Washington's birthday was celebrated yesterday with as much effect as we had the means of. The artillery woke up the natives at daybreak with a "baker's dozen," and in the afternoon fired a regular national salute on the public square. 

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In the evening a ball was given by the gallant City Troop to their many friends, civil and military, in the new Odd Fellows' Hall, enlivened with a magnificent supper. Ana a right joyous gathering they made.  The "upper ten" were collected together at the mansion of one of the cotton lords on Government St. to join in a masquerade...At the theater too, the crowd was immense, and yet the "night owl" in the play had not all the whooping to itself, for the streets were noisy with whoop and shout until the noon of night. 

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Times Picayune, February 23, 1854