Remembering The Battle of New Orleans

The Battle of New Orleans

The City of New Orleans, with its strategic location and political significance, played an essential part in ending the Civil War. With careful and calculated planning, the Union was able to successfully execute its plot, leading to a victorious conclusion of the war.

Strategic Context

In 1861, at the start of the Civil War, Lieutenant General Winfield Scott devised a military tactic known as the Anaconda Plan, which involved the blockade of both the Gulf of Mexico’s and the Atlantic Ocean’s coasts of the Confederacy, as well as the immense marine and ground assaults along the Mississippi River which aimed to divide the Confederacy in two and prevent supplies from being shipped to both east and west.

According to historians, New Orleans was said to be the largest city belonging to the Confederacy. Being a major international port because of its proximity to the mouth of the Mississippi River, it became a channel of transportation through which cotton and goods of the northwest from the States of Mississippi and Louisiana were being carried to the ships heading toward the ocean.

The defense of the city relied mostly on Forts Jackson and St. Philip which were both located 60 miles below the city. “Fort St. Philip is located diagonally upriver from Fort Jackson, on the east bank of the Mississippi about thirty miles from its mouth.”[1] In addition, the various mouths of the river were protected by sandbars which kept the Union navy’s largest ships from accessing the waterway and hampered the fleet which later on captured the city.

According to NOAA, among the tools used by the Union in order to successfully penetrate the city was the method of coastal surveying performed by Coast Survey Assistant Ferdinand Gerdes. In one of its published articles, NOAA described:

Gerdes would give coordinates to the Union flotilla gunboats so – for the first time, ever – they could aim their weapons without seeing the target. Instead of judging target distance by sight, they would rely on mathematical calculations, using survey coordinate points established by coast survey teams.[2]

NOAA described the effects of the bombardment on the dawn of April 24:

Unfortunately, in spite of a bombardment in which over 4,400 shells had burst in or over Fort Jackson out of 7,500 fired, many guns were still operational at both Fort Jackson and Fort St. Philip. The problem in taking out the guns was not accuracy, but mortar shell fuses that exploded prematurely or fired after they landed. In spite of this problem, the boats had inflicted tremendous disruption to the operations of the forts. Because of the damage, Farragut’s vessels were able to get by the forts with only 37 men killed and 146 wounded. While any death is tragic, this was a light casualty total for the capture of New Orleans, and for the South’s loss of access to the lower Mississippi River.[3]

Upon reaching New Orleans, Farragut sent an emissary to order the surrender of the city. John T. Monroe, who was then the mayor of the city, refused to yield and instead decided to give the full discretion to the city authorities, particularly to Major General Mansfield Lovell to decide concerning the turnover of the city to the Union.

New Orlean’s involvement in the war was mainly due to its importance to the Confederacy as its most remarkable port and the fact that it was the center of trade. Its penetration and capture by the Union fleet marked the end of the long and agonizing American Civil War.

Key Players

David Glasgow Farragut was the flag officer of the United States Navy who was responsible for the successful penetration and capture of New Orleans. Upon the start of the Civil War, he was implored to choose between becoming loyal to the southern state where he was born and the opportunity to serve the government by joining the Union; he chose the latter and in return, he was assigned to take charge of the Western Gulf Blockading Squadron in the first quarter of 1862.

His ability to pass through Forts Jackson and St. Philip which acted as the defenses of the city together with his fleet using wooden ships on the dawn of April 24, 1862 was considered to be a huge triumph in the field of naval warfare.

Farragut possessed open-mindedness and expressed his affection for his family and friends and at the same time demonstrated his brilliance in naval tactics and strategic planning during the time he was active in service. His sympathy towards the loss of the Confederacy and the damage that the Civil War caused to the Southerners was reflected on his action during the evacuation of Richmond on April 2, 1865:

Farragut was among the first to visit the fallen capital of the Confederacy. From there a few days later he visited his old home in Norfolk. Many of his former friends still retained strong feelings of resentment against him, as a Southern man who had taken arms against the South. The impression had obtained among some that, though leaving his old home, he would remain neutral; and it was even reported that he had said he would take no part in the war. That Farragut never passed through that phase of feeling, in the struggle between life-long affections and the sense of duty, would be too much to affirm; but it was a position in which a man of his decided and positive character could not have stopped when civil strife was upon the land.[4]

Benjamin Franklin Butler was major general during the time of the Civil War; he was appointed as military governor of the City of New Orleans after its capture. He was described as a “strong Unionist” despite his being a Democrat. Butler earned the nickname “Beast” during his rule of the city which lasted from May to December, 1862, because of his domineering character which enraged the people of the city.

