CHAPTER XV.

APRIL, 1862.

EXPEDITION AGAINST NEW ORLEANS-THE DIFFICULTIES TO BE ENCOUN TERED-BOMBARDMENT OF THE FORTS-FIRE RAFTS-FARRAGUT RUNS THE BATTERIES-TERRIBLE ENGAGEMENT-THE SURRENDER OF NEW ORLEANS, FORTS, ETC., ETC.-GENERAL BUTLER OCCUPIES THE CITY— FARRAGUT COMMANDS A GENERAL THANKSGIVING-EXTRACTS FROM PORTER'S LETTERS, ETC.

AFTER the battle before described, there was no movement in that locality; and the rest of Buell's division having arrived, General Halleck hastened to the field, assumed the command, and began to reorganize the army.

Meantime, the enemy were fortifying at Corinth. Foote commenced to operate against Fort Wright. General Mitchell, of Buell's army, marched on Huntsville, Alabama, and, without loss, took it, and captured two hundred prisoners. He also seized the railroad and fifteen locomotives. In the telegraph office he found a despatch, in which the forces of Beauregard were enumerated, and a request by him for reinforcements.

The month of April ended favorably to the Union arms, by giving to the Government possession of New Orleans: a crushing blow to the Southern Confederacy, and going far to open the Mississippi once more to the commerce of the world.

In the month of February past, a fleet of gunboats under Captain D. S. Farragut, and a mortar fleet under Porter, had set sail for some unknown point. Intelligence was received that it had left Ship island, where it had remained for some time, for New Orleans, and that a land force had accompanied it, under General Benjamin F. Butler. The approach to New Orleans was commanded by two strong forts, Jackson and St. Philip, which, together, mounted two hundred and twentyfive guns. A heavy chain reached across the channel, under fire of the batteries, and any vessel could be sunk that attempted to remove it. Several heavy rams, iron-clad gunboats, together with fire rafts and huge masses of drift wood,

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defended the entrance, and these obstacles lay in the course as Farragut and Porter sailed up the river. The mortar boats had a difficult task to ascend the swift current. The whole force, consisting of forty-six armed vessels, carrying two hundred and eighty-six guns, and twenty-one mortars. It was a splendid fleet, but had great difficulties to surmount. The bombardment began on the 18th, and two thousand shells were cast into the forts the first day. Green foliage, and a position near trees by the river side, concealed the mortar boats; the vessels on the other side, were concealed by tall reeds covered by flags and rushes. Captain Gurdes and the coast survey party had ascertained, under the fire of the enemy, by triangulation, the precise distance between the forts and the fleet.

The enemy sent down a fire raft heaped up with pitch pine wood, which sent forth dense columns of smoke on the waters, and blazed and crackled like a forest on fire. Two vessels in the advance, dropped down the stream, having slipped their cables on the approach of the raft. Nothing explosive was on the raft, and it floated by. Porter prepared for a similar one, by ordering all the row-boats to be provided with grapnels, ropes, buckets, and axes. All the boats were reviewed at sunset, and as night fell, a dense column of smoke was seen to rise from the river near the forts. A hundred boats were ready for action, and a fire raft of immense size floated down the stream. The Westfield opened her steam valves and dashed in upon it, while a hose was turned on it, and a stream of water played on the raft. The sailors in the boats used buckets and ropes, and towed the raft ashore. There was such a constant interchange of shots for a week, between the forts and the fleet, that the gunners on the mortar boats were overcome with fatigue. The chain across the river had now been cut, and Farragut resolved to run the batteries and rams, and force his way up to New Orleans.

All was ready on the 23d of April, and signal lanterns were hoisted from the Hartford's mizzen peak. The silence was unbroken, except by the sound of a gun occasionally from the boats on watch. On the appearance of the signals, all was bustle-chains rattled, anchors were heaved, and the words of command rang out distinctly. One hour au a half elapsed, and the flag-ship Hartford,

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BOMBARDMENT OF THE FORTS-FIRE RAFTS.

with the Richmond, Brooklyn, and six gunboats, steered right on Fort Jackson. The Pensacola, Mississippi, Oneida, and Varuna, under Captain Bailey, with four gunboats, proceeded to attack Fort Philip. Porter, with the Harriet Lane, Westfield, Owasco, Miami, Clifton, and Jackson, were to enfilade Fort Jackson, while Farragut attacked it in front. The fire of the mortar boats began, and the flag-ship and her consorts steamed on. When within range, signal rockets ran up, and the rebel guns opened fire. But Farragut kept on till close abreast, and then the Federal guns belched their thunders. Each ship fired a broadside as it moved up, and did not stop to attack the forts, but steamed on toward the gunboats which were beyond. Five fire rafts were borne down on the tide, and five hundred cannon shook the shore with their echoes. The Ithaca was disabled, but there were no casualties among her crew, though in dropping out of the fight she came under the close fire of the fort. The air was filled with shot and bursting shells; the river ahead, with fire rafts and iron-clad gunboats; but the fleet moved on in its perilous course. The great iron-clad Louisiana, moored near Fort Jackson, sent the shot of her heavy rifled guns through the Union ships; and the rebel ram Manassas, with a fire raft before her, bore down on the flag-ship. Avoiding the collision, Farragut grounded; the fire raft came alongside; the raging flames rushed up through the rigging, but were extinguished by a hose pouring on it a stream of water.

The Varuna, Captain Boggs, attacked and sunk five rebel gunboats, when a ram bore down on her and crushed her sides. The gallant commander ordered his sinking vessel to be steamed ashore, and poured in his dreadful broadsides at close range, making a great gash in the enemy's hull, and his vessel began to settle, while the Federal guns swept her till her own were under water. The Varuna, with her flag flying, and carrying her dead along with her, went down. The Brooklyn was run into by the Rinco. This accident injured her much. She received also twelve shots in her hull; but with twelve other vessels she passed on. In an hour and a half, eleven rebel gunboats were sunk in the bottom of the river. The ram Manassas bore down on the Richmond, when the Mississippi, anticipating her design, steamed toward her, and her crew sought safety on shore.