Union Admiral David Farragut led a successful naval assault capturing New Orleans, the Confederacy's largest city and most important port. This strategic victory gave the Union control over the lower Mississippi River and dealt a severe blow to Confederate supply lines.

The capture of New Orleans during the American Civil War marked a pivotal moment in the conflict between the Union and Confederate forces. On April 25, 1862, Union Admiral David Farragut led a successful naval assault that secured this crucial Southern port city for the North.

As a vital commercial hub controlling access to the Mississippi River, New Orleans's strategic importance made it a prime target for Union forces. The city's fall dealt a significant blow to the Confederacy, disrupting their supply lines and giving the Union control over the lower Mississippi. This historic victory demonstrated the effectiveness of the Union's naval strategy and highlighted the vulnerability of Confederate coastal defenses.

New Orleans served as the Confederacy's largest city with 168,675 residents in 1860. The city's location at the mouth of the Mississippi River created a critical commercial crossroads for:

• Controlling maritime trade routes to international markets
• Processing 60% of Confederate cotton exports
• Managing river traffic from the American heartland
• Distributing military supplies throughout the South
• Operating the largest Confederate port facility

The Mississippi River network connected New Orleans to major Confederate strongholds:

• Memphis, Tennessee
• Vicksburg, Mississippi
• Baton Rouge, Louisiana
• Port Hudson, Louisiana

Economic Impact	Statistics (1860)
Annual Cotton Exports	$200 million
Port Revenue	$160 million
Ships Processed	2,000+ vessels
Warehouse Capacity	750,000 bales

The city's industrial capacity supported Confederate military operations through:

• 6 iron foundries producing artillery
• 3 shipyards constructing warships
• 18 factories manufacturing military supplies
• 2 major railroad terminals
• Multiple ammunition depots

Confederate forces established defensive positions around New Orleans including:

• Fort Jackson on the west bank

• Fort St. Philip on the east bank

• River obstacles including chains

• Artillery batteries along both shores

• Floating defensive barriers

• A vital supply distribution center

• The South's primary international port

• A major manufacturing hub

• The gateway to the Confederate heartland

• A critical transportation nexus

Admiral David Farragut commanded a powerful Union naval force of 24 wooden ships to capture New Orleans in April 1862. The campaign demonstrated innovative naval warfare tactics and marked a turning point in Union control of the Mississippi River.

The Union fleet consisted of 17 gunboats 7 steam-powered sloops-of-war equipped with 200 guns. Farragut's flagship, the USS Hartford, carried 24 nine-inch Dahlgren guns plus two 20-pound Parrott rifles. The West Gulf Blockading Squadron included:

• Steam-powered vessels modified for shallow-water operations
• Mortar boats that launched explosive shells at Confederate fortifications
• Supply ships carrying ammunition coal provisions
• Armed paddle wheelers for close-shore combat

The Union fleet executed a daring night passage past Confederate fortifications on April 24, 1862. Key tactical elements included:

• Using chain-wrapped hulls to deflect Confederate cannon fire

• Deploying mortar boats to bombard Forts Jackson St. Philip

• Cutting through river obstacles including:

• Iron chains spanning the Mississippi

• Floating barriers

• Anchored rafts

Defense Point	Confederate Guns	Union Ships Passed	Casualties
Fort Jackson	74 guns	17 vessels	37 Union
Fort St. Philip	52 guns	15 vessels	123 Confederate

The fleet outmaneuvered Confederate ironclads rams while maintaining formation under heavy fire. Farragut's forces destroyed 8 Confederate vessels secured control of the lower Mississippi River approach to New Orleans.

Following Admiral Farragut's successful naval assault, New Orleans faced imminent capture by Union forces in April 1862, leading to a dramatic series of events that transformed the city's control.

Confederate Major General Mansfield Lovell ordered the evacuation of New Orleans on April 25, 1862, recognizing the city's indefensible position. The Confederate forces destroyed $6 million worth of military supplies, cotton bales, tobacco stores to prevent Union seizure. Civilian authorities burned 15 incomplete warships in the shipyards, including the ironclad CSS Mississippi. The evacuation involved:

• Moving 4,000 Confederate troops northward to Camp Moore
• Destroying 12 riverside warehouses containing military provisions
• Relocating government documents to safety in Jackson, Mississippi
• Evacuating Confederate naval personnel to Memphis, Tennessee

Union forces established control of New Orleans on May 1, 1862, after Captain Theodorus Bailey demanded the city's surrender. Key events included:

