate, he controlled the municipal authorities; by severity he put down the mob. He was a terror to tricky tradesmen, a benefactor to the starving poor. He cleaned the streets, enforced sanitary regulations, and kept out yellow fever. He put an ef

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