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The Battle of New Orleans |
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| April 24-27, 1862 |
Union strategy to control the Mississippi River dictated amphibious operations from both the north and the south. And by early Spring 1862 the U.S. Navy's southern advance had moved from the Gulf of Mexico to the mouth of the Mississippi. Preparations were underway to run the forts (Jackson and St. Philip, mounting a total of 126 guns) 75 miles below New Orleans, Louisiana and take the South's largest city. Since New Orleans was practically indefensible, the Confederate command hoped that the two major forts would destroy or disable the Union fleet (23 wooden warships and 20 mortar ships - Flag Officer David Glasgow Farragut, commanding and CDR David Dixon Porter, commanding mortar flotilla plus transports carrying 15,000 troops - MG Benjamin F. Butler, commanding) before it could reach the Crescent City. After six days of indecisive mortar bombardment (3,000 shells per day lobbed at the two forts), the Federal fleet successfully ran (24 April) Forts Jackson and St. Philip, proving that heavily-gunned fixed, brick fortifications were no match for fast-moving steam warships. Leaving the forts behind (they surrendered on 27 April), the fleet anchored off the panic-stricken and unfortified New Orleans waterfront (25 April). On 1 May the city was officially occupied by Butler's unimpaired infantry troops. Farragut's actions resulted in the capture of the South's largest city and most important port, secured a new Union base for operations against the Confederacy's interior, and made the new Admiral (promoted July 1862) a popular hero in the North! Estimated Casualties: Union - 186+; Confederate - 104+.
Notes:
Numbers in parentheses reflect estimated strength of armies or units.
Estimated casualty figures are totals for killed, wounded, missing in action, and taken prisoner.
Alternative names of battles and campaigns appear in parentheses.
Military and naval rank abbreviations in text: LT - Lieutenant, CPT - Captain, MAJ - Major, LTC - Lieutenant Colonel, CDR - Commander (Navy), COL - Colonel, BG - Brigadier General, MG - Major General, RADM - Rear Admiral (Navy), LTG - Lieutenant General, VADM - Vice Admiral (Navy), and GEN - General.
Army Organization: Although authorized and actual strength and the rank of the commanding officer often varied, the standard military unit during the War was the infantry regiment (1,000 men, COL commanding) which was comprised of 10 companies (100 men each, CPT commanding). 3-4 Regiments = 1 Brigade (3,000-4000 men, BG commanding). 3 (sometimes 4) Brigades = 1 Division (9000-12,000 men, BG or MG commanding). 2-4 (usually 3) Divisions = 1 Corps (18,000-24,000+ men, MG - North and MG or LTG -South commanding). 2 or more Corps = An Army (usually 20,000-100,000+ men - MG, LTG, or GEN commanding). 2 or more Armies = An Army Group (usually 100,000+ men - MG, LTG, or GEN commanding).
Sources:
Atlas for the American Civil War, The West Point Military History Series, 1986.
Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era, by James M. McPherson. 1988.
Battlefields of the Civil War, by Roger W. Hicks and Frances E. Schultz. 1989.
The Centennial History of the Civil War, 3 Vols., by Bruce Catton. 1961-65.
The Civil War (Series), Editors of Time-Life Books. 1983.
The Civil War: A Narrative, 3 Vols., by Shelby Foote. 1958-1974.
The Civil War: An Illustrated History, by Geoffrey C. Ward with Ric Burns and Ken Burns. 1990.
The Civil War Battlefield Guide, Ed. by Frances H. Kennedy. 1990.
The Civil War Day by Day: An Almanac, by E.B. Long with Barbara Long. 1971.
The Encyclopedia of Military History, Second Rev. Ed., by R. Ernest Dupuy and Trevor N. Dupuy. 1986.
West Point Atlas of American Wars, Vol. I, Ed. by Vincent J. Esposito. 1959.
Who Was Who in the Civil War, by Stewart Sifakis. 1988.
Photographs courtesy of The Generals of the American Civil War Website.
