ely fail to cause surprise that so many of them
were so small. Of 109 in the two works, 56 were 24-pounders. The truth
is that the Confederacy was very badly off for cannon, and the
authorities in Richmond had their minds firmly made up that the great
and dangerous attack was to come from above. General Lovell,
commanding the department, begged hard for heavy cannon, but to no
avail; not only were all available sent north, but constant drafts
were made upon the supplies he himself had. New Orleans, the central
point which he was called on to defend, was approachable, not only by
the Mississippi, but through a dozen bayous which, from Pearl River
on the east to the Atchafalaya Bayou on the west, gave access to firm
ground above Forts St. Philip and Jackson, and even above the city.
Works already existing to cover these approaches had to be armed, and
new works in some cases erected, constituting, in connection with St.
Philip and Jackson, an exterior line intended to block approach from
the sea. A second, or interior, line of works extended from the river,
about four miles below New Orleans, to the swamps on either hand, and
was carried on the east side round to Lake Ponchartrain in rear of the
city. These were for defence from a land attack by troops that might
have penetrated through any of the water approaches; and a similar
line was constructed above the city. The interior works below the
city, where they touched the river on the right bank, were known as
the McGehee, and on the left bank as the Chalmette line of batteries.
The latter was the scene of Jackson's defeat of the English in 1815.
All these works needed guns. All could not be supplied; but the
necessity of providing as many as possible taxed the general's
resources. In March, 1862, when it was determined to abandon
Pensacola, he asked for some of the X-inch columbiads that were there,
but all that could be spared from the north were sent to Mobile, where
the commanding officer refused to give them up. In addition to other
calls, Lovell had to spare some guns for the vessels purchased for the
navy on Lake Ponchartrain and for the River Defence Fleet.

General Duncan had general charge of all the works of the exterior
line, and was of course present at Plaquemine Bend during the attack.
Colonel Higgins was in command of both the forts, with headquarters at
Jackson, Captain Squires being in immediate command of St. Philip.

Auxiliary to the forts there were