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The Richmond had been stopped | unwilling conscripts, who improved

on her course by a shot through her steam-drum, and lost 8 killed and 7 wounded. The Kineo was disabled by a shot through her rudder; Capt. McKinstry, of the Monongahela, was badly wounded. Several of our vessels carried ugly marks thereafter; but the loss of the Mississippi, with her splendid armament of 21 large guns and 2 howitzers, was our principal disaster.

Gen. Banks returned forthwith to Baton Rouge; his immediate object being accomplished; while he judged the force holding the Port entirely too strong" to be besieged by his little army—a point whereon Gen. Halleck deems him in error. Our columns were again impelled westward to Brashear City and thence across Berwick's Bay;" the main body moving thence on Franklin, while Gen. Grover's division was sent by transports up the Atchafalaya and Grand Lake to Irish Bend, above Fort Bisland, where he effected a landing with great difficulty-the water being shallow for over a mile from shore, precluding his expected cöoperation in Gen. Banks's movement. Here he was soon attacked with vigor, but held his ground and beat off the enemy. Still, the attack sufficed to keep open the road for Gen. Dick Taylor, who, evacuating Fort Bisland, and burning several steamboats, retreated on Opelousas; making a brief stand at Vermilion Bayou, and losing heavily, as he reports, by desertion and straggling much of his force being made up of

20 He says, in his official report, citing Brig. Gen. W. W. R. Beall, of the garrison, as his authority:

"The strength of the enemy at Port Hudson was then believed to be from 18,000 to 20,000.

every opportunity to escape and return to their homes. Taylor reports his men at but 4,000 in all, and blames his subordinate, Gen. Sibley, for persistent disobedience of orders and other unsoldierly conduct. During his retreat, the famous Queen of the West was assailed by our gunboats in Grand Lake, whither she had worked her way down the Atchafalaya from Red river, and destroyed; her crew being made prisoners.

Banks was delayed by Taylor's burning, as he fled, the bridges over the many bayous and sluggish watercourses of this region; but he entered Opelousas in triumph on the same day" that our gunboats, under Lt.Com'g A. P. Cooke, captured Butte à la Rose, opening the Atchafalaya to Red river; so that communication was reestablished," through the gunboat Arizona, with Admiral Farragut, at the mouth of that stream. And now a new advance was rapidly made" by our army to Alexandria; Taylor, evacuating Fort De Russy, again retreating on Shreveport without a fight; while Admiral Porter the river with his fleet, and Louisiana, save its north-west corner, was virtually restored, or subjugated, as you will. Gen. Banks sent Weitzel, with a part of his army, on the track of the flying Rebels, nearly to Grand Ecore; when Taylor's force was so reduced that it did not seem worth farther pursuit; and he was unable to retake the field for weeks. Banks reports his captures in this campaign at 2,000 prisoners and 22 It is now known, with absolute certainty, that the garrison, on the night of the 14th of March, 1863, was not less than 16,000 effective troops.' 22 April 20.

came up

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April 9-10. 23 May 2.

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May 5-9.

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BANKS INVESTS PORT HUDSON.

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guns; while he had seized 2 and de- | be in position either to defend New stroyed 8 Rebel steamers, beside three Orleans below, or to rëenforce, in an gunboats. An intercepted letter emergency, or be rëenforced by, showed that Taylor had purposed to Grant above. And Grant, on hearattack Brashear City the day prior ing all the facts as set forth by Gen. to our advance to and attack on Fort Dwight, heartily concurred in this Bisland. decision; offering to send Banks 5,000 men so soon as he could spare them. Gen. Banks, directly after Dwight's return to Alexandria, put " his army

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marching by land to Simmsport, where they were with difficulty ferried across the Atchafalaya, and moved down the right bank of the Mississippi till opposite Bayou Sara, where they crossed," and, marching 15 miles next day, proceeded forthwith to invest Port Hudson from the north; while Gen. C. C. Augur, with 3,500 men from Baton Rouge, in like manner invested it on the south.

