INCIDENTS OF THE WINTER OF 1862-3—AN UNEXPECTED SALUTE—A
PARROTT FOR CO. K—WHITFIELD’S LEGION—FARRAGUT’S FLEET—RUNNING
THE BATTERIES—THE MIDNIGHT BATTLE—A CRIPPLED FLEET—BURNING OF
THE “MISSISSIPPI”—COMPARATIVE LOSSES—THE LAND ATTACK—INCIDENTS
IN APRIL, 1863—A SABBATH MORNING AT TROTH’S LANDING—CLOSE
QUARTERS—SKIRMISHING.
Col. Steadman at once began a strict system of discipline and drill. The
following was the order of the day: Reveille at daybreak with roll-call,
inspection of arms and policing of camps; 6 A. M., drill in the school
of the soldier; 7 A. M., breakfast; 8.30 A. M., guard mounting; 9 A.
M., non-commissioned officers’ drill; 10 A. M., drill in the school of
the company; 12 M., dinner; 1 P. M., skirmish drill; 3 P. M., battalion
drill; 5 P. M., dress parade; sunset, retreat; 9 P. M., taps. Companies
assigned to batteries drilled at the guns at the hours for the company
drill. Strict regimental guard was kept up, all the requirements of the
army regulations being enforced.
The first call to action was on Sunday, November 16th, 1862, when the
Federal fleet appeared at the head of Prophet’s Island, below Port
Hudson. The regiment was ordered to strike tents and pack knapsacks;
while the left wing, including Co. K, was deployed along the bank as
sharpshooters. In a short time the fleet retired and the troops were
ordered back to camp.
On the evening of December 13, 1862, Capt. Boone’s company of Light
Artillery, supported by Co’s D and F of the First Alabama, crossed the
river and after dark moved down opposite the anchorage of the iron clad
Essex and a wooden vessel. The guns, consisting of two smooth-bore
6-pounders and one 12-pound howitzer were planted behind the levee, and
at daylight the next morning fire was opened on the wooden vessel. The
fire was so effective that the Essex had to steam up and interpose her
iron sides for the protection of her consort. Both vessels then retired
down the river. Although the Federal vessels kept up a heavy fire our
loss was but one man wounded.
During the early part of December the regiment was busy constructing
barracks of willow logs, the roofs covered with cypress boards. Co. K
built two cabins, which were completed about the last of the month. They
were 18 by 22 feet, with a large fireplace at each end. The chimneys were
built of sticks daubed with clay. An open door way furnished entrance and
light, while ventilation was secured by leaving the upper cracks between
the logs unchinked; bunks were built in tiers along the walls, and the
men were very comfortably quartered for the winter.
On December 31st Capt. Whitfield received the promise of a one gun
battery—a 30-pound Parrott gun—on the condition that his company build
the battery and magazine. The battery was laid off above the redan, then
known as Battery No. 1, but separated from it by a deep ravine. Co. K
worked alone on their battery till January 8th, when details were made
from the infantry companies of the regiment to assist them. By the 18th
of January the work was so nearly completed that the gun was brought up
from Battery No. 11 and put into position. The magazine was not completed
till the last of February, the powder being stored in it on March 2,
1863. The gun was christened the “Lady Whitfield.”
On December 26th, Lieut. Tuttle and Corp. John Hearn left for Alabama to
secure recruits for Co. K. They returned in February having secured 45,
as follows:—
Adams, Jesse, Mobile Co.
Alexander, J. L., Autauga Co.
Boggan, Jno., Wilcox Co.
Boggan, T. M., ” ”
Boone, —— Autauga Co.
Byrd, J. H.,
Callens, R. H., Butler Co.
Clark, —— Mobile Co.
Deno, M.,
Douglass, Wm.,
Dubose, Wm., Pike Co.
Durden, G. W., Autauga Co.
Glenn, Simeon, ” ”
Golsan, P. G., ” ”
Gorman, John, Mobile Co.
Haley, ——
Hamilton, John,
Hern, M.,
Hays, J.,
Jenkins, E., Pike Co.