New Orleans was placed under martial law upon Butler’s first official speech, thus, many activities such as conducting of public assemblies, looting and carrying of firearms were prohibited. On the contrary, the recognition of Stars and Stripes as the sole official flag of the city was authorized.

Similarly, Butler permitted the reopening of postal service as well as the resumption of railroad operation in order to bring food and supplies that sustained the starving impoverished victims of the war. Moreover, he requested the revoking of the blockade; an action which the Northerners considered to be too lenient.

Butler’s issuance of General Order No. 28, otherwise known as the “Woman Order” in May 15, 1862, as his reaction to the treatment being received by Union officials and soldiers from the women in the city, caused negative reaction among the citizens of the country and those from abroad, particularly in Britain; the order which stated that any woman who would be caught in the act of disrespect to any Union officer or soldier shall be treated like a prostitute and shall be arrested read:

As the officers and soldiers of the United States have been subject to repeated insults from the women (calling themselves ladies) of New Orleans, in return for the most scrupulous non-interference and courtesy on our part, it is ordered that hereafter when any female shall, by word, gesture or movement, insult or show contempt for any officer or soldier of the United States, she shall be regarded and held liable to be treated as a woman of the town plying her avocation.[5]

The British upper class expressed sympathy to the Confederacy and viewed the said military directive as insufferable cruelty toward women. Butler’s character and the people’s reaction toward him resulted to his removal from his appointed position. Contrary to the numerous achievements of Union officer David G. Farragut and the controversies concerning the leadership of Benjamin Franklin Butler as military governor of New Orleans, little can be said about Major General Mansfield Lovell during his service to the Confederate States Army during the war, except that his performance was severely criticized for the capture of New Orleans.

His lack of sufficient defense force and equipment to defeat the Union fleet which contributed to the loss of the battle on the part of the Confederacy were overlooked and as a result, he was blamed for the capture of the city and was considered to exert unsatisfactory performance at New Orleans. As a consequence, he was not given any more missions during the remainder of the Civil War.

Summary of the Fight

The bombardment of Fort Jackson and Fort St. Philip by the Union soldiers lasted for six days, beginning on April 18, when David Dixon Porter was able to initiate firing at the two forts after situating his mortar vessels at their locations based on the measurements provided by Gerdes. The continuous bombardment brought enough damage to the forts, allowing the passage of Farragut and his fleet straight into the city despite a few problems which they encountered during the operation such as the premature explosion of mortar shell fuses. The taking over of New Orleans was a clear indication that the Civil War was about to end.

The main goal of the Union was to defeat the Confederacy, and in order to achieve the said goal, they devised the Anaconda Plan. The said plan aimed to reconcile the political differences of the North and the South; however, they did not expect the result of the said operation to lead to hard war in various southern states. Consequently, there was a massive destruction of properties and loss of lives.

Nevertheless, the objective of the battle which was the damage of the combat forces of its enemy, the Confederacy, was successfully met through the disabling of the Forts Jackson and St. Philip, the penetration of the city and the taking over of its municipal government. The uncomplicatedness of the directives was evidenced in the victorious conquest of the city.

The fact that Farragut earned praises and was promoted not only once for his success in the Civil War was a clear indication that he was an efficient leader and his instructions were clearly understood by his subordinates, thus, preventing confusion, misconception or miscommunication.

Scott’s Anaconda Plan would not become a success if the officers in command who were implementing orders were not in agreement with one another. Conflicts among themselves would have been the cause of their defeat.

In the case wherein the bombardment by the Union fleet which lasted for six days until the forts were disabled and the city was penetrated only proved that the offensive aspect in the principles of war had been observed. Similarly, the use of mathematical calculations provided by the coast survey group headed by Gerdes played a significant factor in the success of the Battle of New Orleans.

