The value of goods passing through New Orleans had gone from $500 million to $52 million during the period 1860 to 1862. The city surrendered on April 28. And while the fall of the city was anti-climactic, the Southern port soon found itself occupied by Federal forces—most notably Benjamin Butler. General Jackson’s plans for defense of the city were thwarted by the British capture of five American gunboats in Lake Borgne in the first battle near New Orleans in December 1814. Having successfully cleared the forts with minimal losses, Farragut began steaming upstream to New Orleans. One of these developments was the construction of Fort Jackson, Louisiana, a star fort suggested by and named after Jackson. Estimated Casualties: 1011 total (US 229; CS 782;) Description: Early Union plans had called for the division of the Confederacy by seizing control of the Mississippi River. Jean Lafitte went from folk hero to war hero thanks to his role in protecting New Orleans during the War of 1812. Plantation Houses on the Battlefield of New Orleans, by Samuel Wilson, Jr., F.A.I.A. As a reward Butler was made commander of Fortress Monroe, on the Virginia Peninsula. [12], Lovell loaded his troops and supplies aboard the New Orleans, Jackson and Great Northern railroad and sent them to Camp Moore, 78 miles (126 km) north. As his flagship, USS Hartford (22) cleared the forts, it was forced to turn to avoid a Confederate fire raft and ran aground. 9. New Orleans, considered an international city and the largest city in the Confederacy, had fallen. The men watched it burn and then slowly slide off the shoal and drift downstream, exploding in a horrific manner. Armed mobs within the city defied the Union officers and marines sent to city hall. [citation needed], On June 7, he executed one William B. Mumford, who had torn down a US flag placed by Farragut on the New Orleans Mint. The significant aspect of the battle was that it did not result in a popular uprising, nor widespread support for Confederate forces in Louisiana. With high water outside the levees, Union ships were elevated above the city and able to fire down into the streets and buildings below. On April 23, Farragut, impatient with the bombardment's results, began planning to run his fleet past the forts. the Union to avoid more casualties. As the political rivalry between the Jacksonian Democrats and the Whigs intensified, the Republican Party was founded, to counter the spread of slavery into states produced by territorial conquests of the Jacksonian Democrats. Firing non-stop for five days and nights, the mortars pounded the forts, but were unable to completely disable their batteries. The capture of New Orleans (April 25 – May 1, 1862) during the American Civil War was a turning point in the war, which precipitated the capture of the Mississippi River. hindering shipping and transportation. On January 8, 1815, the United States achieved its greatest battlefield victory of the War of 1812 at New Orleans. From the outset of the war, plans for the defense of New Orleans were hampered by the fact that the Confederate leadership in Richmond believed that the greatest threats to the city would come from the north. The California Gold Rush contributed another share to local wealth. The Union's capture of New Orleans severely hurt the Confederacy by. The capture of New Orleans. Viewing a prospective expedition against New Orleans as a diversion, he was unwilling to release large numbers of troops as he was planning what would become the Peninsula Campaign. 28, which instructed Union soldiers to treat any woman who offended a soldier "as a woman of the town plying her avocation". Once this defense was breached, there remained to face Union troops and warships only three thousand militiamen with sundry military supplies and armed with shotguns. Lincoln was ready to win, and in 1862, all four parts were implemented. Because of his lack of military experience and military success, many were happy to see him go. On May 1, Maj. Gen. Benjamin Franklin Butler’s army began landing at New Orleans and occupying the city. Abraham Lincoln, fierce a n d inte lligent, demande d a blockade near the Southern coast. He employed many local citizens in logistics support of the Union military and in cleaning up the city, including an expansion of the existing city sewer system and setting up pumps to empty the system into the river. In addition, the city of New Orleans itself was just as indefensible for the Union as for the Confederates. The Union occupation of New Orleans was an event that had major international significance. New Orleans, considered an international city and the largest city in the Confederacy, had fallen. Though numerous, the Confederates forces on the water lacked a unified command structure. Enjoy teaching your kids this unit study and God's work in American