RECONNOISSANCE OF PORT HUDSON. his men. Returning to Port Hudson he discovered certain earthworks in progress, which he proceeded to destroy, exploding the heavy 10-inch gun of the Essex in the operation. Visiting Bayou Sara again, he was compelled, by the guerrillas who took shelter in them, to burn the remaining buildings. Following in pursuit of a rebel gunboat, which he had heard was at Natchez conveying transports with supplies from Red river, he found that the vessel in question had run for protection to the batteries at Vicksburg, whither he proceeded. At Natchez a boat's crew was sent ashore from the Essex to procure ice for the sick on board, when they were wantonly attacked by over two hundred armed citizens, wounding the officer in command, and killing one, and wounding five seamen. For this unprovoked injury, Commodore Porter immediately opened fire on the lower town, and burnt a number of houses from which he had been attacked. After an hour's bombardment, the mayor unconditionally surrendered the city. During this fire one of the 9-inch Dahlgrens of the Essex exploded. At Vicksburg Commodore Porter found the defences carried three miles further down the river than during the siege in July, and was consequently kept at a respectful distance. Returning to New Orleans for supplies, he was met off Port Hudson on the morning of the 7th of September by a vigorous fire from siege guns, which the enemy had mounted at that place. "As near as I could judge," says Commodore Porter, "they had in position from thirty-five to forty guns, of 120-pounders rifled, 10-inch smooth, 9-inch and 8-inch calibre, in three batteries, commanding the river to the extent of five miles. A 68-pound, a 32-pound, and also a 10-inch rifle ball lodged in the Essex, but without material damage. We were under fire an hour and three-quarters, during which time our guns were well and incessantly worked, and I have reason to believe 577 the enemy suffered heavily and the works were certainly in part destroyed. A land force (he presciently adds) will be necessary to complete the destruction of this fort, which, if allowed to be again restored, would seriously interrupt the free navigation of the Mississippi."* On his arrival at New Orleans, Commodore Porter took leave, in a farewell address, of the crew of the gunboat which he had made a memorable companion, in action as well as in name, to the vessel which had gained his father such distinguished laurels. "Men of the Essex," said he, "we have now been associated together on board this vessel very near one year, and during that period you have been successfully engaged with the enemy in six hard-fought battles. Your first achievement was with four of the craven rebel gun-boats, of vastly superior force, in Lucas Bend, all of which were disabled and driven below the batteries at Columbus. Your next achievement was at Fort Henry, where you led the way, and by your prowess and valor caused the surrender of that stronghold in the short space of one hour and ten minutes. At the time the Essex attacked Fort Henry she could scarcely be called an iron-clad boat; the ports were large and unprotected, and the boilers exposed, and although fourteen were wounded to death, and twenty-four wounded by steam and scalding waters, you were ready at your guns for action before the surrender of the fort. This battle was one of the most important of the war, for up to that time our forces could scarcely say that they had gained a victory. You, by your valor, turned the tide of defeat, and gave confidence to the country. For a short period the ship was under external repairs, and a large portion of this crew participated in the victories of Donelson, Columbus, Island No. 10, Fort Pillow and Memphis. When your old * Commodore Porter to Secretary Welles. September 9, 1862. and tried ship became fully equipped, you joined her at Cairo, and with your old and tried associates, entered on a new field of operations. Vicksburg felt your prowess, and while your country lasts you will be gratefully remembered for your daring and courage at that time. The crowning effort of your courage is yet to be related. For months the rebels had been building with great care a gunboat and ram up the Yazoo river; this vessel, when finished, successfully encountered and cut up three of the fleet. passed in safety two powerful fleets, and took shelter under the batteries of Vicksburg. Here she stood the fire of a large feet and escaped unhurt. The Essex ran past this heavy fort and attacked her. This, too, she stood without much injury. You were next battling away at the enemy before Baton Rouge. On the 6th of August you fought this noted Arkansas, and after an action of half an hour destroyed this formidable vessel, for which act you have received, through the