The preparedness in terms of the armed forces and the existence of the necessary equipment and ammunitions, together with the accurate calculations of strategic positions of the Union fleet enabled them to win against the Confederacy which, unfortunately, lacked the same means to achieve victory. As previously stated, the coast survey group played an important role in the success of the Union in this battle.

In the same manner, the Confederate troops headed by Mansfield Lovell tried their best to achieve their goal; to defend the city from being conquered through the strengthening of their protective forts and the surrounding areas. Unfortunately, they were no match against their opponent who carried with them their carefully set plan, their complete equipment and ammunitions and their thousands of brave soldiers.

NOAA stated:

U.S. Coast Survey teams mapped the terrain and charted rivers and coastlines for military action during the Civil War, but their creative and even daring use of science and engineering went beyond what we normally consider to be “surveying.”

… To capture the city, and open the Mississippi River to Union forces, Commander David Dixon Porter got President Lincoln’s approval for a daring plan to disable the guns at the forts. Porter, who had spent seven years with the U.S. Coast Survey, charting the country’s waterways prior to the war, now asked his former colleagues for assistance. His plan was to use a flotilla of mortar schooners in what was likely the first instance of “blind firing” artillery, targeting with coordinates rather than judging distance by sight.[6]

The Outcome of the Battle

The Confederate armies manning the two forts tried to be as prepared as possible for the arrival and attack of the Union troops. They mounted the guns on both forts and prepared their ships behind these protective structures. The Confederacy’s belief that the city would be safe from the Union invasion prevented it from foreseeing the possibility that New Orleans would be a perfect target for the enemy. Its soldiers concentrated in repelling the Union troops who tried to access the city from the upper portion of Mississippi. Lacking the anticipation, numerous Confederate soldiers were dispersed to other southern states to fight. Consequently, only a few were left to defend the forts and the city.

The Union’s strategic scheme and its advantage in terms of number of soldiers and weapons gave it the edge over the Confederates. In the end, the Union won over the Confederacy, leaving the latter no choice but to give up the city despite the resistance of many of its residents.

The Battle of New Orleans was a significant part of the American history since it marked the end of the Civil War which, through its length, had claimed numerous lives, destroyed properties and divided the nation.

Morally speaking, the battle taught the American people how to be strong in times of crisis. Relatively, the concern that certain Union officials, such as Benjamin Franklin Butler who, despite what many claimed to possess a beastly attitude, managed to show compassion to victims of war by providing source of food and other necessities through the resumption of the railroad operation; and David Farragut who, despite his achievements as a Union official managed to express sympathy to the southerners who suffered from the after effects of the war.

References

Long, Alecia T. General Butler and the Women. Opinionator: Exclusive Online Commentary from The Times. [Online]. Retrieved at http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/18/general-butler-and-the-women/. 

Mahon, A. T. A Biographical Sketch of Admiral David Farragut. Chapter XI (n. d.): 294. [Online]. Retrieved at http://pth.thehardyparty.com/farragut_book/farragut3.htm.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. US Coast Survey Was Pivotal to the Bombardment and Surrender of Fort Jackson and Fort St Philip. (n. d.): 1. [Online]. Retrieved at http://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/history/CivilWar/docs/U_S_Coast_Survey_at_Forts_Jackson_and_St_Philip.pdf.

National Register of Historic Places Inventory. United States Department of the Interior. Item No. 7 (1978). 2. [Online]. Retrieved at http://www.nps.gov/nhl/designations/samples/la/fort%20st.%20philip.pdf.

Stainbrook, Anthony L. The Operational Artistry of Admiral David Glasgow Farragut. (1996).

Wolfe, Brendan. Anaconda Plan. Encyclopedia Virginia. (2009). [Online]. Retrieved at http://encyclopediavirginia.org/Anaconda_Plan#start_entry.

[1] “National Register of Historic Places Inventory.” United States Department of the Interior. Item No. 7 (1978). 2.

[2] National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. “US Coast Survey Was Pivotal to the Bombardment and Surrender of Fort Jackson and Fort St Philip. (n. d.): 1.

[3] Ibid. p. 4.

[4] A. T. Mahon. “A Biographical Sketch of Admiral David Farragut.” Later Years and Death. (n. d.): 294.

[5] Alecia A. Long. “General Butler and the Women.” Opinionator: Exclusive Online Commentary from The Times. (2012).

[6] NOAA, p. 1.