Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1862-05-08
CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN COM
MODORE FARRAGUT AND THE MAY
OR OF NEW ORLEANS.

MODORE FARRAGUT AND THE MAY
OR OF NEW ORLEANS.
Surrender of the City Demanded
Loyalty in the City.
WASHINGTON, May j.-The follow
ing correspondence. together with the
announcement Of the surrender Of Fort
Macon, North Carolina,.is taken from
the Richmond Enquirer Of yesterday,
which city it reached by telegraph
The paper was received By the War
Department to-day. The correspon-
dence is between the Mayor Of the city
Of New Orleans and Commodore Far
ragut. the commanding officer OF the
United States flagship Hartford, of
New Orleans. April &c. 1869.
To his Ercellsney the Mayor Of the City
of Net0 Orleans. .F.
Sir: Upon my arrival before your
city, had the honor to send to your
honor Capt. Baily. United States navy,
second in command Of the expedition,
to demand Of you the surrender Of New
Orleans to me, as the representative oi
the Government of the United States.
Capt. Baily reported the result Of an
interview with yourself and the militia
ry authorities. II must occur to your
honor that it is not within the province
of a naval officer to assume the duties
Of q military commandant. l came
here to reduce New Orleans to ebedi-
ence to the laws, and to vindicste the
offended majesty Of the Government Of
the United States. The rights Of per-
sons and property shall be secured. l
therefore demand Of you, as its repre-
sentative, the unqualified surrender Oi
the city, and that the emblem Of sove-
reignty to the United States be hoisted
over the City Hall, Mint. and Custom
House by meridian this day. All flags
and other emblems ofsovereignty other
than those OF the United States to be
removed from all the public buildings
by that hour. l particularly request
that you shall exercise your authority
to quell disturbances, restore order,
and call upon all the good people oi
New Orleans to return at once to their
vocation; and l particularly demand
that no person shall be molested in per-
son or property for protesting senti-
ments Of loyalty to their Government.
l shall speedily and severely punish
any person or persons who shall COM
NIT such outrages as were Witnessed
yesterday, by armed men, firing upon
helpless tromen and children for giving
expression to their pleasure at witnessing
the old flag.
am, very respectfully, your ob't
serV't,
D. G. FARRAGUT,
Flag-oficer Western Gulf Squadron.
The following is the reply Of the
Mayor Of New Orleans.
CRY HALL, April &c.
Hqg-ofcer d. g. Farragut, United
States flagship Hartford:
SIR: In pursuance of a resolution
which we thought proper to take out
Of regard for the lives Of the women
and children who still crowd the great
metropolis. Gen. Lowell has evacuated
it with his troops. and restored back
to me the administration Of its govern
ment and the custody Of its honor
have, in counsel with the city fathers,
considered the demand you made me
yesterday Of an unconditional surren-
der of the city. coupled with requisi-
tion to hoist the flag OF the United
States on the public edi6ces, and haul
down the flag that still floats upon the
breeze from the dome Of this hall. 1t
becomes my duty to transmit to you an
answer, which is the universal senti-
ment of my own constituents no less
than the prompting Of my own heart
dictates me on this sad and solemn oc-
casiOn.
The city is without the means OF de-
fense, and is utterly destitute Of the
force and material that might enable
it to resist an overpowering armament
displayed in sight Of it. / am no mill
tary man, and possess no authority be-
yond that Of executing the municipal
laws Of the city Of New Orleans. 1t
would be presumption in me to attempt
to lead an army TO the field, il / had
one at command, and / know still less
how to surrender an undefended place,
held, as this is, at the mercy OF your
gunners and your mortars. To sur
render such a place were an idle and
unmeaning ceremony. The city is
yours by the power OF brutal force, not
by my choice, or the consent Of its in
habitants. 1t is for you to determine
what will be the fate that awaits us
here.
As to hosting any flag not OF our
adoption and allegiance, let me say to
you that the man lives not 10 our midst
whose hand and heart would not be
paraIyzed at the mere thought Of such
an act, nor could I find in my entire
constituency so wretched and desperate
renegade as would dare to profane
with bis hands the sacred emblem OF
our aspirations.
Sir, you have manifested sentiments
which would become one in a better
cause than that to which you have de-
voted your sword. / doubt not but
that they spring from noble though
deluded nature, and I know how TO
appreciate the emotions which inspire
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