honorable the Secretary of the Navy, the thanks of the country and the department. I have now to speak of one more of your feats of courage, and chronicle again your valor; it is the attack on and successful passing a battery of thirty-five guns at Port Hudson. Having now detailed your gallant conduct, it becomes my painful task to bid you the painful word, good-by, and I sincerely hope you may prove the old iron-clad Essex as good a ship under your present commander as you did under the old." A correspondence between General Phelps, whose Ship Island Proclamation we introduced to the reader at the beginning of this chapter, and General Butler, must not be passed over in a chronicle of the affairs of the department. After the first occupation of New Orleans, General Phelps was stationed a few miles above the city at Carrolton, where, carrying out his views on the subject of negro emancipation, he promptly organized three hundred Africans into five companies, and called on General Butler to arm and equip them. General Phelps saw the opportunity of supplying the needs of the war in men as General Butler had discovered the means of furnishing money from the property of the rebels. "I would recommend," he wrote to General Butler on the 30th of July, "that the cadet graduates of the present year should be sent to South Carolina and this point to organize and discipline our African levies, and that the more promising noncommissioned officers and privates of the army be appointed as company officers to command them. Prompt and energetic efforts in this direction would probably accomplish more towards a speedy termination of the war, and an early restoration of peace and amity, than any other course which could be adopted." To this General Butler, without entering upon the leading question on the policy involved, in which he did not probably even at this time differ greatly from his associate, replied, enjoining General Phelps to employ the contrabands in and about his camp in cutting down the trees to the lake and forming abatis, for which he would supply, not swords and guns, but axes. He restricted, in fact, the employment of the negroes to the mechanical labor of the camp. This did not satisfy General Phelps, who replied, that "while he was willing to prepare African regiments for the defence of the government against its assailants, he was not willing to become the mere slave driver proposed, having no qualifications in that way. He was, therefore, under the necessity of tendering the resignation of his commission as an officer of the army of the United States, and respectfully requested a leave of absence until it was accepted. While I am writing," he added, “at halfpast eight o'clock P. M., a colored man is brought in by one of the pickets, who has just been wounded in the side by a GENERAL PHELPS ON THE EMPLOYMENT OF AFRICANS. 579 charge of shot which, he says, was fired had always been taught to do as they at him by one of a party of three hare- were told." There were no slaves in hunters or guerrillas, a mile or more the regiment. General Butler had found from our line of sentinels. As it is out-he was always finding something some distance from the camp to the lake, out-that British and French subjects, the party of wood-choppers which you according to the laws of their own counhave directed will probably need a con- tries, could not rightfully hold slaves siderable force to guard them against abroad. He therefore required foreignsimilar attacks." General Butler upon ers to register themselves, and when this replied, on the 2d of August, that Englishmen and Frenchmen claimed by the act of Congress, as he understood negroes as slaves he reminded them it, the President of the United States of the law of the land to which they alone had the authority to employ Afri- professed allegiance. The slaves were cans in arms as a part of the military thus made free, and as freemen were forces of the United States, and that he enlisted. When the army advanced had not as yet indicated his intention to into the western portion of Louisiana, do so. He would, however, send Gen- numerous slaves were made free in aceral Phelps' application to the President, cordance with the act of Congress, and but in the meantime he must desist from additional material was thus furnished the formation of military negro organi- for the new colored regiments. In givzations. General Phelps insisting upon ing his testimony on this subject, subseresigning, General Butler combated his quently, before the Committee of Conviews of the employment of the negro, gress on the War, at Washington, Genurging the wood cutting as a military eral Butler was asked if, in his opinion, necessity, renewed his orders to that the best interests of the service required effect, and peremptorily refused