history. It is too late to send any guns here; they had better go to Vicksburg.” Military stores, ships, and warehouses were then burned. The reaction to Butler's General Order No. [4], By the year 1860, the City of New Orleans was in a position of unprecedented economic, military, and political power. Supporting the static defenses were the River Defense Fleet consisting of six gunboats, two gunboats from the Louisiana Provisional Navy, as well as two gunboats from the Confederate Navy and the ironclads CSS Louisiana (12) and CSS Manassas (1). Banks undertook the siege of Port Hudson and, after its successful conclusion, began the Red River Campaign in pursuit of Texan cotton. The British planned to sail up the Mississippi River to support the campaign. In sum, the New Orleans campaign amassed an estimated 1,011 casualties. Political considerations in Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio tipped the balance. With the end of the Napoleonic Wars in 1815, which greatly expanded international trade, and the development of the cotton gin, cotton became a valuable export product, adding to the volume of cargo moved through the city. This rebellion within a rebellion began to erode Confederate authority within Louisiana the instant Butler's troops appeared in New Orleans and, as a political fifth column, was invaluable to his occupation. After attempting a brief siege, Farragut withdrew back down the river to prevent being trapped by falling water levels. (NPS summary) The Battle Of New Orleans Begins. One of the first steps in such operations was the imposition of the Union blockade. (NPS summary) Pressing upstream, his ships reached as far as Vicksburg, MS before being halted by Confederate batteries. The city was unexpectedly vulnerable to capture. At New Orleans. Butler was not made aware of the change until Banks arrived to tell him. The Butler occupation was probably best summed up by Admiral Farragut, who stated, "They may say what they please about General Butler, but he was the right man in the right place in New Orleans."[34]. The idea was championed by Banks, a New England political general eager to send cotton to mills in the Northeast. Its position by the mouth of the Mississippi River, which drained an important part of the United States, made New Orleans one of the most significant transportation centers in the early United States before the establishment of railroad and road systems. "American Civil War: Capture of New Orleans." The history of New Orleans contrasts significantly with the histories of other cities that became part of the Confederate States of America. As the shells rained down, sailors from USS Kineo (5), USS Itasca (5), and USS Pinola (5) rowed forward and opened a gap in the chain barricade on April 20. One of the first steps in such operations was to enter the mouth of the Mississippi River, ascend to New Orleans and capture the city, closing off the entrance to Rebel ships. This powerful political movement also produced sectional tension between the northern and southern halves of the United States, resulting in the creation of the Whig Party to oppose the new Democratic Party. The slaves in rebellion armed themselves with guns and newspapers, and fought to the death any attempts to infringe upon their newfound freedom. The order provoked protests both in the North, the South and abroad, particularly in Britain and France, and many considered it the cause of his removal from command of the Department of the Gulf on December 17, 1862. In 1862 and early 1863, both the Union Navy and Army. The British reported their losses as 291 killed, 1,262 wounded, and 484 captured/missing for a total of 2,037. Given command of the West Gulf Blockading Squadron in January 1862, Farragut arrived at his new post the following month and established a base of operations on Ship Island off the coast of Mississippi. It was popularly assumed that the Confederacy would launch a major counteroffensive to retake New Orleans. It stated that if any woman insulted or showed contempt for any officer or soldier of the United States, she would be regarded and shall be held liable to be treated as a "woman of the town plying her avocation," a prostitute. Of particular significance were the inventions of the steamboat and the cotton gin. The Red River expedition proved to be a costly failure and resulted in more wanton destruction and looting than the Butler occupation. The Union's capture of New Orleans severely hurt the Confederacy by. He became so reviled in the city that merchants began selling chamber pots with his likeness at the bottom. On April 29, Farragut and 250 marines from the USS Hartford removed the Louisiana State flag from the City Hall. British naval forces attacked the fort on January 9 but were unsuccessful, withdrawing after ten days of bombardment. This policy rationalized