Kirkpatrick, V., Butler Co.
Lamar, M. D., Autauga Co.
Leysath, E., Butler Co.
Lewis, J., Montgomery Co.
Martin, G. F., Autauga Co.
Merritt, ——
Mills, ——
McCarty, J.,
McDonald, ——
Owens, J., Autauga Co.
Scott, B. L., ” ”
Scott, C. H., ” ”
Shaver, J. H., Conecuh Co.
Simpson, J. L., Butler Co.
Shoals, J., Montgomery Co.
Schein, J.,
Smyth, A. C., Butler Co.
Smith, Henry,
Stuart, J. J., Wilcox Co.
Tarleton, M., Lowndes Co.
Tharp, J. P.,
Vaughn, Wm.,
White, A. J., Autauga Co.
Wilson, T. A.,
Winslett, ——
In addition to these Henry Fralick, of Autauga Co., joined the company in
September, 1862.
Second Lieut. Dixon S. Hall having resigned from ill health, Junior
Second Lieut. Tuttle was promoted, and an election was held March 4,
1863, for Junior Second Lieutenant, resulting as follows: John Frank,
Jr., 35; Norman Cameron, 20; N. K. Adams, 8; John Frank, Jr., was
thereupon duly commissioned.
On March 12, 1863, Moses Tarleton, of Lowndes Co., one of the recruits,
died, and was buried with military honors. This was the only one of the
company, owing in other cases of death to lack of opportunity, to whom
these honors were paid.
Company K, having a full complement of men, and having but one gun in
its battery, was divided as to duty. One portion was drilled as heavy
artillery, another portion as infantry, while Lieut. Tuttle with the
remainder was detailed to act with a detachment of the regiment under
command of Major Knox as river police. The company was jocularly known,
in consequence of this division, as “Whitfield’s Legion.”
On the afternoon of March 13, 1863, several of Admiral Farragut’s
vessels appeared in sight below Port Hudson, anchoring near the head of
Prophets Island, and when the fog lifted on the morning of the 14th,
his whole fleet lay at anchor just out of range of our guns. There were
eight magnificent war steamers, one iron clad and six mortar boats.
The flag ship was the steam-frigate “Hartford,” with an armament of 26
eight and nine-inch Paixhan guns. The “Richmond,” a ship of the same
class, was armed with 26 eight and nine-inch Columbiads; the side-wheel
steam-frigate “Mississippi” had 19 eight-inch guns, 1 ten-inch, 1
twenty-pound Parrott and 2 howitzers in her tops; the “Monongahela,”
steam-sloop of war, carried 16 heavy guns; the gunboats “Kineo,”
“Albatross,” “Sachem,” and “Genesee” each carried 3 heavy Columbiads
and 2 six-inch rifles. All of these but the “Mississippi” were screw
propellers. In addition to the above vessels all of which, except the
“Sachem,” were to attempt to run the batteries, there was the iron clad
“Essex” carrying 10 heavy guns and also six mortar-boats, each carrying 1
thirteen-inch mortar. These last were to cover the advance of the fleet
by fiercely shelling the Confederate batteries. The mortar-boats were
moored close under the river bank at the head of Prophets Island, and
were protected from the Confederate batteries by the bluff which at that
point curved almost at a right angle. The “Essex” was anchored in the
stream opposite the mortar-boats, and the other vessels some distance
lower down but in sight.
On the afternoon of the 14th, the fleet opened fire apparently to get
the range of our batteries. About seventy-five shot and shell were
thrown, but the batteries made no response. All the batteries were manned
as night approached, while the infantry were at the fortifications on
the land side, prepared to resist any attack by Gen. Banks’ forces.
Until 9.30 P. M. all was quiet, then a red light was displayed from
the mast-head of the “Hartford,” the signal for the fleet to prepare
for action. As the vessels passed his station, about 11 P. M., Capt.
