fleet
pressed steadily up the river. The Confederate boats were destroyed,
the fire-rafts were overcome, the gunners of the forts were driven
from their guns, and when the sun rose Farragut was above the forts
with the whole of his fleet, except the _Itasca, Winona_, and
_Kennebec_, which put back disabled, and the _Varuna_, sunk by the
Confederate gunboats. The next afternoon, having made short work
of Chalmette, Farragut anchored off New Orleans, and held the town
at his mercy.

The casualties were 37 killed and 147 wounded, in all 184. The
Confederate loss was 50, 11 killed and 39 wounded. The _Louisiana,
McCrea_, and _Defiance_, sole survivors of the Confederate fleet,
escaping comparatively unhurt, took refuge under the walls of Fort
St. Philip.

Leaving Phelps, with the 30th Massachusetts and 12th Connecticut
and Manning's 4th Massachusetts battery, at the head of the passes,
in order to be prepared to occupy the works immediately on their
surrender, Butler hastened with the rest of his force to Sable
Island in the rear of Fort St. Philip. When the transports came
to anchor on the morning of the 26th, the Confederate flags on
Forts St. Philip and Jackson were plainly visible to the men on
board, while these, in their turn, were seen from the forts. Here
the troops received the news of Farragut's arrival at New Orleans.
On the morning of the 28th they saw the Confederate ram _Louisiana_
blown up while floating past the forts, and on the same day Jones
landed with the 26th Massachusetts and Paine with two companies of
the 4th Wisconsin and a detachment of the 21st Indiana, to work
their way through a small canal to Quarantine, six miles above Fort
St. Philip, for the purpose of seizing the narrow strip by which
the garrison must escape, if at all. This was only accomplished
by a long and tiresome transport in boats, and finally by wading.
However, at half-past two on the afternoon of the 28th April, the
Confederate flags over Forts Jackson and St. Philip were observed
to disappear; the national ensign floated in their stead; and soon
it became known that Duncan had surrendered to Porter.

Porter immediately took possession and held it until Phelps came
up the river to relieve him. Then Major Whittemore, of the 30th
Massachusetts, with about two hundred men of his regiment, landed
and took command at Fort St. Philip, while Manning occupied Fort
Jackson. Almost simultaneously the frigate _Mississippi_ ca