forts
below, making it almost certain that Butler would soon be there to
relieve him of the care of the city, and with that in prospect he was
able to quietly await the arrival of the land forces.

"The people of New Orleans believed it impossible that those forts could
be taken, and deemed it safe to indulge in their defiant attitude toward
the Federal forces already at their doors; but this unwelcome news
convinced them of the folly and danger of further resistance and
defiance of the General Government, and a sort of apology was made to
Farragut for the pulling down of the flag from the Mint; it was said to
have been the unauthorized act of the men who performed it.

"The next day Captain Bell landed with a hundred marines, hauled down
the emblems of rebellion on the Mint and Custom House, flung to the
breeze the National flag in their places, then locking the Custom House
door, carried the key to his vessel.

"There was a military organization in New Orleans, called the European
Brigade, composed of British, French, and Spanish aliens, whose
ostensible purpose was to aid the authorities in protecting the citizens
from unruly members; but now finding their occupation almost at an end,
its English members voted at their armory that, as they would have no
further use for their weapons and accoutrements, they should be sent to
Beauregard's army at Corinth, as 'a slight token of their affection for
the Confederate States.'"

"I should say that was but a poor sort of neutrality," remarked Rosie.

"So I think," responded the captain; then went on with his story.

"Only a few hours after Mumford and his mates had pulled down the flag,
Butler arrived, joined Farragut on the _Hartford_, and presently made to
the Secretary of War the report of which I have already spoken.

"He hurried back to his troops and made arrangements for their immediate
advance up the river. On the first of May he appeared before New Orleans
with his transports bearing two thousand men; the general with his wife,
his staff, and one thousand four hundred troops, was on the
_Mississippi_, the vessel in which he had sailed from Hampton Roads
sixty-five days before.

"At four o'clock on the afternoon of that day the troops began to land:
first, a company of the Thirty-first Massachusetts, presently followed
by the rest of the regiment, the Fourth Wisconsin, and Everett's battery
of heavy field guns.

"They formed in procession, acting as an escor