The Capture of New Orleans 1862

Chester G. Hearn

• Publisher: LSU Press
• Year: 1995
• eBook ISBN: 9780807151648
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: American Civil War History
• Index: History

On April 24, 1862, Federal gunboats made their way past two Confederate forts to ascend the Mississippi River, and the Union navy captured New Orleans. News of the loss of the Crescent City came to Jefferson Davis as an absolute shock. In this exhaustive study, Chester G. Hearn examines the decisions, actions, individuals, and events to explain why. He directs his inquiry to the heart of government, both Union and Confederate, and takes a hard look at the selection of military and naval leaders, the use of natural and financial resources, and the performances of all personnel involved. His vivid, fast-paced narrative provides fascinating reading, as well as penetrating insight into this crucial campaign.

INDEX

A. Houghton, USS, 273

Abby Bradford, 64

Adams, Daniel, 11

Adams, Robert, USN, 273

Adolph Hugel, USS, 181, 272

Alden, James, 126, 131, 153–54, 156, 198, 210, 225, 231, 236, 242–43, 269

Algiers, 3, 7, 69, 79, 116, 246

defenses at 121–22

Allen, Edward J., 227

Allen, Henry W., 129

Allen, Nathaniel P., 93

Anderson, Robert J” 29, 35

Andrew, John, 133

Anglo-Norman (River Defense Fleet), 123

Anglo-Saxon (River Defense Fleet), 123

Arizona (River Defense Fleet), 123

Arkansas, CSS, 259, 260

Arietta, USS, 181, 183, 272

Arnold, Thomas, 232

Atlantic (River Defense Fleet), 123

Austin, Charles, 87

Bache, Alexander D., 179

Bacon, George B., 201, 207

Bailey, Theodorus, 131, 152–53, 206, 256, 269

demands New Orleans surrender, 238, 245–44

runs gauntlet, 209–10, 221, 224–25, 231, 241

Baker, Marion A., 244, 246

Baldwin, Charles H., 272

Barnard, John G., 173–76

Barron, Samuel, 261

Bartlett, John R, 228–29, 231

Baton Rouge, 11–13, 15, 18, 29

Beauregard, Pierre G. T., 2, 3, 28, 29, 31, 34, 66, 120, 180, 243

on defense of Forts Jackson and St. Philip, 19–21, 25, 27

Beggs, James, 240

Bell, Henry H., 126, 177–78, 180, 182, 198–99, 206, 269

at City Hall, 244, 246–48

and breaking chain barrier 201–203

runs gauntlet, 231

Bell, John, 9

Belligerent rights, 35–36

Benjamin, Judah P., 4, 6, 11, 15, 21–22, 24, 26, 148

depletes Lovell’s force, 122

relationship with Lovell, 108–109, 116–19, 123

and River Defense Fleet, 123, 138–40, 145

strips New Orleans of troops and materiel, 122

Bienvenu, Charles, 15

Bienville, CSS, 73, 106, 141

Bienville (packet ship), 26

Blair, Montgomery, 34, 101, 103

Blanchard, Francis E., 272

Boggs, Charles S., 221–23, 269

Bond, Richard C, 253

Booth, John C, 29

Bowie, T.C., 178

Boynton, Charles B, 259

Bradford, Charles M., 13–14

Bradley, John B., 231

Bragg, Braxton, 2, 13–14, 18–19, 31, 118–20, 149

Bragg, Mrs. Braxton, 108

Breckinridge, John C, 9, 132

Breese, K. Randolph, 181, 183, 273

Brooklyn, USS, 37–38, 40–43, 67–68, 126, 130, 135, 152, 177, 206, 246, 256, 269–70

armament of, 270

casualties of, 275

fight with Manassas, 230

gets entangled in chain barrier, 228–29

runs gauntlet, 210, 224–25, 227–31, 234, 241–42

Brown, George W., USN, 272

Brown, Henry, USN, 272

Brown, John, 10–11

Buchanan, James, 17, 34

Bulloch, James D., 26–27

Butler, Benjamin F., 5, 98, 129, 173, 186, 195, 199, 266

at New Orleans, 238, 245, 248, 263, 265

background of, 131–35

participation in capture of forts, 204, 256–57

postwar career, 267

opinion of, at New Orleans, 266

relations with Farragut, 135, 168, 200, 248

relations with McClellan, 131

relations with Porter, 134, 248, 255–57, 266

surrender of forts, 250–51, 255

Butler, Mrs. Benjamin R, 134–35, 187

C. P. Williams, USS, 181, 272

Cable, George W., 243, 248

Caldwell, Charles H. B., 14, 184, 206–207, 269

breaks chain barrier, 201–203

runs gauntlet, 233

Calhoun, CSS, 36–37, 70, 84–85, 93

Callahan, James M., 258

Capers, R. C., 12

Carondelet, CSS, 73, 106, 141

Cayuga, USS, 182, 206, 237–38, 269–70

armament of, 270

casualties of, 275

leads squadron through chain barrier, 218

runs gauntlet, 209–10, 218, 220–23, 231, 234, 241–42

Charles Houston (River Defense Fleet), 123

Charleston, SC, 21, 28, 29, 34–35

Chase, Salmon P., 40

Christian, Abraham, 273

Clay, Clement C., 261

Clifton, USS, 168, 178, 180–81, 210

armament of, 272

Collins, John, Jr., 182, 272

Colorado, USS, 131, 152–54

Committee of Public Safety. See New Orleans

Committee on Naval Affairs, 24, 26–27, 36, 261

Confederate Congress, 23–24, 64, 118, 138–39, 262–63

Conrad, Charles M., 24, 261

Craven, Thomas T., 126, 127, 130–31, 256, 269

runs gauntlet, 227–31

Crescent City. See New Orleans

Crosby, Pierce: breaks chain barrier, 201–203, 207, 269

runs gauntlet, 233

Dan Smith, USS, 181, 272, 273

Darling, John A., 273

Dart, Henry, 11

Davidson, T. G., 15

Davis, Charles H., 266

Davis, Jefferson, 1, 4, 6, 25, 27, 36, 132, 243, 246

appoints Mallory, 24

attempts to coordinate War and Navy departments, 106, 108, 122–23, 139

elected president, 23

ignores Lovell’s request for court of inquiry, 263–64

involvement with River Defense Fleet, 123, 139

issues letters of marque, 2, 32–33, 35

on New Orleans defenses, 143–44, 171, 263

reaction to Union Navy passing forts, 239

relations with Lovell, 117, 119, 149, 263–65

relations with Mallory, 144–45, 171, 173, 267

strips New Orleans of troops and maté...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Contents
• Illustrations
• Maps
• Introduction
• One The Union Is Dead
• Two Notions of War
• Three Mr. Lincoln's "Impudent" Blockade
• Four Emergence of the Mosquito Fleet
• Five The Night of the Turtle
• Six Father Neptune Picks a Captain
• Seven Mansfield Lovell's Debut
• Eight Farragut Steams South
• Nine New Orleans Shudders
• Ten Out of the Mud
• Eleven Twenty-One Bummers, All in a Row
• Twelve Recipe for Disaster
• Thirteen Seventeen Mighty Warships, All Ready to Go
• Fourteen Running the Gauntlet
• Fifteen High Noon at City Hall
• Sixteen By Land and By Water
• Epilogue
• Appendix
• Bibliography
• Index