BACK TO PORT HUDSON.
On the 7th of May Porter relived Farragut in the guardianship of
the Mississippi and its tributaries above the mouth of the Red
River. This left Farragut free to withdraw his fleet so long
blockading and blockaded above Port Hudson. Accordingly he gave
discretionary orders to Palmer to choose his time for once more
running the gauntlet, and Palmer was only watching his opportunity
when he yielded to the earnest entreaty of Banks, and agreed to
remain and co-operate if the General meant to go against Port
Hudson.
Grover began the movement on the 14th of May; Paine followed early
on the morning of the 15th, while Weitzel, still retaining Dwight,
was ordered to hold Alexandria until the 17th, and then to retire
to Murdock's plantation, where the east and west road along the
Bayou Hauffpaur crosses the road from Alexandria to Opelousas, and
there await further orders.
Besides the ordinary duty of a rear-guard, the object of this
disposition of Weitzel's force was to cover the withdrawal toward
Brashear of the long train of surplus wagons for which there was
now no immediate need, and which would only have encumbered the
proposed movement of the Corps by water. All the troops took the
road by Cheneyville instead of that by Marksville, in order to
conceal from the Confederates as long as possible the true direction
of the movement.
Having given these orders, Banks embarked on one of the river
steamboats on the evening of the 15th and transferred his headquarters
to Simmes's plantation on the east bank of the Atchafalaya opposite
Simmesport. Thence he proceeded down the Atchafalaya to Brashear,
and so by rail to New Orleans.
Grover broke camp at Stafford's plantation on the 14th of May, and
marched seventeen miles to Cheneyville; on the 15th, fourteen miles
to Enterprise; on the 16th, sixteen miles to the Bayou de Glaise;
and, on the morning of the 17th, twelve miles to Simmesport, and
immediately began to cross on large flatboats rowed by negro boatmen.
To these were presently added a little, old, slow, and very frail
stern-wheel steamboat, named the _Bee_, which, a short time
afterwards, quietly turned upside down, without any observable
cause, while lying alongside the levee; then the _Laurel Hill_,
one of the best boats in the service of the quartermaster; afterward
gradually but very slowly the other steamers began to come in.
Grover finished crossing on the morning of the 18th, and went into
camp near the Corps headquarters.
Paine, with the 6th New York added to his command for the few
remaining days of its service, followed in the footsteps of Grover.
Leaving Alexandria on the morning of the 15th, Paine marched twenty
miles and halted at Lecompte. On the 16th, he marched twenty-five
miles to the Bayou Rouge; on the 17th, twenty miles to the Bayou
de Glaise, where the Marksville road crosses it; on the 18th, seven
miles to Simmesport, and on the following morning began to cross.
Before leaving Alexandria, Weitzel, on the 14th May, sent two
companies of cavalry to reconnoitre a small force of the enemy said
to be near Boyce's Bridge on Bayou Cotile. The Confederates were
found in some force. A slight skirmish followed, with trifling
loss on either side, and when, the next day, Weitzel sent the main
body of the cavalry with one piece of Nims's battery, accompanied
by the ram _Switzerland_ with a detachment of 200 men of the 75th
New York, the Confederates once more retired beyond Cane River.
Weitzel moved out of Alexandria at four o'clock on the morning of
the 17th of May, and, lengthening his march to thirty-eight miles
during the night, encamped on Murdock's plantation on the following
morning. The gunboats _Estrella_ and _Arizona_ and the ram
_Switzerland_ stayed in the river off Alexandria until noon of the
17th to cover Weitzel's withdrawal, and then dropped down to the
mouth of Red River and the head of the Atchafalaya. The Confederates
slowly followed Weitzel at some distance, observing his movements,
and, on the morning of the 20th, attacked his pickets. Then Bean,
who commanded Weitzel's advanced guard, consisting of his own 4th
Wisconsin, mounted, the 12th Connecticut, and all the cavalry,
threw off the attack and pursued the Confederates nearly to
Cheneyville, where Barrett, advancing too boldly after the main
body had halted, was cut off, with a detachment of seventeen of
his troop, and, finding himself surrounded, was forced to surrender.
Barrett himself and several of his men afterwards succeeded in
making their escape. The attacking party of the Confederates
consisted of Lane's regiment, fresh from Texas, Waller's battalion,
and a part of Sibley's brigade, with a battery of artillery.
