New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-09-19
The Capture of New Or,..,.

A short time since We published f..-
Hartford Times letter written bv thu
Gideon Welles calculated to give dne
to the navy in the capture of New o.
1t appears other writer's have made .;.1
statements. In book called the "H.
of the United States Marine Corps w.
by MIR. Almy Aldrich, of the Boston ii
is the following account of the cant
the city:
No account of the capture of Ma
leans by the Union forces, under ad'
Farragut, here Jfore laid before tho ~
has given correct eta tement of Nv
vices performed by the marines IN
memorable contest. OF the rea;..
offered by the Confederate font, bejo@
Orleans, Admiral Fdrragut said: "S,
IRE, imagine, the world has rarelv
Ia the terrible experience of sileuc,s
fire, reducing the forts and csptnrs
city, the marines bore themselves in y
manner as to elicit the hearty conn,
ton OF the officers of the fleet, and ',
mat rally in the success of the o.,
ment. During the fight the Varnns
mander Charles s. Buggs commandin,
tanned the fire of the forts, and At ,bls,
time was attacked by two powerful
clads. tsr gallant resIe ipce, in -
the two vessels of the enemy were dos,
cd, tle Varuna herself sunk. .til MI
defiance to the foe, with colors tiyin"
her guns dealing destruction 10 t6s Is,
until the waters Of the Mississipni d.
over her.
But brave and efficient as were tbs
rlnes IN the action, q more important Il
awaited them; work for whose succs
accomplishment, as has already been
mated, they have not heretofore recs
due credit, inasmuch as the full story !;
capture of the city has not been told
the morning of the twenty-io nth of
INN. diately after the action with
jackson and st. Philip, and the destrus
OF the rebel fleet, the II arines under
mand of Captain John l.. Broons
living and now in command of the RI
Ign navy yard, by order OF Admiral n !
gut, landed and took possession of
quarantine, at the same time taking mi
ers the rebel troops, with Their
ticers, quartered in the uuarsn
nuilulngs, anu nolsUlng Jne nag Of
United States on the same. Admiral
ragut having determined to take mill
possession of the city until the arfy
the troops under General Buffers
mand, battalion of marines under
mand of Captain Broome, about $50 nm
olsen barked from the fleet on the I've
ninth of April, and marched to the Cu.
house. Here Captain Allen RAMSEY
detailed with detachment of marip
occupy the Customhouse and guard
United States fig, then about to
hosted on the buliing. At this iunI
the marines were joined by two h0Si
manned by seamen, in charge of Mid,
men 5. Fl. Read and E. C. Haz inc,
the flagship Hartford. After taking po
sioa OF the Customb ouse, Captain Bn1
receiving orders from Captain H.H
senior officer present, to march the mar
to the City Han, distance OF about nj
mile from the vess, ls of the ieet, and
the Ger tre of the city. The forces u;
General Lowell had not evacuated the
and the squares and streets were thro1
with an excited mob, brandi.hing b
knives and revolvers, and hailirg The
rines with the II ost abusive language;
the command marched in Go 90 order
steady steps TO its destin alton. On arnI n
at the City Hal, Lieutenant 10 n c,
ris was directed, with a guard OF mari
TO occupy the building and enforce
there, while the enemy's flag was ha
down tiom the II igstaff on the build
After performing this dut the maj
were marched to the place of embark
and returned to the ii ct, except the
Der quartered in the CustomhOuse
were retained there to guard the Ama
flag. When the troops of Genera Bu
command landed at New Oll-ans, On
first of May, the force of marines st :,
duty in the city returned to the fleet =
Respectable inhabitants, of the city D
ward stated that rarely were men in ,
imminent danger of assassinatl than >
the small detachment of marines Oh 4 |,
occasion, and they wondered at the y
ness of the act, under The circums tances
trembled for the safety of the city, iea :
and with reason, that. any overt act cd :
part of the excited mob would result =
mmed ate bombardment, wholly undea
OF the ships brOadsides; the A
and steady attitude of the marines te
10 great extent to the prevention Of
\ calamity. ipI
And so, three days before the arriva ~
General Butler, the marines took posses ~
If and held the publ, buildings of The
IF New Orleans, lite'a ly pertectng
conquest of the city by hauling dOvl
flag and HOSTING the stars
stripes. For three days the force
Captain BrOome held in subsection tht K,
)ulent and rebellious elements of the
alton of the city, and at the end d
lime gave place to the troops under
nand OF General Butler. To rescue
chapter IN the records OF lh
ines fr,m the oblivion of meagre Of
documents in the national archives, al d
rive it a legit mate. and what is trusted
'e lasting, prominence, is but an az
ustice 10 the corps.