the retention of slaves fleeing the seceding states by claiming that the Confederate military was using slave labor for military use in the construction of fortifications, moving military supplies, and constructing roads and railroad grades of use to the Confederate army. The city surrendered on April 28. The city itself was a poor position to defend against a hostile fleet. Why was the North's capture of New Orleans a serious blow to the South? While the gunboats were easily dealt with, Manassas attempted to ram USS Pensacola (17) but missed. The Union occupation of New Orleans was an event that had major international significance. This battle in Tennessee was a victory for the Union, but the number of casualties on both sides was staggering. The task of eliminating the forts and taking the city fell to Flag Officer David G. Farragut. The American victory at the Battle of New Orleans during the War of 1812 was an amazing miracle! And while the fall of the city was anti-climactic, the Southern port soon found itself occupied by Federal forces—most notably Benjamin Butler. There he gained further political renown as the first to practice confiscation of fugitive slaves as contraband of war. Seeing the Union ship in trouble, the Confederates redirected the fire raft towards Hartford causing a fire to break out on the vessel. 28."[19]:108–9. Above the forts, the Union ships encountered the River Defense Fleet and Manassas. [15], On May 1, 1862, Maj. Gen. Benjamin Butler occupied the city of New Orleans with an army of 5,000, facing no resistance. "[24] The Saturday Review criticized Butler's rule, accusing him of "gratifying his own revenge" and likening him to an uncivilized dictator: If he had possessed any of the honourable feeling which is usually associated with a soldier's profession, he would not have made war on women. Historian John D. Winters in The Civil War in Louisiana (1963) noted that with few exceptions the Confederate fleet at New Orleans had "made a sorry showing. [14] By May 2, US Secretary of State William H. Seward declared New Orleans "recovered" and "mails are allowed to pass". First of all, Lincoln was ready to go afte… Though he was initially unable to get all of his fleet past the forts, he succeeded in getting 13 ships upstream which enabled him to capture the Confederacy's greatest port and center of trade. Once all the men were off the paddler, it became engulfed in flames. 1812, see, Jacksonian democracy and manifest destiny, The jewel in the mouth of the Mississippi, Building a political power base in New Orleans, The poorer classes as the key to the city, The impact of the occupation on slaves and slavery, Learn how and when to remove these template messages, personal reflection, personal essay, or argumentative essay, Learn how and when to remove this template message, New Orleans, Jackson, and Great Northern Railroad, Commemoration of the American Civil War on postage stamps, General Orders, No. All artillery and munitions were sent to Vicksburg. The Democratic victories in Illinois and Ohio on November 4 had alarmed the Lincoln administration, and a dramatic letter from Indiana Governor Oliver P. Morton claimed that the states along the Ohio had more in common with the southern states than with New England, and would leave the Union if the Mississippi were not reopened to trade. This capture of the largest Confederate city was a major turning point and an incident of international importance. The planters of Louisiana even appealed for aid from Union authorities, to quote one of them, "Our family has owned negroes for generations… we have no one but yourself and Genls Shepley and Butler to protect us against these negroes in a state of insurrection." During this time, the garrisons of the Forts Jackson and St. Philip, now cut off from the city, surrendered. U.S. ... USS Mississippi had suffered heavy casualties: 64 men killed. Fort St. Philip, manned by an American garrison and protected by privateers, defended the river approach to New Orleans. Hickman, Kennedy. [33], The flight of the slaves in the direction of the Union also diverted the resources of the Confederate military and its government in defense of the plantations and the discipline of their labor forces. Arriving, Farragut was confronted by Forts Jackson and St. Philip, as well as a chain barricade and four smaller batteries. Following the embarrassing rout in the first Battle of Bull Run (also called Manassas), the Union devised a long-term strategy, dubbed the Anaconda Plan, to attack the Confederacy from all sides. He said, in essence, the effective way to deal with a Confederate-sympathizing woman who is defiant was to be treat her as one would an undignified prostitute, that is to ignore her. 8. The battle to capture New Orleans cost Farragut a mere 37 killed and 149 wounded. In addition, the city was generally unhealthy and subject to devastating epidemics. Ramming the Union ship, Manassas failed to strike a fatal blow as it hit Brooklyn's full coal bunkers. Jackson stated, "Our Federal Union! Butler stated, "We were 2,500 men in a city... of 150,000 inhabitants, all hostile, bitter, defiant, explosive, standing literally in a magazine, a spark only needed for destruction." This policy helped free the city from the anticipated summer yellow fever epidemic, possibly saving thousands of lives. The outbreak of hostilities in the area of Fort Sumter, South Carolina, led to the story of New Orleans in the Civil War.