On the morning of the 22d, Weitzel, having completed the object
of his halt at Murdock's plantation, marched at a stretch the
thirty-four miles to Simmesport without further molestation, and
arriving there on the morning of the 23d, at once began the crossing.
Chickering marched from Barré's Landing on the morning of the 21st
of May. His force consisted of his own regiment, the 41st
Massachusetts, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Sargent and mounted
on prairie horses, the 52d Massachusetts, the 22d Maine, the
26th Maine, the 90th New York, the 114th New York, under
Lieutenant-Colonel Per Lee, Company E of the 13th Connecticut, and
Snow's section of Nims's battery.
The 90th New York, Colonel Joseph S. Morgan, was among the older
regiments in the Department of the Gulf, having been mustered into
the service in December, 1861. In January, 1862, it went to Florida
with Brannan, on his appointment to command the Department of Key
West; and in June, 1862, it formed the garrison of Fort Jefferson
on the Dry Tortugas and of Key West; in November it was relieved
by the 47th Pennsylvania, and joined Seymour's brigade on Port
Royal Island, South Carolina. In March, 1863, it was back at Key
West. There both regiments remained together until May. Meanwhile
the district, then commanded by Woodbury, had been transferred from
the Department of the South to the Department of the Gulf by orders
from the War Office dated the 16th of March. These Banks received
on the 10th of April, just before leaving Brashear, and as soon as
he learned the condition and strength of the post, he called in
the 90th New York. The regiment arrived at Barré's Landing just
in time to go back to Brashear with Chickering. Morgan, though
Chickering's senior in rank, waived his claim to the command and
accepted a temporary brigade made up of all the infantry and the
artillery.
The 114th New York, after quitting the column on the 19th of April,
before passing the Vermilion, and performing the unpleasant duty
of driving before it to Brashear all the beeves within its reach,
was so unfortunate as to arrive at Cheneyville, on the return march,
on the 12th of May, at the moment when Banks had made up his mind
to retire to Brashear, and so just in time to face about and once
more retrace its weary steps. Passing through Opelousas and Grand
Couteau, the 114th turned to the left by the Bayou Fusilier and
fell in with Chickering on the Teche.
The way was by the Teche, on either bank. By this time Mouton,
reinforced by a brigade of three regiments under Pyron, with a
light battery, probably Nichols's, had recrossed the Calcasieu
under orders sent him by Kirby Smith on the 14th of May, before he
knew of Banks's latest movement, and was approaching the Vermilion
just in time to harry the flank and rear of Chickering's column,
scattered as it was in the effort to guard the long train that
stretched for eight miles over the prairies, with a motley band of
5,000 negroes, 2,000 horses, and 1,500 beeves for a cumbrous
accompaniment. With the possible exception of the herd that set
out to follow Sherman's march through Georgia, this was perhaps
the most curious column ever put in motion since that which defiled
after Noah into the ark.
On the 21st of May, Chickering halted near Breaux Bridge; on the
22d, above Saint Martinville; on the 23d, above New Iberia; on
the 24th, at Jeannerette. On the following afternoon the column
had halted five miles beyond Franklin, when a small force of the
enemy, supposed to be part of Green's command or of Fournet's
battalion, fell upon the rear-guard and a few shots were exchanged,
with slight casualties on either side, save that Lieutenant Almon
A. Wood, of the 110th New York, fell with a mortal wound. However,
although the troops had already traversed twenty-five miles, this
decided Morgan, who seems by this time to have taken the command,
to push on, and the march being kept up throughout the night, the
wearied troops, after a short rest for breakfast arrived at Berwick
Bay at eleven o'clock on the following morning. In the last
thirty-one hours the command had marched forty-eight miles. In the
forty-one days that had passed since the campaign opened the 114th
New York had covered a distance of almost 500 miles, nearly every
mile of it afoot and with but three days' rest. The same afternoon
the crossing began, and by the 28th every living thing was in safety
at Brashear.
Banks had sent his despatches of the 13th of May to Grant by the
hands of Dwight, with instructions to lay the whole case before
Grant and to urge the view held by Banks with regard to the
co-operation of the two armies. Dwight proceeded to Grand Gulf by
steamboat, and thence riding forward, overtook Grant just in time
to witness the battle of Champion's Hill on the 16th of May. That
night he sent a despatch by way of Grand Gulf, promising to secure
the desired co-operation, but urging Banks not to wait for it.
