How did the Union take New Orleans, and why was it an important victory?
1 Answer
The Union conquered New Orleans by naval actions. Farragut ran his ships past the Confederate forts and destroyed the Confederate navy forcing the surrender of the south most important port.
Explanation:
New Orleans was the South's most important and riches port.
The south lived by exporting cotton and sugar. The lose of New Orleans made exports much more difficult for the South.
The South thought a chain across the Mississippi River protected by two forts and a small navy would be sufficient for the defense of the city. Farragut bravely broke the chain and ran his gunboats and Navy past the forts under fire. The loses of the Union Navy were minimal and the small Confederate navy was unable to stop the advance of the Union Navy. The three thousand Confederate troops retreated in the face of 15,000 Union troops.
The conquest of New Orleans cut off the south's main port. Other southern cities of Baton Rouge , and Natchez easily fell to the Union Navy after the fall of New Orleans. The lose of these ports hurt the confederacy's ability to fight the Civil War.
