▁Orleans ▁and ▁converted ▁into ▁r ams ▁to ▁defend ▁that ▁city . ▁Kn own ▁as ▁the ▁" R iver ▁Def ense ▁Fle et ", ▁it ▁was ▁split ▁in ▁two ▁when ▁the ▁Confeder ate ▁hold ings ▁on ▁the ▁river ▁became ▁threatened ▁from ▁both ▁the ▁north ▁and ▁the ▁G ulf ▁of ▁Mexico . ▁Six ▁were ▁retained ▁below ▁New ▁Orleans ▁to ▁face ▁the ▁fleet ▁of ▁David ▁G . ▁Far rag ut , ▁while ▁eight ▁were ▁sent ▁up ▁to ▁M emph is ▁to ▁block ▁the ▁Union ▁descent ▁down ▁the ▁river . ▁S ending ▁them ▁this ▁far ▁north ▁did ▁not ▁viol ate ▁their ▁original ▁purpose , ▁as ▁M emph is ▁was ▁regarded ▁as ▁a ▁shield ▁for ▁New ▁Orleans . ▁The ▁northern ▁( M emph is ) ▁section ▁was ▁commanded ▁overall ▁by ▁James ▁E . ▁Mont gom ery , ▁a ▁river bo at ▁captain ▁in ▁civil ian ▁life . ▁The ▁other ▁boats ▁were ▁also ▁commanded ▁by ▁former ▁civil ian ▁river bo at ▁capt ains , ▁selected ▁by ▁Mont gom ery , ▁and ▁with ▁no ▁military ▁training . ▁Once ▁under ▁way , ▁Mont gom ery ' s ▁command ▁ceased , ▁and ▁the ▁r ams ▁operated ▁independently . ▁The ▁fut ility ▁of ▁this ▁arrangement ▁was ▁recognized ▁immediately ▁by ▁military ▁men , ▁but ▁their ▁protest s ▁were ▁dis reg arded . ▁Furthermore , ▁the ▁capt ains ▁would ▁neither ▁learn ▁how ▁to ▁handle ▁the ▁guns ▁themselves , ▁nor ▁assign ▁crew ▁members ▁to ▁the ▁task , ▁so ▁gun ▁cre ws ▁had ▁to ▁be ▁drawn ▁from ▁the ▁Confeder ate ▁Army . ▁The ▁g unn ers ▁were