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| The 1862 Battle of New Orleans was raging furiously 150-years-ago. (Library of Congress) |
New Orleans Daily True Delta
April 24, 1862
April 23, 1862
To Major General Lovell:
Heavy and continued bombardment all night, and still progressing. No further casualties, excepting two men slightly wounded. God is certainly protecting us. We are still cheerful, and have an abiding faith in our ultimate success, which, I deeply regret, is not the case in the city. A people in earnest in a good cause should have more fortitude. We are making repairs as we can. Our best guns are still in good working order, although most of hem have been disabled at times. The health of the troops continues good, and they are generally in better spirits than in more quiet times. So much for discipline. From twenty to twenty-five
thousand 13-inch shells have been fired by the enemy, thousands of which have fallen within the fort. They must soon exhaust themselves, if not, we can stand it as long as they can.
J.K. Duncan,
Brigadier-General.
FROM FORT JACKSON.
The Enemy Passes the Forts!
Steamers Passed the Quarantine Station.
The Steamer Star Burned.
Three Other Steamers Burnt.
Quarantine Station, April 24 -- am.
Several of the enemy's gunboats have passed the forts, and are being resisted.
Two steamers have already passed this point, and are scanning every place.
The Star has been burnt, but do not know of any other damage.
Two or three vessels are now burning.
The Doubloon has got up safe.
(Signed) A. E. Tulda, Operator.
The Alarm sounded.At an early hour this morning, the city was thrown into a state of considerable excitement by the rumor that several of the enemy's gunboats had succeeded in passing the forts. This report was corroborated the the police being ordered to press all manner of vehicles, to convey ammunition from the Marine Hospital to the river. At half-past 9 the bell on Dr. Palmer's church struck twelve four different times, which was the signal for all military organizations to repair to their armories. This made "confusion worse confounded," and set everybody to inquiring as to the extent of the threatened danger. Our bulletin board announce all the if information received from below. Active preparations are on foot to give the enemy a warm reception before he reaches the city, but with what prospect of success we cannot say. Thus matters stand as we go to press.
DAILY TRUE DELTA
April 26, 1862
THE RESULT YESTERDAY
Few persons will be surprised to hear that the weak defenses below the city offered but a feeble resistance to the very formidable fleet of Federal vessels which opened their fire upon them about ten o'clock yesterday. Excerpt as a point of military honor, of which civilians are, perhaps, not very good judges, the
idea of disputing their passage, once they had passed the forts, does not appear very intelligible. It was done, however, for short time, with what result to assailants or assailed we have not ascertained. About one o'clock p.m. some twelve or thirteen vessels of war had reached the river front of our city, and took
up positions which, of course, leave the authorities little choice as to terms of submission. The officer in command of these vessels, who represents Commodore Farragut, in company with a junior officer, went to the mayor's office, at two o'clock p.m., and formally demanded of that gentleman the surrender,
unconditionally, of the United States property in the city, and the possession of the city itself. To this Mayor Monroe replied that he could not comply, as the city was under martial law, and Gen. Lovell had the command. The Federal officer - who was, we think, Capt. Bailey - then asked to see Gen. L. After considerable delay he arrived, and on the same question being put to him as had been to Mr. Monroe, he answered that he could not comply with the demand. That he had removed and was removing his stores, ammunition and troops, and until that operation was completed, he must refuse to deliver up the city and to make any concession. To this Capt. Bailey rejoined, that he did not come to make war upon women and children, nor to cause unnecessarily the shedding of innocent blood, but to establish, in accordance with the laws and constitution, the authority of the United States, that must still press for acompliance with his demand. Gen. Lovell then said that when his last man was out of the city, and not before, he would surrender to the Mayor the control of the place, which we presume, was accepted as satisfactory. We report the official proceedings above, on the authority of two gentlemen who were present, and
substantially agree in their recollection of the facts. A strong feeling of dissatisfaction, humiliation and grief pervades the city, and friends and foes will not be astonished to hear that it does so. We have succumbed here, the authors of our afflictions who are they?
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