was far less than satisfactory, but Lovell,
given to drinking and boasting, made it clear
to the Southern press that the city could be
held.
On April 8, 1862, a fleet under Adm. David
G. Farragut and Cmdr. David D. Porter ap-
peared in the mouth of the river, apparently
intent upon capturing New Orleans. For two
days, Porter’s gunboats pounded Fort Jack-
son with little success. Their failure prompted
Farragut to run past the forts at night, which
was brilliantly accomplished on April 24,
- Having then landed a large army under
Gen. Benjamin F. Butler, the fleet proceeded
upstream and pulled up alongside the unpro-
tected city. Lovell, realizing the hopelessness
of his situation, promptly evacuated his
troops and marched north. He was roundly
criticized in the Confederate press, but sev-
eral military figures, especially Gen. Robert
E. Lee, testified to the correctness of his
withdrawal. A court of inquiry also cleared
him of responsibility for the loss of New Or-
leans, but a whispering campaign about his al-
leged disloyalty continued.
By the fall of 1862, Lovell was in charge of I
Corps in the army of Gen. Earl Van Dornand
also posted as his second command. On Octo-
ber 3–4, 1862, Van Dorn attempted to retake
the strategic railroad junction at Corinth from
Union forces under Gen. William S. Rose-
crans. The ensuing battle was a costly and
confusing affair for the Confederates. On the
second day, Van Dorn ordered Lovell, who
commanded the right wing, to attack superior
Union forces in prepared positions. It was a
reckless gamble, preordained to failure and
heavy losses, so Lovell disobeyed to save the
lives of his men. However, two other Confed-
erate divisions went in unsupported and lost
heavily; Van Dorn then charged Lovell with in-
subordination. He partially redeemed himself
by performing useful work covering the Con-
federate withdrawal from Coffeeville, but he
was subsequently relieved. Lovell had lost the
respect of Confederate authorities, and even
his men began derisively singing the “New
Ballad of Lord Lovell,” which satirized the
loss of New Orleans—and their general’s
fondness for liquor. He consequently re-
mained without a field command for the rest
of the war. Despite repeated entreaties by
Gen. Joseph E. Johnstonand John Bell
Hood, the Confederate war department re-
fused to grant Lovell any significant responsi-
bilities. However, he did manage to secure a
post as a volunteer aide on Johnston’s staff
and served well throughout the Atlanta cam-
paign. In March 1865, General Lee formally re-
quested that Lovell received command of a
corps, and the government relented. The war
ended before he could arrive at headquarters.
Lovell relocated to Georgia after the war,
where he lived as a rice farmer. When his es-
tate was wiped out by floods, he returned to
New York City and accepted various positions
in surveying and engineering. He died there
on June 1, 1884, a talented general but under-
utilized by a government that never really
trusted him.See also
Hood, John Bell; Johnston, Joseph E.; Lee, Robert E.Bibliography
Cozzens, Peter. The Darkest Days of the War: Iuka
and Corinth.Chapel Hill: University of North Car-
olina Press, 1997; Hearn, Chester G.The Capture of
New Orleans.Baton Rouge: Louisiana State Univer-
sity Press, 1995; Heleniak, Roman J., and Lawrence
L. Hewitt, eds. The 1989 Deep Delta Civil War
Symposium: Leadership During the Civil War.
Shippensburg, PA: White Mane, 1992; Smith, Brier
R. Major General Mansfield Lovell and the Fall of
New Orleans: The Downfall of a Career.Memphis,
TN: Memphis Pink Palace Museum, 1973; Suther-
land, Daniel L. “Mansfield Lovell’s Quest for Jus-
tice: Another Look at the Fall of New Orleans.”
Louisiana History24 (1987): 233–259; Wakefield,
John F., ed. Battle of Corinth.Florence, AL: Honors
Press, 2000.LOVELL, MANSFIELD