The Union expedition consisted of six sloops of war, sixteen gunboats, twenty mortar schooners and five other vessels.

The _Mississippi_, upon which young Dewey was serving as a lieutenant, was under the command of Melanethon Smith.

The land troops numbered 15,000, and were in charge of General Benjamin F.Butler, of Massachusetts.
Farragut arrived in February, 1862, nearly two months after the beginning of preparations to force the river.

When everything was in readiness the fleet moved cautiously up stream, on April 18, and a bombardment of Forts St.Philip and Jackson was opened, which lasted for three days, without accomplishing anything decisive.

Farragut had carefully studied the situation, and, confident that the passage could be made, determined it should be done, no matter at what cost.