Page 51 - NS-2 Textbook

44 MARITIME HISTORY

MISSOURI KENTUCKY

::;:,
o

Miles
OF ME.X 100

The theater of operations in the Gulf of Mexico and the Mississippi River during the Civil War.

THE BATTLE FOR NEW ORLEANS were two forts, Fort Jackson on the left bank and Fort SI.
Philip on the right. On the sixteenth of April, he started a
New Orleans was the South's largest and most important steady fire on the forts, which was to last for five days.
port city. While Grant was making a militaty name for Then he sent a raiding party to destroy the barrier. They
himself by wim1ing the strategically important central were successful in making a small gap so ships could get
Mississippi Valley, another of the great Union heroes of through in single file. On the twenty-fomth, just after
the war began his move on this key city. Flag Officer midnight, the fleet started the dangerous trip.
David Glasgow Farragut assembled his fleet in mid- Farragut organized the assault force in three divi-
April: one frigate, fom sloops, a paddle-wheeler, twelve sions, plus one division of mortar boats under the com-
gunboats, and twenty schooners. Farragut had been in mand of Conlmander David Portel~ which ,vas to remain
the Navy for fifty years, having served continuously at the barrier and protect the rear. At 0340 the assaulting
since the War of 1812. This was to be his biggest battle divisions arrived at the barrier and started to take heavy
yet. fire from the forts. The Union warships received numer-
He navigated the fleet tluough the delta to a Con- ous hits but plowed through the hail of fire into the midst
federate log barrier several miles upriver. Here there of the Confederate defensive fleet. Once through the bar-