Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1862-05-09
SECOND EDITION.
THEE O'CLOCK, P. M.
TIE CAPTURE OF NEW ORLEANS.
OFFICIAL REPORT OF con-. BAILEY
U. 8. GuNBoAT CAYueA.

Il
perfect success, leaves me time to make MP the
| report Of my division. You will find In Lieut.
Commanding Harrison's report al accurate out
line Of the noble Fart taken by the Cayuga under
bis command. and bearing nv Divisional Gag.
We led of at a. m, in accordance with youf
| signal, and steered directly up stream, edging a
itae to stsrboard, in cider to give room for your
division. ..
| was followed by the fensacSla In ane STYLE.
The remainder Of my division following IN FIG.
ular and compact order. We were scarcely shove
the Boom, when we were discovered, and Jack
son and St Philip opened upon us. We could
bring no gun TO bear, but steered directly on
We were strsck from stem TO stern; at length we
were close up with st Philip, when we opened
the Ine Of ere, when we found ourselves attac red
by the rebel feet CT gunboats. This was Rot but
more congenial work. Two large steamers now
attempted to beard, one on our starboard bow,
the other astern; third on our starboard beam
The ! Inch Dahlgren being trained on this fell
| low, we fred at range Of 80 yards The effect
was very destructive, he Immediately sheered in
shore, run aground, and burnt himself up.
The Psrrot gun on the forecastle drove of the
one on the bow, while we prepared to repel
boarders, 30 close was remaining enemy
About this time Boggs and Lee came dashiug In
Az sRa made finish of the rebel O0a''-elsvsR in
In the grey Of the morning discovered q camp
with rebel flag flying, and opened with canister
81 S a. m. received the sword and hsg Of Colonel
ssymanskj, and his command Of FIVE companies
arms and camp equipage.
While engaged at this point, observed the
Yeruna In conflict with a number OF gunboats
She had been butted by one OF them and sunk
but with his forward guns still above water he
Was bravely maintaining the fight, driving eff his
enemies, and saving his crew. Informing Capt
Lee, OF the Oneida, who had also been engaged
with the enemy. Of the Veruna's situation, he
instantly steamed up and made finish OF the
| rebel boats The remainder Of the feet now came
up The Mississippi bad been detained below
with the Manansas and another iron-cI.d After
everything passpd nhe
| ton.
The pleasant duty now remains Of speaking Of
the "C1Fugan and her brave Of officers and crew
From first to last Lieut.. Commanding NJ. B. Har-
rison displayed mastery ability In steering bis
| vessel past the forts, under a hurricane of shot
and shell; and afterwards In manedvering and
fighting her among the gunbodts. I cahnot say
! too much for him. He was CALAMITY sustained
| nv Lieut.. Geo. II. Perkins, snd Acting Master
Thomas III Morton. These officers have my I'M
| bounded admiration.
| must conclusion express the pleasure which
| | experienced in witnessing the seama ulike man
| nef In which all the ships were handled
The rePortS Of the Divisional Captains will in
form you OF the particular patt borne by each ship
| Respectfully your ob't servant,
Captain Cong Division of the Red.
To Flag Ofdcer D 6. Farragut, Commander
in-Chief, &C., New Orleans.
| L. S GuNBoAr CAYUsA, at Sen, Nav. 80
Hon. Gideon Waller, Secretary Of tbs Nary
Sir Having found it impossible to get the Cello
RADIO over the Bars Of the Mississippi sent IN A
large portion of her guns and crew, filling up de-
| fciencies OF both in the different vessels and
with my aid, Acting MidshIpman Higginson,
steward and boats crew. folio we'd up myself,
| hosting, by authority Of the flag officer my red
distinguishing flag as second In command frst
| ON the Oneida, Com'r Lee, and afterwards on the
| Cayuga.
