April 23, 1862---The Battle of Fort Jackson and Fort St. Philip: Day One

APRIL 23, 1862:         

The Battle of Fort Jackson and Fort St. Philip (Day One):  

The two Confederate forts on the Mississippi River south of New Orleans were attacked by a Union Navy fleet. As long as the forts could keep the Federal forces from moving on the city, it was safe, but if they were negated, there were no fall-back positions to impede the enemy advance.

New Orleans, the largest city in the Confederacy, was already under threat of attack from the north when Farragut moved his fleet into the river from the south. The Confederate Navy had driven off the Union blockade fleet in the Battle of the Head of Passes the previous October, but Commodore Farragut had recently returned in force and bottled up the Head of Passes on April 14th. Since that day, he had been moving his forces upriver with deliberation and determination, firing on Fort Jackson on the 20^th, and breaking a hasty Confederate river barrier. The bombardment had been ineffective, however, except in keeping the garrison on edge.

Noting the ineffectual bombardment, Farragut designed a new plan of attack: His fleet would steam past the forts on the night of April 23/24. When passing the forts, the fleet was to form two columns. The starboard column would fire on Fort St. Philip, while the port column would fire on Fort Jackson. They were not to stop and slug it out with the forts, however, but to pass by as quickly as possible. Farragut hoped that the combination of darkness and smoke would obscure the aim of the gunners in the forts, and his vessels could pass by relatively unscathed.