[9]. Butler tried to defend his command in New Orleans in a letter to the Boston Journal, claiming "the devil had entered the hearts of the women of [New Orleans]... to stir up strife" and falsely claimed that the order had been very effective. These military moves were ordered on January 8, 1861, before the secession convention. The inscription echoed Andrew Jackson's 1830 toast in response to a speech endorsing "nullification," during what was called the Nullification Crisis. As a result, the use of slaves in the proximity of Union forces became extremely difficult and expensive, since these slaves would flee at first opportunity to Union lines, depriving the Confederate armies of their labor and their former masters of what they regarded as their valuable property. Anything considered useful to the Union, including thousands of bales of cotton, were thrown into the river. Arriving off the city on April 25, he immediately demanded its surrender. Rendezvousing at Head of Passes, Farragut's ships and Porter's mortar boats moved up the river towards the forts. The Confederacy's largest city and busiest port, New Orleans was defended by two large forts, Jackson and St. Philip, situated on the river below the city (Map). He has appeared on The History Channel as a featured expert. The city was unexpectedly vulnerable to capture. [16]:23–26, The United States War Department under Edwin M. Stanton expected Butler to hold eastern Louisiana and the cities of Baton Rouge and New Orleans, maintain communications up river to Vicksburg, and support Farragut's forces for the siege of Vicksburg. ThoughtCo uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. The explosion could be heard 80 miles away in New Orleans. By using ThoughtCo, you accept our. Butler also used his commercial contacts in the northeast and Washington to revive commerce in the city, exporting 17,000 bales of cotton to the northeast and re-establishing international trade. From April 18 to 28, Farragut bombarded and then fought his way past these forts in the Battle of Forts Jackson and St. Philip, managing to get thirteen of his fleet's ships upriver on April 24. (Published 1862)", Newspaper coverage of the capture of New Orleans, List of Union Civil War monuments and memorials, List of memorials to the Grand Army of the Republic, Confederate artworks in the United States Capitol, List of Confederate monuments and memorials, Removal of Confederate monuments and memorials. In his view, the forts could be reduced by naval gunfire and then assaulted by a relatively small landing force. Other Names: None Location: Orleans Parish and St. Bernard Parish Campaign: Expedition to and Capture of New Orleans (1862) Date(s): April 25–May 1, 1862 Principal Commanders: Flag-Officer David G. Farragut and Maj. Gen. Benjamin Franklin Butler [US]; Maj. Gen. Mansfield Lovell [CS] Forces Engaged: Department of the Gulf [US]; Department No. Phillips position. The capture of New Orleans was a huge coup for the Union War effort; David Porter later recalled that, Racing ahead, the first division was soon clear of the forts, however Farragut's second division encountered more difficulty. It was a terrible year in American history, and the following battles are just a few of the major events of the American Civil War in 1862. At 2:00 p.m. on April 25, Admiral Farragut sent Captain Bailey, First Division Commander from the USS Cayuga, to accept the surrender of the city. ~7 killed and 11 wounded. [29], Butler began his rule of martial law in New Orleans by sentencing anyone calling for cheers for Confederate President Jefferson Davis and Confederate Major General P. G. T. Beauregard to three months hard labor at Fort Jackson. Despite the loss, American casualties numbered fewer than those of the British. [26] But many thought the language of the order was too ambiguous and feared that Union troops would treat New Orleans women like prostitutes in regards to soliciting them for sex and perhaps even rape. In 1862 and early 1863, both the Union Navy and Army. Because it was founded by the French and owned by Spain for a time, New Orleans had a more cosmopolitan culture and diverse population. He was not sent reinforcements during the time he commanded in Louisiana, between May and December 1862. Many of his acts gave great offense, such as the seizure of $800,000 that had been deposited in the office of the Dutch consul and his imprisonment of the French champagne magnate Charles Heidsieck. Despite the loss, American casualties numbered fewer than those of the British. 