Confusion led to New Orleans' capture

South's premier city falls into Federal hands as Confederate forces fail to coordinate their efforts

Date published: 9/11/2004

FREDERICKSBURG'S significance during the Civil War is tied to its proximity to the Rappahannock River. The west-to-east-flowing river, situated halfway between the opposing capitals, was a natural barrier across the path of any Federal force seeking the most direct route from Washington to Richmond.

Conversely, the mighty Mississippi River--flowing north to south--was an inviting avenue of advance for Federal forces to pierce into the heart of the Confederacy. Many sections of the river fell into Federal hands early in the war--one of the earliest was the stretch around New Orleans.

Lt. Col. Al Stratton, a member of the Rappahannock Valley Civil War Round Table who lived in New Orleans for three years, shared his interest in the battle for New Orleans with the organization at a recent meeting.

Not only was New Orleans an important landmark in the conquest of the Mississippi, but it was a key Southern city. With about 168,000 people, New Orleans boasted the largest population in the south, and was the fifth-largest city in the United States before the outbreak of the Civil War.

Next to New Orleans, Charleston and Richmond were the most populous cities in the Confederacy, yet each had less than a quarter the population of the Crescent City. It boasted significant industrial capacity, containing more machine shops and ship factories than Norfolk or Pensacola, although those ports hosted navy yards. The city was a focal point of the South in social, economic and strategic factors, but despite its importance, the Confederacy was ill-prepared to defend it.

Stratton noted that Confederate President Jefferson Davis gave more attention to the Federal army marching on Richmond during the spring of 1862 than to New Orleans. Davis also thought that the Federal threat along the Mississippi River would originate from the heartland moving south, rather than from the Gulf of Mexico moving north.

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Date published: 9/11/2004