“ [248] to the coast of Mississippi.” The obstructions in the river at this time were complete, and the forts well manned. On the 8th of February, the Secretary of War wrote as follows: “The President desires that, as soon as possible, on receipt of this letter, you despatch 5,000 men to Columbus to reinforce that point, sorely threatened by largely superiour forces. New Orleans is to be defended from above, by defeating the enemy at Columbus.” Gen. Lovell replied: “I regret the necessity of sending away my only force at this particular juncture, and feel sure that it will create a great panic here, but will do my best to restore confidence by a show of strength.” On the 27th February, Gen. Lovell notified the Secretary of War that he had sent “eight regiments and two batteries from his department, besides five hundred shot guns,” and added: “People are beginning to complain that I have stripped the department so completely; but I have called upon Gov. Moore for 10,000 volunteers and militia for State service. Raw troops with double-barrelled shot guns are amply sufficient to hold our entrenchments against such troops as the enemy can send to attack them.” In the same letter he adverted to the fact that he had “furnished Gens. Johnston and Polk large supplies.” In his letter of March 6th he stated:
This Department is being completely drained of everything. We have filled requisitions for arms, men and munitions, until New Orleans is about defenceless. In return we get nothing; Mobile and Pensacola, even Galveston, are defended by ten-inch columbiads, while this city has nothing above an eight-inch, and but few of them. The fortified line about the city is complete, but I have taken ten of the guns for the navy, and sixteen for the vessels that we are fitting up for the river expedition. My reliance to defend these lines will be with militia with double-barrelled guns and 32-pound carronades. If now you take the powder from me, we shall be in no condition to resist. The only thing to provide is a sufficiency of powder, to enable us to resist a prolonged attack of ships and mortar boats upon two points, Forts Pike and Macomb, and Forts Jackson and St. Philip. If the first are passed, we still have a land defence to make; if the last, a fleet can proceed at once to the city.On the 9th, Gen. Lovell again wrote, after enumerating the troops sent away:
You will thus perceive that this Department has been completely stripped of every organized body of troops. Persons are found here who assert that I am sending away all troops so that the city may fall an easy prey to the enemy. All requisitions for ammunition have been filled, until I have none left, except what is in the hands of troops. Neither have I funds placed at my disposal to create supplies in place of those sent off. If the enemy intends an attack here, he will make it soon, and I
