The capture of New Orleans was of the greatest moment, as the reader will remember. Baton Rouge and Natchez surrendered to Captain Craven, of the Brooklyn, a few days later. Pensacola was evacuated, and the Union forces took possession on May 10th. And because of these gains the French Emperor, who was looking on Texas as well as on Mexico as a good prize, was led to change his mind.
It was Porter’s belief that had Farragut been sent to Mobile immediately, it would have fallen with small resistance, if any, and the great battle later on would have been saved. But the Administration wanted the Mississippi opened immediately, and Farragut went up to try it. He succeeded in passing all the fortifications, including those at Vicksburg, where he met Flag Officer Davis. But at Vicksburg the forts were from 150 to 264 feet above the water, and the ships of that day could not successfully attack such works. And even had Farragut captured the forts, there were not enough soldiers at hand to hold the town.
The Essex after Running the Batteries at Vicksburg and Port Hudson.
After a photograph.
In fact, Farragut’s bold cruise up the river was practically fruitless because the Administration did not follow it up. This is not said to criticise the Administration. It is the common belief of the American people that no man in the nation could have done better than Abraham Lincoln. But after the batteries were passed at Vicksburg, the Union forces made what Mahan calls a recoil. Vicksburg was more strongly fortified than ever, and so was Port Hudson, while Grand Gulf became a point of no small importance to the Confederates.
The Carondelet after Passing Vicksburg.
From a photograph.
While the combined squadrons of Farragut and Davis lay above Vicksburg a Confederate ram called the Arkansas, Capt. Isaac N. Brown, was reported as about ready for action at a shipyard up the Yazoo River. “Little apprehension was felt in the Union fleet,” but Captain Walke, with the Carondelet, the Taylor, and Ellet’s ram, Queen of the West, went up for a look at her on July 15, 1862. Very unexpectedly they met her coming down for a look at the Union forces. The Taylor was in the lead, and she immediately turned back for the support of the Carondelet. The Carondelet turned back for the support of the ram, and the ram turned back for the support of the squadron in the Mississippi. Being very swift, the ram ran soon out of sight. The gunboats now had their unarmored sterns toward the Confederate ship, and for an hour she spanked them soundly, as they richly deserved. The Carondelet at this time actually threw 150 pounds of metal from rifled guns in her bow ports to the 106 that the Arkansas threw from her bow ports, while her broadside fire was 170 pounds to 165 on the Arkansas. And yet, although supposably supported by the Taylor, she ran away, hugging the left bank, where the Arkansas, of thirteen feet draft, could not ram her, and there she eventually grounded, leaving the triumphant Arkansas to chase the Taylor and surprise the government squadrons.