Date: 1862.

History:

The Battle of Pass Christian, Mississippi, occurred as part of the Union strategy to blockade and occupy the Gulf Coast and New Orleans. As a result of a request by General Leonidas Polk for reinforcements at his post at Columbus, Kentucky, most of the Confederate troops in the New Orleans area and the Third Regiment, Mississippi Infantry, from the Mississippi Sound were sent to Kentucky. The Gulf Coast was left with inadequate defenses. The fort at Ship Island changed hands several times, remaining in Union possession in December of 1861, when General Benjamin Franklin Butler began amassing his forces on the island as a temporary base for attacking and occupying New Orleans.

The Third Regiment returned to the Gulf Coast in January of 1862. After a storm in March of 1862, a Union schooner rescued a four-year-old girl from the waters of the Mississippi Sound. Flying a flag of truce, a small crew returned her to shore at Biloxi, Mississippi, on April 1. As they returned to Ship Island, their boat ran aground upon a shoal, and they were fired upon by citizens on the shore. On April 2, General Butler ordered the Ninth Regiment, Connecticut Infantry, commanded by Colonel Thomas W. Cahill, and the Everett Battery to land on shore, investigate the matter, and procure an apology from the mayor of Biloxi. The expeditionary force included about 1,200 men. Biloxi complied with the request for an apology. While involved in this action, the Union troops received intelligence regarding the location of the camp of the Third Regiment at Pass Christian, located at the mouth of Bay St. Louis and a few miles from the Louisiana state line. The Union troops proceeded to sail westward along the shore to destroy the camp, anchoring off Pass Christian on the night of April 3.

On the morning of April 4, 1862, the New London and two other Union gunboats were spotted by Confederate lookouts. The Carondelet and other Confederate gunboats approached and opened fire. The Union gunboats fended off the attack and the Confederate boats retreated, although actual damages and casualties on both sides are inconclusive. As the Union gunboats drew near the shore, the Confederates attempted to burn the wharf to prevent their landing. The Union forces mistook the smoke for a battery, and opened fire on Pass Christian. A few houses suffered heavy damage, but no civilians were injured. When the Union forces landed, the Confederate forces put up a minimal defense and then retreated, losing some men to capture and drowning. The Union forces burned their camp, destroyed their horses, and captured their flag. Other detachments cut the overland telegraph lines and the submerged telegraph cable connecting Mobile to New Orleans. The Union soldiers apparently suffered only light casualties. The Union commanding officers applauded their men for their soldierly conduct. Despite months of camp life on Ship Island, the attacking soldiers did not take any private property or harm any civilians. After the skirmish, the Union forces did not occupy the town of Pass Christian, so the Confederate forces were later able to return. Yet, ultimately, the Gulf Coast was lost to the Union blockade.

Colonel Cahill and the Ninth Regiment also fought at Magnolia Cemetery, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, when Confederate forces attempted to regain the state capital on August 5, 1862. Cahills commanding officer, Brigadier General Thomas Williams, was killed in the battle and Cahill assumed command of the Union forces for that battle. Cahill fell back to a secured Union line nearer the city and repelled the Confederate forces.

Scope and Content:

This collection contains a sixteen-page photocopy of the official report by Thomas W. Cahill, colonel of the Ninth Regiment, Connecticut Infantry, United States Army, which was involved in the campaign to secure the Gulf Coast and New Orleans. The Ninth Regiment and the Everett Battery were the only troops assigned to the actions at Biloxi and Pass Christian; they worked with the naval personnel on board the Union gunboats, Jackson, Lewis, and New London. Cahill prefaces the sequence of events by describing the verbal order given him by General Butler to ready his troops for transport from Ship Island to Biloxi with one hours notice. Cahill then recounts the exact commands he gave his regiment, describes the efficiency with which his soldiers executed his orders, and summarizes the aftermath of the skirmishes, including the capture of the flag of the Third Regiment, Mississippi Infantry, other small arms, and some musical instruments. Cahill concludes his report with personnel matters. The report particularly emphasizes more specific battle details and civilian interactions than many other official Union and Confederate records.

 

Series Identification:

Series 1: Report. 1862. 0.10 c.f.