Youngblood, of the Confederate signal corps, sent up a rocket and the
sentinels on the batteries fired their muskets, conveying the alarm from
the lower to the upper works. In a few minutes the eighteen guns in
position along the bluff were ready for action. At the wharf lay two Red
River transports unloading; on board all was confusion, the shrieks of
the women, the shouts of the officers to their crews, the glare of light
from the cabins and furnaces, contrasted strangely with the death-like
stillness and darkness of the batteries on the bluff. Just as the
transports steamed away from the wharf on their way to Thompson’s Creek,
up which they sought safety, Gen. Gardner came dashing up to Battery No.
1, and seeing the lights on these vessels and mistaking them for the
gunboats called out to Capt. Whitfield, “Why don’t you fire on those
boats?” John Hearn, not recognizing the General, replied, “They are our
transports, you infernal thief.” The commandant, either not hearing or
concluding that under some circumstances deafness was commendable, made
no response.
So soon as the alarm was given, the Federal fleet began firing; the
mortar-boats—the “Essex” and the “Sachem”—moored to the bank or lying at
anchor, with guns trained during the preceding day, had quite accurate
range; but the practice of the moving vessels was somewhat wild till
they were at close quarters. Orders had been issued to permit the enemy
to get well in range before opening fire, and it was not until the
leading vessel was nearly opposite Battery No. 11 that the first gun
was discharged from the bluff. Instantly flash after flash revealed
the positions of the Confederate artillery. The “Hartford,” with the
“Albatross” lashed to her larboard side, was in the advance; the
“Richmond” and “Genesee,” the “Monongahela” and “Kineo” followed, and the
“Mississippi” brought up the rear.
At Battery No. 1 the upward passage of the fleet could only be traced by
the flashes of its guns. Huge bonfires had been built under the bluff
to illuminate the river, but the smoke of the pine wood only served to
render impenetrable the darkness of the night, and they were immediately
extinguished. Later in the battle, the signal corps, on the other side of
the river, fired an old building, and the flames from this in a measure
revealed the position of the vessels as they passed between it and the
batteries. So soon as the Confederates opened, the fire of the fleet, no
longer directed at random, was redoubled, and the roar of its hundred
heavy guns and mortars, added to that of the rapidly-served artillery of
the garrison, was fearful. Howitzers in the tops of the steamers swept
the bluffs and gave some annoyance to the gunners. Leaving the rest of
the ships to follow as best they could, the “Hartford” and her consort
moved steadily on past the fortifications, rounded the point, and,
pouring a farewell broadside of grape and shrapnel into Batteries Nos. 1,
2, and 3, steamed out of range up the river.
The “Richmond” and “Genesee” followed close in the wake of the “Hartford”
till opposite Batteries Nos. 4 and 5, when a rifle-shell piercing the
steam-drum of the former disabled her, and another shot passing through
the smoke-stack mortally wounded Lieut. Boyd Cummings, her commander.
A dozen other wounds in hull and rigging attested the accurate gunnery
of the Confederates. Turning, by aid of her consort, both steamers came
close under the bluff, where, for a few minutes, they were protected,
and some one on board yelled out, with an oath, “Now let us see you hit
us!” A moment later, as they ran out into the channel, both were raked. A
shell exploding in the ward-room of the “Genesee” set the vessel on fire,
but the flames were speedily extinguished, and after running the gauntlet
a second time, the crippled ships got back to their anchorage.
The “Monongahela” and “Kineo” met with but little better fortune. A
32-pound cannon-ball cut the tiller-ropes of the former, another shot
demolished the bridge and seriously wounded Capt. McKinistry, her
commander, while her decks were strewed with dead and wounded. About the
time the tiller-ropes of the “Monongahela” were shot away, a 32-pound
ball struck the rudder-post of the “Kineo.” Both thus disabled, the
“Monongahela” ran into the bank, and the hawsers which lashed the ships
together parting, the “Kineo” shot ahead and also ran into the bank.
Backing off, the “Kineo” dragged with her the “Monongahela”; but the
propeller fouled in the parted hawser, and the two vessels drifted
helplessly down the river, letting go their anchors when out of range.