| That brave, resolute and indefatigable officer,
Cora'r ID. ID. Porter, was at work with his mortar
| Rect, throwing shells at and into Fort Jackson;
whilst Gen. Butler with division Of his army
| In transports, was waiting favorable norfient &c
land. AFTER the mortar feet had been plying
/ upon the forts for six days and nights without
perceptibly diminishing their fire, and one or
two changes Of programme, Flag Officer Farra-
gut formed the ships into two columns, A." line
| ahead, !" the column of the red under my orders
| being formed on the right, and consisted of the
Cavugi, 1t. CONG Harrison, bearing nv flag
| and leading the Pensacola, Capt. Morris; the
| mniisissiPPi, Conf NJ. smith; Oneida, Com'r s.
| LII Cong Preble; Kineo, 1t. CONG Ransom
| and the WissahickCn, Lit CONG A. N. Smith
| The column Of the Blue was formed on the left,
heading up the river and consisted Of Of the Il ag
| slip Hartford, Commander r. Wainwright and
bearing the flag Of the COmmander-inchiefF Far
| ragu'j the Brooklyn, Capt T. II. Craven; Rich
| mond, Commander Alden, the Sciota bearing
| the divisional flag Of Fleet Captain H. H. Bell
| followed by the lroquo!s, ltasca, Winona, and
| Kennebec.
At2a m. on the morning Of the 2i:h, the sig
4
| ship. The Cayuga Immediately weighed anchor
| ard led on the column We were discovered at
| the boom, and a little beyond both forts opened
| their fire. When close up with San Philip, we
opened with grape and canister, still steering on
| After passing this line Of fire, encountered the
| Montgomery hotilla," consisting Of eighteen
gunboats, including the ram Manassas, and iron
| battery Louisiana Of 20 guns.
This was a moment OF anxiety, as no support
ing ship was In sight. BY skillful steering how
ever, we avoided their attempts TO butt and board
| and mad succeeded In forcing the, surrender OF
| three, when the Varuna, Captain Boggs and the
| Oneida, Capt. Lee, were discovered near at hand
| The gallant exploits Of these ships will be made
| known by their comms nders. At early dawn
discovered rebel camp on the rig ht bank Of the
| river. Ordering Lieut.. N. b. Harrison to anchor
close alongside, hailed, and ordered the colonel
| to pile up his arms on the river bank and come
| on board. This proved to be the Chalmetto regi-
| regimental flag, tents and camp equipage were
| captured. g. -
| On the morning Of the 2sth, still leading and
considerably ahead Of the line, the Chalmetto
batteries, situated three miles below the city,
| opened Il cross fire on the Cayuga. To this we
| responded with our two guns. AT he end of
| twenty minutes the flagship ranged up ahead and
| silenced the enemy's guns.
From this point no other obstacles were en-
countered, except burning steamers, cotton ships
fire RATS and the like Immediately after anc hor.
Ing in front of the city, was ordered shore by
| the Flag Officer to demand the surrender Of the
| city, and that the nag should be hoisted on the
Post Once, Custom House, and Mint What
passed at this Interview will be better stated In
| the Flag Oticer's report. On the 26th went with
the Flag Officer some seven miles above the city,
where we found the defenses abandoned, the
| guns spiked, and gun.carriages burning. These
defenses were erected to prevent the downward
passage Of Captain Foote On the 27th, q large
boom, situated above these defenses was DESTROYED
| by Captain S. Phillips Lee. On the 2Sth General
| Butler landed above Fort ct. Phillip, under the
| guns of the Missisnppi and Kineo. This landing
| Of the army above, together with the passage Of
the feet, appears to have put the finishing touch
| to the decentralization Of their garrisons, 1900
having mutnied In Fort Jackson) Both forts
| surrendered to Commander Porter, who was near
| at hand with the vessels Of his fotilla.
As left the river, Gen. Butler had garrisoned
Forts Jackson and san Phillip, and his transports
with troops were on the way to occupy New
Orleans f.T.. s..
Icannot too strongly express my admiration Of
the cool and able management Of al the vessels
Of my line, by their respective captains.
After we had passed the forts, 1t was a contest
been Iron hearts In wooden vessels, and iron
clads with iron beaks, and The iron hearts won.
On the 29ih. the " Cayuga," Lieut.. Command
| Ing Harrison, was selected to bring me home as
bearer Of dispatches to the Government