to re- the use of black regiments. His answer ceive the resignation. General Phelps, was noticeable for its common sense. who was a few months in advance of the "I have no doubt upon that subject," Administration on this question, urging said he, "any more than I have that the the matter on grounds of principle and best interests of the service require that the inexpediency of his employment we should look for aid wherever we can under the circumstances, the War De- get it. The black regiments will be effipartment conceded his request, when he cient just in proportion to their intellileft the service the following month and gence, like white regiments; and, while retired to his home in Vermont. Before the more intelligent white men make the he left New Orleans, however, General best soldiers, the next class in intelliButler was himself led to the employ-gence, the next best, etc., when with the ment of colored soldiers, which, with black man you strike the same degree of characteristic address, he justified to the intelligence, the black men will make as people by a precedent of the rebel Gov- good soldiers as the white." ernor Moore. Learning that this officer had organized several regiments of free colored people in the interests of the Confederacy, he determined" to resuscitate that regiment of Louisiana militia," issued his order to that effect, and in a week had a thousand men reasonably drilled and well disciplined, "better disciplined," he said, "than any other regimeut I had there, because the blacks An expedition to the Lafourche district to the southwest of New Orleans, a wealthy region with an interior line of communication, by bayous and canals from the Gulf to the Mississippi, closed the military history of General Butler's administration of his department. was composed of the Reserve Brigade, the 8th New Hampshire, 12th and 13th Connecticut, 75th New York, and 1st It Louisiana regiments-the whole under command of General Godfry Weitzel, a West Point officer, who had accompanied General Butler to New Orleans as a member of his staff, and while discharging various military duties in the government of the city, had been promoted to a brigadiership. Landing with his force at Donaldsonville, on the right bank of the river, about seventy miles above New Orleans, he took up his line of march on Sunday the 26th of October, down the Bayou Lafourche on the easterly side to Napoleonville, where he bivouaced in line of battle. "I started on Monday morning again," says this officer in his official report, which illustrates the novel military situation of the expedition, "at six o'clock, but feeling that the enemy was in some force on the right bank, I threw over the whole of the 8th New Hampshire and Perkins' cavalry by means of my floating bridge, and in this order moved down the bayou. At eleven o'clock, when I was about two miles above Labadieville, I received the report that the enemy was in force about one mile ahead, on the left bank, and that they had six pieces of artillery, I immediately ordered four pieces of Carruth's battery up (two pieces were with the rear guard, and Thompson's was already ahead) and formed the 13th Connecticut and 75th New York in line of battle to support Thompson. These two regiments formed splendidly, and moved at once forward to the attack, through a dense canefield. I moved on with them, and after emerging from the canefield I received the report, which was that the enemy was in position on the right bank also, and that he had four pieces of artillery on that side. At the same time I received the report that the enemy's cavalry was in rear of my rear guard. I immediately swung my bridge across the bayou, ordered eight companies of the 12th Connecticut over to support the 8th New Hampshire, leaving two companies of this regiment, one section of Carruth's battery, and Williamson's cavalry to guard the rear. I immediately ordered, also, that a road be cut up the steep bank on both sides of the bayou for the passage of artillery and my train. I found soon that the enemy on the left bank, after delivering only the fire of its advanced guard, which killed one of my cavalry and wounded another, and killed two horses, had disappeared for some unaccountable reason. Fearing some ruse, I immediately ordered the 13th Connecticut across the bayou to support the 8th New Hampshire and the 12th Connecticut, Thompson's battery to play upon the enemy's artillery on the right bank, which was firing splendidly upon our forces and my bridge; ordered Carruth to cross over with his two advanced sections, and the 75th New York, to support Thompson and guard the head of the bridge and the front of the train. "I then crossed over, ordered the 8th New Hampshire to form line of battle across the road, the 12th Connecticut to form on