Key Facts
- Dates
- April 25 – May 1, 1862
- Duration
- 6 days
- Strategic target
- Largest city in the Confederacy
- Approach route
- Gulf of Mexico, past Forts Jackson and St. Philip
Strategic Narrative Overview
Union naval forces under David Farragut fought past the Confederate river defenses at Forts Jackson and St. Philip on April 24–25, 1862. Once through, the fleet met no significant resistance approaching the city itself. Confederate forces abandoned New Orleans rather than face the Union fleet, and the city fell on April 25. Federal troops occupied it formally by May 1, placing it under U.S. Army military governance.
01 / The Origins
By 1862, the Union sought to control the Mississippi River to split the Confederacy and disrupt its supply lines. New Orleans, the largest Confederate city and a vital port on the Gulf of Mexico, was a prime strategic objective. Confederate commanders anticipated any Union assault would come from the north, leaving the city's southern river approaches guarded primarily by Forts Jackson and St. Philip rather than a large land force.
03 / The Outcome
New Orleans came under the controversial administration of Union military governor Benjamin Butler, whose strict rule provoked deep resentment among residents. The capture opened the lower Mississippi River to Union control and shocked Confederate leadership, who had not anticipated the Gulf approach. The fall of the Confederacy's largest city was noted internationally and marked a major strategic setback for the Southern cause early in the war.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
David Farragut, Benjamin Butler.
Side B
1 belligerent
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.