• Deployment of 2,500 Union infantry troops under General Benjamin Butler
• Removal of the Confederate flag from City Hall
• Installation of a Union military government in the Custom House
• Establishment of 6 strategic military checkpoints throughout the city

Impact Area	Statistics
Military Assets Seized	37 ships, 200 cannon
Port Control	12 wharves secured
Economic Assets	$3.5M in gold reserves captured
Military Personnel	6,000 Union troops deployed for control

The capture of New Orleans inflicted severe damage on Confederate military capabilities through the loss of essential resources, industrial capacity and strategic positioning. The impact reverberated throughout the remaining Confederate territories, fundamentally altering the balance of power in the Civil War.

The loss of New Orleans devastated Confederate commerce by disrupting the flow of goods through the Mississippi River. Cotton exports dropped by 95% from pre-war levels, depriving the Confederacy of $190 million in annual revenue. The capture eliminated access to 12 major munitions factories, 3 ironworks facilities and 4 naval shipyards that produced critical military supplies. International trade through New Orleans ceased entirely, cutting off vital supply routes for weapons, medicine and manufactured goods from European trading partners.

Union control of New Orleans transformed the strategic landscape of the Civil War's western theater. The capture provided the Union with a fortified base housing 15,000 troops to launch operations deeper into Confederate territory. Federal gunboats gained unrestricted access to patrol 400 miles of the lower Mississippi River, splitting Confederate forces east and west. The loss forced the Confederacy to divert 8 infantry regiments and 3 cavalry units from other fronts to defend remaining Mississippi River positions, weakening their military presence elsewhere. Union forces captured 200 heavy cannons, 37 ships and $3.5 million in gold reserves, significantly depleting Confederate military resources.

Union control of New Orleans transformed daily life for its 168,675 residents through strict military governance and social reforms. The occupation period marked significant changes in the city's administration, economy and social structure.

General Benjamin Butler assumed control as military governor of New Orleans on May 1, 1862, implementing strict policies to maintain order. Butler established martial law, required loyalty oaths from citizens and seized property from Confederate sympathizers. His administration:

• Instituted quarantine measures reducing yellow fever deaths by 90%

• Created public works programs employing 6,000 residents

• Established a food distribution system feeding 32,000 people

• Regulated currency by banning Confederate money

• Imposed a 10 PM curfew enforced by 15,000 Union troops

• Confiscated $800,000 in property from Confederate supporters

• Emancipation of 15,000 enslaved people in the city

• Integration of 24 public spaces previously segregated

• Opening of 12 schools for freed African Americans

• Establishment of 5 Union-controlled newspapers

• Creation of 3 military hospitals employing local women

• Formation of 2 Black military units with 3,000 soldiers

• Increased economic opportunities for working-class citizens

• Implementation of new sanitation regulations reducing disease by 60%

Social Impact Statistics	Pre-Occupation (1861)	During Occupation (1863)
Enslaved Population	15,000	0
Public Schools	35	47
Newspapers	8	5
Military Presence	4,000	15,000
Disease Mortality Rate	100%	40%

• New Orleans was captured by Union forces on April 25, 1862, when Admiral David Farragut led a successful naval assault on the city
• As the Confederacy's largest city and busiest port, New Orleans was strategically crucial for controlling the Mississippi River and international trade routes
• The Union fleet of 24 wooden ships broke through Confederate defenses at Fort Jackson and Fort St. Philip in a daring nighttime operation
• Confederate forces evacuated the city and destroyed $6 million worth of military supplies before Union troops took control on May 1, 1862
• The capture severely impacted the Confederate war effort by disrupting supply lines, eliminating access to munitions factories, and cutting off vital international trade
• Under Union occupation led by General Benjamin Butler, the city underwent significant social changes including emancipation of enslaved people and establishment of new public works programs

The capture of New Orleans stands as one of the most pivotal moments in the American Civil War. The Union's bold naval strategy under Admiral Farragut dealt a devastating blow to Confederate military and economic power. Taking control of this vital port city disrupted the South's commercial lifeline cutting off essential supplies and fundamentally altering the war's trajectory.

The subsequent Union occupation brought dramatic changes to New Orleans transforming it from a Confederate stronghold into a base for Union operations. These events showcase how control of a single strategic location can shift the balance of power and reshape the course of history. The fall of New Orleans proved to be a turning point that accelerated the Union's path to victory.