Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 23.djvu/192

 186 Southern Historical Society Papers.

barous communication from Commodore Farragut, demanding that we should surrender and haul down our State flag and hoist the Yan- kee flag over our public buildings. It was the same demand as be- fore renewed, but the ultimatum of the bombardment of the city, if we still refused and continued so to do for forty-eight hours, from 12 M. of yesterday. The mayor made them at the time only a verbal answer, reaffirming what he had before said, that the people would never consent to such an act of humiliation. They then re- turned to their ships. At about 5 o'clock in the afternoon, the crowds on the levee were startled by the approach of the Yankee boats and the landing by them of one of our citizens. He would have been torn to pieces by the mob had not a company of the European Brigade arrived promptly on the spot. They took him in charge, and carried him and locked him up in the police-station, just above the City Hall. His name is Nolan, I think, and it seems that when the Yanks had been ashore in the fore part of the day, just as they were pushing off, he jumped into their midst and went with them to Hartford. I cannot imagine their reason for so doing, but they set him ashore again. As they did so, they said to him : " Don't you be afraid. If they harm you, we will fix them." He is a barkeeper, I hear. It yet remains to be seen what is to be done. During the rest of the day and evening, the talk on the streets and at the homes was in relation to the threat of the Federal commodore to shell us on Wednesday (the 3Oth) at 12 M.) All agreed that it was better to be shelled and killed than to lower our honor by giving up to their cruel demand. The ladies of New Orleans signed a peti- tion and handed it to the mayor, requesting him not to give up to the demands of the Yankees. Nothing further occurred on yesterday. To-day, at about n or 12 o'clock, the Federals came on shore, and under a strong guard of two or three Howitzers well-manned, and three hundred or more marines armed cap-a-pie, hoisted their bunting on the. mint and post-office. They then proceeded to the City Hall, where they brought their Howitzers into position in front of the Hall on St. Charles street. They stationed their three hun- dred men with loaded muskets just inside the square in two ranks, back to back and about two feet between each rank. Then an officer with a guard of four men ascended into the City Hall, and mounting to the top, lowered the flag of the independent State of Louisiana. It was an unwarrantable act, and the people hissed and groaned and showed that they were not overcome by the presence of soldiery. The above step was taken by Commodore Farragut, as he stated in