and
other gunboats of the fleet. Several of the gunboats were considerably
injured, but none of them lost except the Varuna. The Itasca, Winona,
and Kennebec were disabled and obliged to fall back. Thirteen of the
seventeen vessels composing Flag-officer Farragut's squadron were able
to pass in safety these forts, and had defeated a rebel fleet,
destroying thirteen of their gunboats and rams, and the iron-clad
Manassas, and compelling the remainder to shelter themselves under the
guns of the forts. The entire loss of the Union squadron was but 36
killed and 135 wounded.

The gallant flag-officer now ascended the river, encountering slight
opposition from the Chalmette batteries, about three miles below New
Orleans; but they were silenced in twenty minutes, and at noon of
April 25th, he lay in front of the city, and demanded its surrender.
Four days later the forts were surrendered to Captain Porter, and
General Butler came up the river to arrange for landing his troops,
and taking possession of the conquered city. Meantime, Farragut had
ascended the river above the city to Carrolton, where had been erected
some strong works to oppose the progress of Flag-officer Foote, should
he descend the river. These, on the approach of the gunboats, were
abandoned, and their guns spiked. They were destroyed.

New Orleans being safely in the possession of the Union forces,
Flag-officer Farragut ascended the Mississippi, and on June 27th ran
his vessels safely past the rebel batteries at Vicksburg, and
communicated with Flag-officer Davis, then commanding the Mississippi
squadron, and arranged for a joint attack upon Vicksburg. The attack
failed, because the bluffs at Vicksburg were too high to be
effectively bombarded by the gunboats, and the capture of the city
required the co-operation of a land force. He therefore repassed the
batteries in safety on July 15th, and descending the river, made
Pensacola the head-quarters of his squadron. On July 11th, the rank of
rear-admiral, having been created in accordance with the
recommendation of a committee of Congress, Captain Farragut was
advanced to that rank, and placed first on the list for his
meritorious conduct in the capture of New Orleans. He also received
the thanks of both houses of Congress. In the autumn of 1862 he
directed the naval attacks on Corpus Christi, Sabine Pass, and
Galveston, which resulted in the capture of those points. In his
duties as the commander of a block