Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1862-05-08
surrender OF Ncw Orleans.

surrender OF New Orleans.
The following is the correspondence
between the Mayor of New Orleans an,
Commodore FARRAGur, Commanding of
hecr Of tho Federal Squadron:
u. S. FLAG Sur HARrFoRp,l
Orr New ORLEANS, April 26.
TO Ills Ercalency tie Mayor qtihe cjt,
Of New Ofeans-SR: Upon my orriva
before your city, ] had the honor to send
to your honor Capt. Bailey, U. S. N, sec
ond in command of the Expedition, tc
demand of you the surrender of New
Orleans to me, as the repre- "ntative oi
the Government Of the United States
Capt. Bailey reported the result Of an
interview with yourself and .hc military
authorities.
1t must occur to your honor that it is
not within the province of nava! officer
to assume the duties of a military com
mandant. | came here to reduce New
Orleans to obedience to the laws, and to
vindicate the offended majesty of the
Governmental the United States. The
rights Of person and property shall be
secured.
therefore demand of you, as its rep
resentativc, the unqualified surrender of
the city, and that the emblem Of the Sow
relgnty Of the United States be hoistcd
over the City Hall, tho Mint and the
Custom House, by meridian of this day !;
all flags and other emblcms of Sovereign
ty, other than those Of the United States
to be removed from all the public build
ings by that hour.
l particularly request that you shall
exercise your authority to quel disturb.
ances, restore order, and call upon the
good people Of New Orleans to return at
once to their vocations and | particu-
larry demand that no person shall be mo-
Tested in person or property for profess.
ing sentiments of loyalty to their gov
crnmcnt.
| shall speedily and severely punish
any person or persons who shall commit
such outragcs as were witnessed yester-
day, Of armed men firing upon helpless
women and children for giving expression
to their pleasure at witnessing the old
flag.
| am your o5edient servant,
Signed ID G. FAHRAGUT,
rag Olllcer, Western Gulf Squadron.
THE REPLY.
MAY oN's OFFICE, New OrlrANs,l
City Hall, April 26, 1862.
JIog officer d. &. Forrqgat, u, s.
ffoy Slip Uryord- SIR: In pursuance
of resolution which we thought proper
to take, out Of regard for the lives of
women and children who still crowd this
great metropolis. Cen Lowell has cvac
uatcd it with his troops, and restored to
me the administration Of its government,
and the custody Of its honor.
l have, in council with the city fathers
considered the demand you made OF mo
yesterday of an unconditional surrender
of the city, coupled with requisition to
hoist the flag of the United States on the
public buildings, 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-
mcnt of my constituents, nor less than
the promptngs of my own heart, dictates
me on this sad and solemn occasion.-
The city is without the means of defence
and it is utterly destitute of the force and
material that mightenable it to resist an
overpowering armament displayed in
sight of it.
| am no military man, and possess no
authority beyond that of executing the
laws Of the city. 1t would be
presumptuous in me to attempt to lead an
army to the field if | had one at COM
mnnd, and | know still less how to sur
render an undeicnded place, held as this
Is, at the mercy OF your gunners and your
mortars.
10 surrender such a place were an idle
and unmcaning ceremony. The city is
yours by power of brutal force, not by
my choice or the consent of the inhabit.
ants. 1t is for you to determine what
will be the fate that awaits us. AS to
hosting any flag but that of our own
adoption and allegiance, let me say to
you that the man lives not in our midst
whose hand and heart would not be uar
olyzed at the mere thought Of such an
act, nor could | find in my entire constit
ucncy so wretchod and desperate rene
gadc as would dare to profane with his
hand tho sacred emblem of our aspra-
tions.
sir, you have manifested sentiments
which would become one engaged in Il bet
ter cause than that to which you have de-
voted your sword. | doubt not but that
they spring from a noble and dcludcd
nature, and know how to appreciate the
which inspire them, You have
gallant people to administrate during
'our occupancy of this city-a people
enSitiye to all that can in the least affect
HEN dignity and self-respect. Pray, sir,
to not fail to regard their susceptibilities.
The obligations which | shall assume
n their name shall bo religiously COM
lied with. You may trust their honor
hongh you might not count on their |
nbmlSsion to unmerited wrong.
In conclusion, beg you to understand ,
hat the people of New Orleans, while
nab'e to resist your force, do not allow
lemSeIvcs to be insulted by the intericr-
nee of such as have rendered themselves
dlous and contemplate by their bastard
? dcsertion of our cause in tho mighty
ruggle in which we are engaged or such /
) might remind thom SO powerfully that t
lcy are the conquered and you the con- !