, 1862-05-19
Operations at New Orleans.


OFFICIAL REPORT OF GEH. BUTLER.
HEArqrAnrzns DEPARTMENT or THE CURL
April ~, 1852. !
Hon. E. II Stanton, Secretary Of War: /
S1R:-I have. the honor to report that, in |
obedience to my instructions, remained on
the Mississippi river, with the troops named !
in my former dispatch, awaiting the action Of :
the feet in the bombardment Of tho Forts !
Jackson and st. Philip. :
Failing to reduce them after six days Of in ,
cessant fire, Flag Officer Farragnt determined !
to attempt their passage with his whole feet, i
except that portion thereof under tue imme-
diatc command Of Capt. Porter, known as the
mortar fleet.
On the morning Of the eth inst, the feet I
got under weigh, and twelve vessels, ioclud- !
ing the four sloops- -of-War, ran the gauntlet Of
the fire of the forts and were safely above Of
the galiantry, courage and conduct Of this he
ro5c action, unprecedented in naval warfare,
considering the character OF the works and the
river, too much cannot be said OF its cas-
ualties and the details Of Its performance the
flag officer viii give an account to the proper
department. / Witnessed this daring exploit
from point about eight hundred yards from
Fort jackson, and unsEittfnyly under its fire,
=Ed the su5lliuity Of the scene can never be
exceeded
The feet pressed on up the river to New
OrleaHEs tcaFIn55 Two gunDOatS 10 prOEecL the
quarantine station, five miles above.
In case the forts were not reduced and
polt1en OF the heet got by them, 1t had
been arranged between the 1las officer and
m.1clf, that shon'd make landing from the
an!i eIne, IN Inc rear OF the forts at Tue quar-
antiEc, and from thence attempt Fort St. Philip
by storm and assault, while the bonbardmeut
Eas continued by the fleet.
liDmeo'ateiy Tent TO sable leland With my
transports, twelve mics iu the rear Of Fort St.
fhlip' tne nearest poant at which q sufficient
oep1h oi water coold pe 1onnd 1or them. Cap
tam forter put AT my disposal tae N1faml,
! drawing seven and one~hatf icet, being the
| 1gh1est dranght vessel IN Inc heet, 10 take the
| troops from Inc hecs as tar IN as the water
world allow. we were delayed tWenty-four
The 18th regiment Massachusetts volunteers,
| Col JoEcs, were then put on board her and
carried within six miles Of the fort, where she
again grounded.
Capt Everett, ol tue 9TH Massachusetts bat
tery, having very fully reconnoitered the wa
ters and bayous IN that vicinity, and forcsee-
bs the necessity, had collected aud brought
with me some thirty bouts, into which the
troops were again tans9lpped ana conveyed
" nost 1atg1lng ana iaboIlons row some
1tur anu hai! nllles 1urther, tAefe DelnS VIE
10 one mile OF the steamer only two anda halt
= large po1llon o1 t1fs passage was against
neasy current tLlo4gh bayou. AT the en-.
Trance OF Ma1neeIs lanai, a E'le and 9aH
1ron tne poiht VI 'anolng, ro"1Hs became IN
possible, IA as 9 vel from @ flis naTEo sness ct the
r1ua az s4e stIenSln ~ u tut current, WHICH r.iq
Hke mil-race- ihfongn MS ths ooafs could
OIL? ~ 1npcl1eu ny olasS9911s tnefll slnsiy,
with the men up to their waists IN water. 1t
- one ~ ~ NV nne seEl.ns.!, a'io 70 y pniSieh
.! tne ~ rlSeonsln volunteers aoa @les ~
olana, WHO lanoea under tnlS hardsnlp With
cut murlnnr, NAT 1h.lr laoors should De
made Known to Tue department, as well IS to
account 1er tEe s!o"ness OF our operations.
me enemy evidently considered t:ls mode
o1 at1ack lHpossaole, as they aad taken no
measures TO oppose II. which might very cass'
II hAVe been successfully done.
we occupied at once both sides OF the river,
thus ctlcctunIly cutting them OF te'in all sup
Fl1es, 1nform*tlca or suecor, "hie we taadc
OUT dispositions 1or the assault
Meantime Capt Porter had sent into the
Day ou, II the rear oI Fort jackson, TWO schooE-
ers u bis mortar fleet, to prevent the escape
; | ol the entnlS from tAe lort III tlat dlrectIon
l, IN the nnf15 anc uafktcss OF INC pas7ase o.