Gen. Banks had been notified by Admiral Farragut, while at Brashear City, that Gen. Grant-then at his wits' end before Vicksburg-would in motion; sending all he had transspare him 20,000 men for a move-portation for by water; the residue ment on Port Hudson-a proffer which was soon afterward, and most fortunately, retracted. Grant's plan was to join teams and help Banks reduce Port Hudson, when the latter should help him reduce Vicksburg: an arrangement to which Gen. B. very gladly assented. Grant's corps designed to cöoperate against Port Hudson was to be at Bayou Sara May 25th; but on the 12th Banks was advised by letter " from Grant that he had crossed the Mississippi in force, and had entered on his campaign which proved so successful. Of course, he had now no corps to spare, but proposed instead that Banks should join him in his movement against Vicksburg. This the latter was obliged to decline, lacking the required transportation, and not daring to leave New Orleans and all we held in Louisiana at the mercy of the strong Rebel garrison of Port Hudson, of whose batteries Farragut had recently had so sore an experience; to say nothing of Dick Taylor's return, strongly rëenforced, from the side of Texas. So Banks, sending Gen. Wm. Dwight to Grant to explain his position, wisely decided to move with all his available force against Port Hudson, where he could

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Gen. Gardner, commanding at Port Hudson, sent Col. Miles to resist their junction behind his fastness by striking Augur on his march; but he was repulsed with a loss of 150 men ; while our right wing above, under Gens. Weitzel, Grover, and Dwight, drove the garrison, after a sharp fight, within their outer line of intrenchments. The next day," they joined hands with Augur behind the Rebel works, and the investment of the Port, save on the side of the river, was complete.

Reports being current that the enemy had withdrawn-that there was only a handful of them left behind their works, &c.-Banks, after thorough reconnoissance and giving time for preparation, gave the order for a general assault. That assault May 25.

27 Night of May 23.

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BANKS'S ASSAULT ON PORT HUDSON.

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its guns. In this day's fight, the fleet | Gen. Banks was justified in accordprobably did the greater execution ing especial commendation to these; on the Rebels, whose attention was mainly absorbed by the land attack: its fire dismounting several of their heavy guns, and taking in reverse their landward defenses.

Never was fighting more heroic than that of our army, assailing nearly equal numbers behind strong defenses, approached only through almost impassable abatis, swept by Rebel shell and grape. If valor could have triumphed over such odds, they would have carried the works; but only abject cowardice or pitiable imbecility could have lost such a position to so small an army; and the Rebels also fought well. We gained ground on both flanks; holding it thereafter on the north, where two negro regiments (1st and 3d Louisiana) vied with the bravest : making three desperate charges on Rebel batteries, losing heavily, but maintaining their position in the hottest forefront to the close. The 1st Louisiana (colored) Engineers were also on trial that day, and justified the most sanguine expectations by their good conduct. Not that they fought better than our White veterans they did not, and could not: but there had been so much incredulity avowed as to negro courage, so much wit lavished on the idea of negroes fighting to any purpose, that

saying, "No troops could be more determined or more daring." The conflict closed about sunset.

We lost in this desperate struggle 293 killed, including Cols. Clarke, 6th Michigan, D. S. Cowles, 128th New York (transfixed by a bayonet), Payne, 2d Louisiana, and Chapin, 30th Mass., with 1,549 wounded, among whom were Gen. T. W. Sherman, severely, and Gen. Neal Dow, slightly. The Rebel loss was of course much less-probably not 300 in all.”

There was a truce next day to enable us to bury our dead; after which, our soldiers addressed themselves in sober earnest to the arduous labor of digging and battering their way into the works which had proved impervious to their more impetuous endeavor. This was no holiday task, under the torrid sun of a Southern June, with Rebel sharp-shooters close at hand, ever on the keen watch for chances to obey the Donnybrook injunction, 'Wherever you see a head, hit it;' but our boys worked with a will; and soon the pick and spade were pushing zig-zag trenches up to the Rebel works; while the heavy guns of our batteries, alternating their thunders with those of the fleet, gave fresh illustrations of the truth that 'there is no peace for the wicked.""

* Gen. Banks reported that the 15th Arkan--it opened at daybreak. The fight has been Bas, out of a total of 292, lost during the siege 132; of whom 76 fell this day.

"The following extracts from the diary of a Rebel soldier (John A. Kennedy, 1st Alabama), who was captured while endeavoring to make his way out through our lines with a letter in cipher from Gardner to Jo. Johnston, gives the most vivid inside view of the siege:

"May 29.-The fight continued until long after night yesterday evening. The fight has opened

very warm to-day. I received a shot in the foot, but it is slight. The Yanks attempted to charge the works, but was repulsed. It has clouded up and is raining. We have a muddy time a very wet time for sleeping.

"May 30.-The fight opened at daylight. Our company has three wounded in the hospital. The Yanks have been sharp-shooting all day. We have lost but one man belonging to company B. The Yanks are building rifle-pitsthey fire very close. I have been sharp-shooting some to-day. The boys are very lively.