The pilot of the steamship “Mississippi,” confused by the smoke of the
battle, ran that vessel ashore at the point directly opposite Batteries
Nos. 3, 4 and 5. Her commander, Capt. Melancthon Smith, used every
endeavor to get his vessel off, but in vain. In the meantime her guns
poured forth an almost continuous sheet of flame. Deserted by all her
consorts she received the concentrated fire of the batteries. A rifle
shot, probably from Battery No. 1, knocked a howitzer from her maintop
clear of the vessel into the water. One after another her heavy guns had
been disabled, and thirty of her crew had fallen, when her commander
gave the order to abandon her. The dead were left on the decks, four
of the wounded were taken ashore, others leaped into the river; those
who were unhurt got to shore some by swimming and others in the boats.
Before all had left the doomed vessel flames burst forth, by whom set
is a disputed question. Capt. Smith reported that he fired the vessel,
while the men in the hot-shot battery as strenuously insisted that she
was fired by them, another report stated that a shell exploded in some
combustibles arranged on her deck for the purpose of firing her. Some
of those who escaped to shore made their way down the river bank to the
fleet, swimming the crevasses; 62, including two officers, were taken
prisoners the next morning. The flames spread rapidly, soon enveloping
the hull and shrouds. As the flames reached the larboard guns, they were
discharged one after another towards the vessels which had gone up the
river, while shells on her decks kept up a constant fusilade. From the
time that efforts had been given up to get her off, there had been a
constant shriek of escaping steam from her safety valve. Lightened by
the flames she floated off the bar and drifted, a huge pyramid of fire,
down the river illuminating its broad expanse till all was bright as day,
and revealing the shattered vessels of the fleet as they hastily steamed
out of the way of their dangerous consort. Long after she had passed
around the bend the light of the flames reflected on the sky marked her
progress. About 5 A. M., when at almost the identical spot where the
Confederate ram “Arkansas” was blown up, the fire reached the magazine
and the “Mississippi” existed only in story. The shock of the explosion
was felt at Port Hudson, twenty miles distant.
The battle lasted from about 11 P. M. to 2 A. M. Co. K fired their
one gun 32 times. Lieut. Pratt had immediate charge of the gun, Capt.
Whitfield being also present. Sergeants Ellis and Royals were the gunners
and Wm. H. Fay the ordnance sergeant. Lieut. Tuttle was on duty with the
river patrol. The eighteen Confederate guns fired altogether about six
hundred shot and shell. Of which, according to Federal reports, at least
one hundred struck the attacking vessels, as the “Hartford” alone was
struck over thirty times. The loss of the First Alabama was three men
slightly wounded. One man was killed at the land fortifications, and one
man wounded in one of the lower batteries. Not a gun was injured.
The enemy’s losses may be summed up as follows: the “Mississippi,”
burned; the “Richmond,” completely disabled and obliged to return to
New Orleans for repairs; the “Genesee,” slightly damaged by fire; the
“Monongahela,” bridge shot away and tiller ropes cut; the “Kineo,” rudder
disabled and rigging badly cut up. Casualties, “Hartford,” 3 killed and
2 wounded; “Albatross,” 3 killed and 2 wounded; “Richmond,” 4 killed
and 7 wounded; “Monongahela,” 7 killed and 21 wounded; “Mississippi,”
22 killed and 8 wounded; and 62 prisoners: total 39 killed, 40 wounded
and 62 prisoners, including 2 commissioned officers. One of the latter,
Midshipman Francis, was paroled in consideration of his gallant efforts
to save the lives of some Confederate prisoners, who fell overboard
from the flag of truce steamer “Frolic,” at Baton Rouge, a few weeks
before, while en route to be exchanged. The other prisoners were sent
to Richmond. Federal accounts of the battle state that the fire of the
batteries was so accurate as to threaten the destruction of every vessel
exposed. The gunners of Battery No. 1 labored under a disadvantage, as
the smoke settled in a dense bank in front of the battery, but there was
reason to believe that their gun did good execution.