1rt; ,osts 1ac 'ae-olncer lad oseIlooktd fhre;
OF the enemy q sunboats AID inc l1on-ct't
natte1y LEuls1aha. WHICH were H. Anenor unael
, 1ne ns'is oI ''e 1ort. oappoS.os tnat ~ tts
repel oo1ts bad neen destroyed tand dozer
or more had nsehl: ne passed on 10 the clsy
l ieaN1lS tnesc n us lear; iae IRON steanl oit
! Icy pelns very loftnlaaeie, Captain Forte
aseueu IL PInaeht ~ "ithufa~ nle laofta
,, acet some m'les oclow, Where ne could NY
!ouu " liapsuse. - ~ ":1s aIIacseu " LII
'iIp lno.s.er auu e;e ponoard'neot ILL, eSseo.
s nau Sol olis'oiee oene!su = ueHe III ~
ti'tl ".iom, VIII t"o 1eslneue, ~ h1hh
11 uenlunssfat1one III taat o1fectaoa Il eesan
: Iossge-
f II .nG h3Snto " ttie @ftu, icalillaS tlAt ~
n 1cet nae got me Glty under It's guns. lei
ns's:.aiel aene.al % ~ it1si,as IN cnarse el u
lano4pS VI Lue tloops, aud "sltt up ~ rive
" tae nas-sitR " PloIule hsh1 oeaasuI lr:ans
!
= HugAt lHo - ~u'cu t'ua ltlt}j y. the Eatiiso
Il ~ = VI 1.eheuu Iheut'oueu, sPihea tls. 55ue
oeafinG up the rlser, cane M :sna surscnd:rc
: . .nt,i'seises ~ t"s rchees, uecsarl"s tMhs
b | "e Eao sot III lnsll 1eal, resistance WIS ust u
b n:se' a1'a Lucy "ouIa hos pe sactlliceu' n
4 oono !,aau ocen ta'o"u ~ 'neul loE tIIee uaJ:
nof ha4 Trey ureu y snot at US RON eltnt
y tlt' iue5 nNeliSu tnae tuel A1o oeeA LII
is | Picsseu aun 'a. nouto ~. ~ w ~ tGn5et1
l. u snE @osa 'ne oiGels " lo.ts 11shso'i an
1s 5nllp euutGnuelen -. ~ eap.at! lo1'tI,
ns nlcans s,.n ., Vail '+ ~ tuet ~
q ne ns VIZ H. 1ea.n, no"Isi' i'5s' ~, ni.n ~ ~
,s o4leI!s " t1G io1ss uuoGt u "alS n.s' II
Il leu'l nasal pHlce!s I'ut ~ tnen munlllohs {
- "ar on LUZ y L.u'sia4a, SET per on nle anu adll
nton ,ac ~" L.ue, put "nGu ol'post
Fort ST. fhlil,p, ehe oeT up, Killing one {
n !helr o"h l6en ny tne irasmehts "mco 1e
,e mo tnat 1of'-
"a bast t.ben possession OF thefotts aud ht
lhcfn snts1ahlla!!y as delsnslblc as before Il
NJ ponbaromenf-S1. Fh1liP precisely 60, 1t 3
m | ing quite unlnjur:d: Trey are fully proyi
"a ioned, well supplied wlth ammunition, III
the tayages Of the shells have been detensio
Nv repaired by tne laocfs Of tne Ieoe!s w
ut cause Iieut. Wie1zvl, Of the Engineers,
as make detailed REPORT Of their condition
h, the department
III I have left the 2Gth regiment Massachusct