Gen. Banks's position was far from | chance (if shot) of going to heaven. enviable. His small army-now There were some 2,500 Rebel cavalry scarcely numbering 12,000 effective in close proximity to his rear, in admen—was isolated in a thinly settled, dition to the garrison of 6,000 or partially devastated, exhausted, and in- over in his front; his necessary contensely hostile region. It was largely centration for this siege had left composed of nine-months men, whose nearly all Louisiana open to Dick terms of service had expired or Taylor, who would inevitably rëtrace would soon expire, whose hearts his steps across the country out of yearned toward loved ones far away, which he had so lately been driven, and who decidedly preferred a sure capturing and conscripting by the prospect of going home to their way; and he might, very possibly, "May 31.-We had a very hot time last night. enforcements. I shall go to the breastworks We have quit living like men and are living like this morning. The Yanks are still popping hogs. The Yanks have built rifle-pits with port-away from their rifle-pits. One of company B holes. Our battery was silenced this morning; was killed to-day while looking over the breast5 of company A was wounded. Our regiment work. It is very, very hot, and we have lain in has lost 26 killed and 40 or 50 wounded. the ditch all day. have been relieved from our position by Miles's Legion. We will return to our position, I guess, to-morrow, The Yanks are shelling from the lower fleet. Ten of us are going at a time to camps to get clean clothes.

We

"June 1.-I was on guard last night. The Yanks shelled us last night, but did no damage. Sam Hagin and Bob Bailey was killed by a rifle cannon-shot this morning. The Yanks are still sharp-shooting, also using their artillery. They have dismounted all our guns. They are the best artillerists I ever saw. The lower fleet has pitched us a few shots from Long Tom.

"June 2.-The lower fleet shelled us last night. I am a little unwell this morning. There has not been much fighting to-day. The artillery is booming occasionally, and the sharp-shooters are still popping away. The Yanks threw a few balls at one of our batteries near us to-day. It is reported that we have reenforcements between Clinton and Osica.

"June 3.-The Yanks has been shooting all around us to-day. The Hessions seem to be rather afraid to attempt to storm our works again; but seem rather inclined to starve us out. I hope we will receive reenforcements in time to prevent it. Heaven help us!

"June 4.-I am very unwell this morning. The lower fleet shelled us last night. The shells made the boys hunt a place of safety; such as ditches, rat-holes, trees, etc. We are going to our old position. I am sick at camp.

"June 5.-We are still besieged by the Yanks. Another day has passed and no reenforcements. Sim Herring was wounded in the head to-day. The Yanks are still sharp-shooting, also using their artillery with but little effect. We hear a great many different reports.

"June 6.-The river is falling very fast. It is very, very hot weather. Several shots from 'Whistling Dick' came over our camp to-day. Sewell is shelling the Yanks. I expect to go to the breastworks in the morning. Several of the boys are at Camp, sick.

"June 7.-Another day has dawned and no re

"June 8.-The Yanks began to sharp-shoot at daybreak. We had two men killed yesterday. I am afraid some of our company will get shot next. Another day has dawned and no reenforcements, but I hope we will receive them soon. The Yanks have been shelling our breastworks, but no damage done. It is very disagreeable sitting in these dirty ditches--but this the Confederate sold er expects and bears cheerfully; but another long hot day has passed, and who knows what may be our situation at this time to-morrow evening?

"June 9.-The Yanks attempted a charge last evening but was repulsed. Whistling Dick is at work to-day; it has played a full hand, too. Whistling Dick is tearing our camps all to pieces. Charley Dixon and Berry Hagin was wounded by fragments of our cook shelter, which was shot down. Our sick has been removed to the ravine. It is difficult to get something to eat. The Yankee artillery is playing upon us all around. The Heshians burned our commissary with a shell to-day.

"June 10.-Another day and night has passed, and this poor, worn-out garrison has received no assistance. We have lain in the ditches twenty days, and still there is no prospect of succorbut I truly hope we will soon receive reenforcements. The men is getting sick very fast. The Yankee artillery is keeping a dreadful noise. I and Mormon have been detailed for some extra duty. The Hessions gave us a few rounds as we were crossing the field. I received dispatches from the General in person.

"June 11.-The Yanks used their artillery at a tremendous rate last night. I went to or attempted to visit Col. Steedman's headquarters. I had a gay time trying to find them; falling in ravines, etc. I was in a hot place, shure. We captured a Yankee Captain and Lieutenant last night. The Yanks seemed disposed to make a general assault last night."

At this point, the journal suddenly stops; the author having been taken prisoner.

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