Gen. Banks with 25,000 men was to have attacked by land, while Farragut
assailed the river defences. On the evening of the 13th the divisions
of Gens. Grover and Emory left Baton Rouge and were followed the
next morning by Gen. Augur’s division. Gen. Banks establishing his
headquarters at the crossing of the Springfield road, seven miles below
Port Hudson. Friday afternoon the enemy’s advance guard encountered the
Confederate pickets and a sharp skirmish followed, in which several men
were killed and wounded. The following day there was another skirmish in
which the Federals were worsted, losing a number of officers, killed,
wounded and prisoners. They made no further demonstration till Monday
when Gen. Rust’s brigade attacked their rear guard as they were retiring
and drove them six miles. The main body made no offer of battle, and
the rear guard burned the bridges to prevent further pursuit. Thus
ingloriously ended this attempt to capture Port Hudson by a force many
times that of the garrison.
The mortar fleet, “Essex,” and one or two other vessels, remained
until March 28th, shelling the batteries, camps and transports at the
wharves nearly every day, without, however, coming within range of the
Confederate guns. On the 18th, the enemy landed a force of infantry and
artillery on the west bank and burned the residence of Capt. Hines, the
lower batteries shelling the raiders that night.
The “Hartford” and “Albatross” having gone up to Grand Gulf leaving the
Red River open, several transports with supplies came down. On the 21st,
while these were unloading, just above Battery No. 1, the fleet opened
fire forcing them to steam up Thompson’s Creek. The rifle shells fell
around our battery and camp. On the 24th, the enemy fired a sugar-mill
opposite Port Hudson, our batteries shelling them as they retired. A
battery of light artillery planted by the enemy behind the levee shelled
our lower batteries on the 25th but without effect. On the 28th the fleet
steamed down the river. Admiral Farragut with the “Hartford,” “Albatross”
and ram “Switzerland,” the last named having run the Vicksburg
batteries, appeared above Port Hudson on April 6th, and on the 7th
several vessels came up from below and exercised their guns for a while.
There was a false alarm on the night of April 9th, caused by a raft with
a fire on it floating down the river; it was boarded by the river patrol
and the fire extinguished.
Rev. Mr. Baldwin, who had been appointed Chaplain of the regiment,
preached his first sermon on Sunday, April 12th. Nothing of special
interest beyond an occasional visit from the gunboats occurred until
May 5th, when the fleet above Port Hudson fired the “Hermitage” and
another building. On May 6th Co. K received another gun, a rifled brass
piece, 4⁶²⁄₁₀₀ inches calibre, captured on Amité river. It was clumsily
mounted on a 24-pounder siege carriage, and christened “The Baby.” In
anticipation of receiving this gun a battery had already been prepared
for it beside the old one.
The mortar fleet, the “Essex” and the “Richmond,” having appeared again
below Port Hudson, orders were received on May 9th for a detachment of
Co. K to take “The Baby” to Troth’s landing and at daylight on the 10th
open fire on the fleet. The entire expedition under command of Lieut.
Col. DeGournay consisted of one 24-pounder rifled, with a detachment from
DeGournay’s battalion; one 4⁶²⁄₁₀₀ inch brass rifle, detachments from
Co. K, First Alabama Regiment; one 20-pounder and one 12-pounder Parrott
guns, with detachments from Miles’ Legion. Of Co. K there were 17 men,
Sergeants Ellis and Royals, gunners, under command of Lieut. Tuttle.
Soon after dark on the evening of the 9th a fatigue party began work,
and during the night constructed a rude redoubt 12 by 24 feet, sinking
it eighteen inches in the ground and throwing the earth to the front,
thus forming an open earthwork with a parapet just high enough for the
muzzles of the guns to project over. In this were placed the two larger
guns, while the two Parrotts were placed in an old battery a few hundred
yards lower down. From 11 P. M. till 1 A. M. the mortars shelled the
batteries, but did not discover the working party. Shortly after 4 A.