6. After a hard-fought battle, the Confederate forces were driven out of the city, and both Confederate and Union forces withdrew after the battle. The inner ring of fortifications at Chalmette was only intended to resist ground troops; few of the gun batteries were aimed toward the river. Lovell then sent a last message to the War Department in Richmond, “The enemy has passed the forts. This capture of the largest Confederatecity w… New Orleans also benefited more by the Industrial Revolution, international trade, and geographical position. NPS Battle Summary NPS.gov: NPS Battle Summaries Following the passage of forts Jackson and St. Philip, near the mouth of the Mississippi River, on April 24, 1862, the Union occupation of New Orleans was inevitable. Having fought past Forts Jackson and St. Philip, the Union was unopposed in its capture of the city itself, which was spared the destruction suffered by many other Southern cities. To obtain the needed landing force, Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles approached Major General Benjamin Butler. the Union to avoid more casualties. Despite the loss, American casualties numbered fewer than those of the British. Library of Congress Fort Pulaski, April 1862. In mid-January 1862, Flag Officer David G. Farragut had undertaken this enterprise with his West Gulf Blockading Squadron. The victory at New Orleans on January 8 cost Jackson around 13 killed, 58 wounded, and 30 captured for a total of 101. Battle of New Orleans, (April 24–25, 1862), naval action by Union forces seeking to capture the city during the American Civil War. The capture of New Orleans was a huge coup for the Union War effort; David Porter later recalled that, By the time the fighting ended, Manassas was downstream of the Union fleet and unable to make enough speed against the current to ram effectively. Tennessee at the Battle of New Orleans, by Elbert L. Watson. On May 1, Maj. Gen. Benjamin Franklin Butler s army began landing at New Orleans and occupying the city. The Union occupation of New Orleans was an event that had major international significance. In sum, the New Orleans campaign amassed an estimated 1,011 casualties. 28 was swift and the outrage against it highly vocal. Ordering his captains to drape their vessels in chain, iron plate, and other protective materials, Farragut divided the fleet into three sections for the coming action (Map). On May 1, Maj. Gen. Benjamin Franklin Butler s army began landing at New Orleans and occupying the city. General Jackson’s plans for defense of the city were thwarted by the British capture of five American gunboats in Lake Borgne in the first battle near New Orleans in December 1814. Butler became known as "The Beast. Surrounded by a fragile network of levees and lower in elevation than the river around it, New Orleans was extremely vulnerable to flooding, bombardment, and insurrection. Capture of New Orleans. [27] Butler's inflammatory order was so controversial that it caused a significant public relations problem for the Union and he was withdrawn from New Orleans in December 1862, just 8 months after taking command of the city. At 2:00 AM on April 24, the Union fleet began moving upstream, with the first division, led by Bailey, coming under fire an hour and fifteen minutes later. Besides the ever-present danger of weather-caused breaks in the levees, now an even greater threat to New Orleans was the ability of the Union military to cause a break in a major levee that would lead to flooding most of the city, possibly destroying it within a day. Kennedy Hickman is a historian, museum director, and curator who specializes in military and naval history. Butler was a former Democratic party official, lawyer, and state legislator. On May 1, Union troops under Butler arrived to take official custody of the city. Only 13 percent of the 1810 population was Anglo-American. A Union naval squadron of 43 ships under Admiral David G. Farragut entered the lower Mississippi near New Orleans and soon breached the heavy chain cables that were stretched across the river as a prime defense. He had gained glory as a Massachusetts state militia general who had anticipated the war and carefully prepared his six militia regiments for the conflict. Since the Confederate government was counting on slave labor to offset the greater numbers of Union soldiers, Butler's innovative policy struck the Confederacy at a strategic level, destroying an asset counted on to win the military struggle for independence. That statement defined Jackson's