The Capture of New Orleans, 1862 (review)

book reviews273 somewhat isolated lumber village into a community caught up in all the currents of a nation at war with itself. William L. Burton Western Illinois University The Capture of New Orleans, 1862. By Chester G. Hearn. (Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1995. Pp. 292. $26.95.) The Capture ofNew Orleans, 1862, by Chester G. Hearn, is a concise account of the naval and military actions leading to the surrender of the South's most populous city. Asserting that the "decisions of Jefferson Davis, Stephen R. Mallory, and three different Confederate secretaries of war were as much to blame for the fall of New Orleans as Davy Farragut's warships" (1), Hearn deservedly criticizes the Richmond authorities for underestimating the danger threatening the city from the sea, not sending able commanders with clear instructions to the Gulf, and taking away badly needed troops from Gen. Mansfield Lovell, the city's commander. In view of the fact that the federal government , on the contrary, earns the author's approbation, particularly Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles for selecting outstanding commanders, giving them precise and distinct orders, and unstinted, unwavering support, the emphasis on the Davis administration's errors rather than on Farragut's skill may be somewhat exaggerated, but the indictment is warranted. Hearn is especially adept at discussing naval affairs, and as the author of three previous books on maritime history, he is well equipped to develop the background and technical details of David G. Farragut's famous exploit. This concentration on sea and river warfare ought to make the book especially appealing to naval buffs. In a few fast-moving chapters, Heam reviews the situation of the city and the state at the beginning of the war. He ably handles George N. Hollins's attack on Capt. John Pope's blockading vessels at the mouth ofthe Mississippi, as well as the desperate attempt of the Confederates to build rams and other vessels for the defense of the city. An equally good account covers Union preparations for the running of the forts guarding the river, a seemingly overwhelming obstacle. Few naval details escape Hearn, whose description of the vessels, armaments, and fortifications they faced is exemplary. The climax of the book consists of the minute account of Farragut's running of Forts Jackson and St. Philip. Reiterating this oft-told tale in great detail, the author nevertheless manages to sustain the reader's interest in this almost unbelievable naval feat. Although he shows clearly that Farragut did not originally favor David Porter's plan to reduce the forts by means of mortar boats, he nevertheless gives Porter credit for later subduing these installations, albeit after the fleet had run past them rather than before. Clearly siding with Porter in the bitter controversy between Gen. Benjamin F. Butler, the commander of the 274CIVIL WAR HISTORY land forces, and the testy naval officer, he gives the latter full credit for subduing the two main works in the way of free passage of the river. The fascinating chapter dealing with the city's surrender is also notable. Focusing on the maddened crowd threatening federal officers, the uncooperative mayor, and the retreating Confederate military authorities, Hearn highlights the heroism of Comm. Theodorus Bailey and his assistant, Lt. George H. Perkins, in braving the mob to demand the capitulation ofNew Orleans. In view of the fact that Farragut threatened to shell the city if it did not comply with his demands and that Pierre Soulé and Mansfield Lovell calmed the crowd and evacuated in time, the author credits them with saving New Orleans. This tribute is merited, while the obloquy heaped on Lovell after the surrender, as Hearn points out, was undeserved. Concluding with a brief summary of the courts of inquiry and the controversies after the end of the war, the author well justifies his conclusions with the findings of these tribunals and additional evidence pointing to Richmond's responsibility for the loss of New Orleans. There are, of course, some shortcomings in this book. Nonspecialists in naval warfare may find some of the details and technical terms wearying, and Hearn misses some points by failing to use the best secondary works...