M. the earthwork was completed and the guns were put in position. While
the fatigue party were still standing around, the flash and roar of the
mortars caused a stampede of the non-combatants. As before, the shells
were thrown at the batteries above, showing that the expedition was still
undiscovered. The guns were loaded and so soon as it was sufficiently
light were aimed at the “Essex;” then the command rang out “Fire!” The
percussion shell from “The Baby” striking on the projecting point of
land between us and the “Essex” exploded, the fragments rattling on the
iron sides of that vessel. The guns were now loaded and fired as rapidly
as possible, being directed at the “Essex” and mortar-boats. The latter
were, however, moored close under the bluff and were secure except from
fragments of bursting shells. As we afterwards learned the surprise of
the enemy was complete; it took them but a few minutes, however, to
recover, and shells from the mortars soon transcribed a shorter curve,
exploding over our guns or burying themselves in the earth around them.
Next the eight and nine-inch guns of the “Essex” opened, and a few
minutes later a 100-pound rifle missile from the “Richmond” burst just
as it passed the battery. The earth fairly shook as mortars, Columbiads,
rifles and bursting shells joined in one continuous roar on that pleasant
Sabbath morning. At the twenty-eighth shot, owing to the breaking of
a chin-bolt holding on the trunnion-cap, “The Baby” was disabled. A
few minutes before this the “Richmond” moved from her anchorage, and
steamed towards the batteries; the last shot from the brass gun went
hurtling through her rigging, and the last shot left in the locker of
the 24-pounder struck her under the quarter; the Parrotts, from lack of
ammunition, or some other cause, had ceased firing, so the batteries were
silent. The “Richmond” came steadily on until within about 400 yards
firing rapidly, then turning and giving in succession both broadsides
she steamed back to her anchorage. The fleet now ceased firing and a
death-like stillness followed the terrific roar of the battle.
Co. K had one man, Clark, wounded, a fragment of a shell cutting off two
of his fingers. One man was mortally wounded and a Lieutenant severely
wounded at the Parrott guns. There was also one or two casualties in the
infantry support, and a man was killed in one of the regular batteries.
The damage to the enemy was trifling; the “Essex” was struck about a
dozen times by fragments of shell and once fairly by a solid shot. Four
shot hit or passed through the rigging of the “Richmond.” One of the
mortar-boats was struck in the bow and another on the deck by fragments
of shells, and it was reported that several of the crews were wounded.
As soon as the firing ceased ropes were attached to the trails of the
guns, and they were drawn out of battery, limbered up and taken back to
camp. The enemy, curiously, did not re-open fire during the removal, thus
showing that they were very willing to have the guns taken away. When
the “Richmond” was seen to leave her anchorage, Lieut. Pratt with the
30-pounder Parrott started for Battery No. 11, but before he could get
there the steamer was out of range.
On May 12th and 14th the infantry companies of the regiment were sent
to the breastworks in anticipation of an attack, a body of the enemy
having cut the railroad between Port Hudson and Clinton. On the 14th
there was a skirmish at Plain’s store, six and a half miles from Port
Hudson. Communication with Clinton was reopened on the 15th, and the
accumulated mails of several weeks arrived, some 1,500 pounds of letters,
greatly rejoicing the whole garrison. On Saturday, the 16th, there was
another alarm, and a detachment of Co. K, with the brass rifle, was sent
to the breastworks, remaining till Monday night, when they returned to
camp. On the 18th a cavalry force under Col. Grierson made a raid on a
small Confederate detachment guarding cattle, capturing the beeves and
about 40 men. The same day four or five officers and privates of the
First Alabama, who were fishing west of the river were captured. It was
reported that Simpson of Co. K was among those picked up, but he came in
the next day. On the 19th the infantry companies of the First Alabama
were sent across the river and had a skirmish. Several of the enemy were
killed, but our regiment suffered no loss. There was also skirmishing in
the direction of Plain’s store on the 19th and 20th. The fleet below had
for some days been regularly shelling the batteries but without effect.
On the 17th the “Genesee” came up within range of Battery No. 11 and was
fired upon with a 20-pound Parrott. An Admiral’s salute of seventeen
guns was fired at noon on the 18th by the “Richmond,” announcing, it was
supposed, the return of Admiral Farragut. This brings us to the memorable
siege of Port Hudson.