position against any threat to the Union. As far as population, the city not only outnumbered any other city in the South, it was larger than the four next-largest Southern cities combined, with an estimated population of 168,675. [4], The presidents of the Jacksonian democracy supported the concept of manifest destiny, greatly expanding acquisition of territory in the American Southwest and the support of international trade along with the spread of slavery. His methods of preserving order were radical and totalitarian, even in the North and Europe, with the issue of Butler's General Order No. The battle was the only engagement of the war to take place within the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Spain, which was angered by the rapid withdrawal of British forces. For Lovell, the fighting along the river cost him around 782 killed and wounded, as well as approximately 6,000 captured. Jean Lafitte went from folk hero to war hero thanks to his role in protecting New Orleans during the War of 1812. [17], Butler was one of the most controversial and volatile personalities of the Civil War. Southern women were highly offended by the order. The combination of all these factors resulted in an increase in the price of prime field hands of 21 per cent in 1848, and further increases as the value of trade grew through the 1850s. American Civil War: Capture of New Orleans. 28 (Butler's Woman Order), Official Records of the American Civil War, "Gen. Butler Defends the Woman Order. These black units were unusual in having black officers. He was one of the first Major Generals of Volunteers of the Civil War appointed by Abraham Lincoln. Having fought past Forts Jackson and St. Philip, the Union was unopposed in its capture of the city itself, which was spared the destruction suffered by many other Southern cities. Most of the artillery, ammunition, troops, and vessels in the area were committed to the Jackson/St. Butler was a Jacksonian Democrat in all senses, and a populist and reformer. It is only a pity that so unadulterated a barbarian should have got hold of an Anglo-Saxon name.[25]. Contrary to common belief, Butler's inflammatory reign had little to do with his replacement. Moving downstream, it was accidentally fired upon by the forts before moving to strike USS Brooklyn (21). The Battle of New Orleans thwarted a British effort to gain control of a critical American port and elevated Major General Andrew Jackson to national fame. Sending a force ashore, Farragut was told by the mayor that only Major General Lovell could surrender the city. 1 [CS] Butler believed the advantages of political office should be used to the advantage of friends and supporters, and to suppress political opponents. Due to its founding by the French, and ownership by Spain for a time, New Orleans had a more cosmopolitan culture and diverse population. The Mexican–American War, along with the annexation of Texas, had made New Orleans even more of a springboard for expansion. William B. Mumford pulled down a Union flag raised over the former U.S. mint by marines of the USS Pensacola and the mob destroyed it. During the Civil War, Grant's capture of Fort Henry and Fort Donelson contributed to Union control of. As the largest population center of the Confederacy, and commanding formidable industrial and shipping resources, its permanent loss would be politically intolerable to the Confederacy. Total casualties 17 killed, 77 wounded (British claim) 300 killed/wounded (American claim) 4 boats sunk (American claim) 22. The Earl of Carnarvon proclaimed the imprisonment of women a "more intolerable tyranny than any civilized country in our day [has] been subjected to. Forces* Governor William Charles Cole Claiborne's Command All Louisiana Militia were under his command but many fought under Maj. Gen. Jackson There were led by Farragut and Captains Theodorus Bailey and Henry H. Bell. Casualties and losses. Jan 1, 1863 The Emancipation Proclamation The Battles Begin General Jackson's plans for defense of the city were thwarted by the British capture of five American gunboats in Lake Borgne in the first battle near New Orleans in December 1814. Beauregard, American Civil War: Lieutenant General Nathan Bedford Forrest, American Civil War: Major General Benjamin Butler, American Civil War: Brigadier General Nathaniel Lyon, American Civil War: Major General George H. Thomas, M.S., Information and Library Science, Drexel University, B.A., History and Political Science, Pennsylvania State University. This battle was the first battle on Northern soil and well as the single bloodiest day in the American Civil War with a total of over 23,000 casualties (including more than 4,800 killed). New Orleans was the most populous city in the South, and was a very important port for the South. 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