its right, and ordered these forward to attack at once. They had scarcely commenced moving when the 13th Connecticut arrived at a doublequick from across the bayou. I immediately ordered this in reserve. Subsequently, as the centre guides of the 8th New Hampshire and the 12th Connecticut moved in different lines of direction, they became sufficiently separated to allow me to throw the 13th Connecticut on the line between the two. I ordered this regiment forward in line of battle. The line thus formed advanced steadily at my command forward. In a very short time the enemy's battery retreated, and also the infantry support. The fight did not last long. I found that the enemy had four pieces of artillery in the road. It was Connor's battery, Company A, Wither's light artillery, commanded by Captain J. Ratston (who was wounded and is now a paroled prisoner). This battery was supported by the remnants of the 18th Louisiana and the Cre BATTLE AT LABADIEVILLE. 581 prised in the operations on the coast of Texas. They are thus summed up in the Annual Report in December of the Secretary of the Navy.: "About the middle of September, acting volunteer Lieutenant J. W. Kittredge, commanding the United States bark Arthur, was sent with his own vessel and the steamer Sachem by Rear Admiral Farragut to take possession of Corpus Christi and adjacent waters. He succeeded well, made several captures, and compelled the enemy to burn several vessels. Subsequently, however, acting Lieutenant Kittredge, while on shore, was with his boat's crew surprised and captured. A little later, acting Master Francis Crocker, commanding the steamer Kensington, with that vessel and the schooners Rachel Seaman and Henry Janes, captured the defences of Sabine City and took possession thereof. On the 4th of October, Commander W. B. Renshaw, of the United States steamer Westfield, with that vessel, the Harriet Lane, Owasco, and Clifton, captured the defences of the harbor and city of Galveston, there having been only a feeble resistance." scent City regiments, numbering together about five hundred men. They were lying down in a ditch on the lower side of a plantation road in the edge of woods at Georgia Landing, and immediately on the left of the battery. I ordered skirmishers at once in the woods to secure prisoners. Carruth arrived about this time, and I sent him with one section and Perkin's cavalry in pursuit. They pursued about four miles, Carruth firing upon the retreating forces on both sides of the bayou. I have since learned that Simms' battery of six pieces, supported by Colonel Clark's (the 33d) regiment of Louisiana volunteers, was in front on the left bank. I lost eighteen killed and seventyfour wounded. Lieutenant Francis, of the 12th Connecticut, was taken prisoner before the fight. We have buried five of the enemy, and have seventeen wounded in our hospital, but I have proof that their loss was greater. I took one hundred and sixty-six of the enemy prisoners the day of battle, and forty-two of them since-total two hundred and eight; I released them all on parole. The commanding officer of the enemy, Colonel J. P. McPheeters, was killed. I General Butler remained in command delivered his body to some of his bro- of the Department of the Gulf till the ther officers, who were prisoners, and he arrival of his successor, General Banks, was decently buried near the battlefield, in December, when he retired with the the Chaplain of the 8th New Hampshire following stirring farewell address to his officiating. One of the pieces of the army, in which he recapitulated the enemy's artillery broke down in the re-more important incidents of his career: treat. We secured it, and have it now in our possession.' After this General Weitzel met with no opposition, the enemy retreating to the westward to Berwick Bay, which they presently left, evacuating Brashear City on the approach of the gunboats, which had been sent from New Orleans, and been detained on the way by a storm of unusual severity. The whole district was thus restored to the authority of the Union. The remaining events of the war in the South-west in the year 1862 are com • General Weitzel to A. A. G. Strong. Bayou Lafourche, La., October 29, 1862. -"Soldiers of the Army of the GulfRelieved from further duties in this department by direction of the President, under date of November 9, 1862, I take leave of you by this final order, it being impossible to visit your scattered outposts, covering hundreds of miles of the frontier of a larger territory than some of the kingdoms of Europe. I greet you, my brave comrades, and say farewell! This word, endeared as you are by a community of privations, hardships, dangers, victories, successes, military and civil, is the only sorrowful thought I have. You have deserved well of your |