Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1881-04-26
.1,ad rights IL ia note.

,f their most valued EiSnls. Az 10 MY =
rorthv thu he who afterwards became the !
rreat soldier of the war should. from the
,eeinning, have conducted the military
,psrations employed in reopening the
mighty stream. The clearing-cu OF the
Gu mberland as far up as Nashville, and OF
The Tennessee to the Muscle Shoals, the
first winter of the war, formed part OF
the campaign which reduced Belmont,
Hickman, Island No. IL, and
other distractions quite down to Mem
phis. ~r--e ~
Meanwhile a movement was organized
of which New Orleans was the objective,
and Farragut selected By the Secretary OF |
the Navy to take charge OF 1t. After Iur,
nishing him with all the force he consid
cred necessary, he reminded INN IN MS
order that the Departm emit and the coun-
try required of him "success;" and sue
cess was explained to mean the certain
capture of the city of Orleans"
This WAS by far the most populons ana
com mercially, if not POLITICAL -the
most important city in the whole Conted-
eracy. Just before the war it had the
largest export trade OF any city In the
country. perhaps IN the world In the last
war with Great Britain, while the defense
of this city by General jackson on the
plains of Chalmette had crowned our arms
with honor and filed the Nation with JOY,
| it had also attracted the attention OF the
Engineer Bugeau to the works necessary
for It's protection. These had been re-
Gently, strengthened and addiaonal Dat
teries had been constructed, a consldera-
| BILE feet of vessels had been collected as
auxiliary, some of them of novel construc>
ton, and supposed TO be very powerful !.
Every conceivable method of attack had
been anticipated. But it is always the
unexpected which is not prouided for.
To break through the Instructions, pass
between the two forts, jackson and Ut.
Philip suppress the hostile fleet, steam up
to the city and demand its surrender. WAS
the end to be achieved. For, its accom-
plishment, Farragut had feet of nifty
vessels, carrying over two hundred guns
far the most powerful naval expedition tina
f had ever sailed under the flag. Genera
, Butler was ready to cooperate with
: military force of frteen Thousand men:
i We all know, historically, that, after
t feat in naval warfare which had no prece
' dent or parallel, the great mariner, on tn
/ 18th of April, 1862 nineteen years ago thi
: day, from his flagship, the Hartford, a
: anchor off the city, dictated the terms g
a surrender to the municipal authorities, re
It storing the chief Southern port TO. its ma
Is tional allegiance, and opening 1t once NOR
is to the trade of the world.
n The country felt instinctively that sig
s. nal victory had been gained for the caus
n of the Union; but how. or at what CO.
Is was not clear. Farragut had not taken th
N press into his confidence, no reporte
n were there to throw glamour around eve
u ordinary maE9uvres. Perfect silence
"a to be observed" was the Injunction und
,, which he had sailed. The spectators We
"a all actors and too busy to observe, and Il
IN rhetoric of the seaman is usually brief al
III unadorned. But even now the lmagln
le ton kindles at the details of the comb
Il. rected under the constrsint OF official r
at ports. Among all the battle scenes lam
eh lar from childhood, on the water and
H. the land, or in the realm of fancy, knc
y, of none more awfully picturesque. IL
on Homeric. Miltonic. The time is the darks
hour of the night, made more opaq
go by the smoke from hundreds OF gul
W whose flashes were the momentary nun
ID, nation; friends from foes difficult to d
an tinguish; powerful current TO stem, W
W imperfect pilotage; vessels aground
posed to the enemy's hottest ire; Vess
ere losing their Roadway ana turning do
We stream barrier-chains, bombs, rams
TIT ire.rafts vessels ablaze and vessels I
re- sheer to the waters edge; vessels VINO
MS disappearing with all on board, gol
pm down in the true spirit of the old nauti
~ refrain
nd The ship shall be our coffin,
is Our grave shall be the sea
of Amid the uproar and ca mage the
oil. recting genius Of the battle remained s.
age poised and confident. Flag>Lieuteni
vas w atsOn remarks tndt, curing u III
the the b t orders watching the ship slowly u
at referring occasionally to lit lie comI
ner which was attached to his watch Chi
in though most of the time during the enga
and ment he was forward. observing the C
en- fict." It was the triumph of mind O
ere me- tter-of the mental and moral pow
ned over the forces of nature--a subject
great artists love to treat.
, at This wild, eventful narrative der
reat additional fascination from the recurre
n it of names familiar to as by years OF SO
eep or official intercourse.
i'm The effect of the capture of New Orle
the was most marked; less, l am inclined
ght think, in what, at that time, were teri
avail the loyal States, than in the Contedel
His and in Europe. The language held
the Richmond reads now like the rawlings
sur madhouse. 1t was declared, and sup
colt. with good reason believed, that but for
the loss Of lew Orleans the Confederacy W.
GERS, soon have been recognized by both
lily, land and France. For the Union otfi
hich and soldiers there, no invectlve wa
had bitter. Against the General in comm
have especially, a Presidential proclamatlo
Cri- outlawry was issued, and so tar as K
.tion has never been recalled.
flied Tho condition of things in the city
onal the arrival Of the fleet, may be given IL
is of AdmiraPs own words: The leye
zen New Orleans YVES one scene of desola
ton, Ships, steamers, cotton, coal, ETC., Wer
the in one common blaze" Such wanda
ears, l never Witnessed as the destructio
the property" am here among my
tives tives. and yet no one has dared to So
am happy to see you There is rel
By terror in this doomed city For Sc
mar days he devoted himself to the restor
,uth of the authority of the U United States
that the establishment of public order;
had leaving the place to the effective adm
-avy, tration of General Butler, and acting u
look the orders of the Navy Department
owe it passed on up the river to complete tt
IS left Dor ofreopening it. i.
r the This proved to be a troublesome and
and tracted undertaking. For more til
} had year the navy, under Farragut and p
# the and the army, under Grant and Sher
'ersal the first four names of the war, eo-ope
nent. until the fall of Vicksburg, July 4,
sions, and of Port Hudson, a few days
little wards. The mighty Missi. ippi was
rally, unobstructed from the mouth tothe SO
hbors and the war in that part of the hel'
a.; and The year 1864 witnessed the opers
atti- which resulted in the reduction Of Nd
g de- Both Farrsgut and Porter eoncurred
In, he opinion that Mobile should be attack
:on of rectly after the fall of New Orleans
folk" that time it was believed the task wou
sage. comparatively easy. Porter's LAM
rived was, I" Mobile would fall to US like q
let's Of low pear" But the President. o
lassa- United States thought the political Il
9fense lance of the river much greater
tn the that of the Gulf City. And looking
W and from this distance of time, and IN the
and of subsequent events, l must say L
vt ha vi oh the defnn