The message arrived at headquarters at Simmes's plantation on the
evening of the 17th, and was at once sent on to Brashear to be
telegraphed to the commanding general at New Orleans. This assurance
sent by Dwight really conveyed no more than his own opinion, but
Banks read it as a promise from Grant, and once more convinced that
it would be futile to attempt a movement toward Grand Gulf with
the limited means of transport he had at hand, he again changed
his plan and determined to go directly to Bayou Sara, hoping and
trusting to meet there on the 25th of May a corps of 20,000 men
from Grant's army.
The effective strength of the force now assembled near the head of
the Atchafalaya was 8,400 infantry, 700 cavalry, 900 artillery; in
all, 10,000. This great reduction was not wholly due to the effects
of the climate, hardships, and long marches, but is partly to be
ascribed to heavy detachments. These included the six regiments
with Chickering, one at Butte-à-la-Rose, and one at Brashear.
At Simmesport the Corps sustained its first loss by expiration of
service. The 6th New York, having completed the two years' term
for which it had enlisted, went by the Atchafalaya and the railway
to New Orleans, and there presently took transport for New York to
be mustered out.
The movements of the army, though pressed as much as possible, were
greatly retarded by the scanty means of water transportation and
the pressing need of coal. From this cause the navy was also
suffering, and urgent means had to be taken to supply the
deficiency.
Reconnoissances, conducted by Lieutenant Harwood, in the course of
which the enemy's cavalry was seen but not engaged, showed the
roads from the Atchafalaya to Waterloo to be practicable for all
arms. A detachment of cavalry sent out on the 18th to ascertain
whether the Confederates had any force on the west bank of the
Mississippi, encountered near Waterloo about 120 men of the 1st
Alabama regiment, under Lieutenant-Colonel Locke, who had been sent
over the day before from Port Hudson in skiffs to prevent any
communication between the upper and the lower fleets. A skirmish
followed, with slight loss on either side.
First placing Emory in command of the defences of New Orleans, and
ordering Sherman to take Dow and Nickerson and join Augur before
Port Hudson, Banks left the city on the 20th of May, rejoined his
headquarters on the 21st, and at once set his troops in motion
toward Bayou Sara. At half-past eight o'clock on the morning of
the 21st of May, Paine broke up his bivouac on the Atchafalaya and
marched to Morganza, after detaching the 131st New York and the 173d
New York with a section of artillery to guard the ammunition train.
Grover followed by water as fast as the steamboats could be provided.
At two o'clock on the morning of the 22d of May, Banks and Grover,
with the advance of Grover's division, landed at Bayou Sara without
meeting any opposition from the enemy, who, up to this time, seems
not to have suspected the movement. The other troops followed as
rapidly as the means of transport permitted. Grover's division
was sent ashore, followed by two brigades of Paine's division from
Morganza. The wagon train went on down the road to the landing
directly opposite Bayou Sara, under the escort of the 110th New
York, and the 162d New York, with one section of Carruth's battery,
all under the command of Benedict.
Soon after the landing at Bayou Sara, a party of cavalry rode in,
bringing the news of Augur's battle of the 21st. Hearing that
Augur was at that moment engaged with the enemy, Banks pressed
forward his troops. In a violent storm of wind and rain Grover
pushed on until he met Augur's outlying detachments. Then, finding
all quiet, he went into bivouac near Thompson's Creek, north-west
of Port Hudson. Paine followed, and rested on the Perkins plantation,
a mile in the rear of Grover. Banks made his headquarters with
Grover. Augur covered the front of the position taken up by the
enemy after the battle of Plains Store. On the same day, the 22d,
Sherman came up the river, landed at Springfield, and went into
position on the Bayou Sara road on Augur's left. Thus at night on
the 22d the garrison of Port Hudson was practically hemmed in.
On the 18th, Banks had ordered Augur to march with his whole
disposable force to the rear of Port Hudson to prevent the escape
of the garrison. As early as the 13th of May, while yet the plan
of campaign was in suspense, Augur had sent Grierson with the
cavalry and Dudley with his brigade to Merritt's plantation, near
the junction of the Springfield Landing and Bayou Sara roads, to
threaten the enemy and discover his movements. Dudley then took
post near White's Bayou, a branch of the Comite, and remained in
observation, covering the road to Clinton and the fork that leads
to Jackson. On the 20th of May Augur moved the remainder of his
force up to Dudley, in order to be ready to cover T. W. Sherman's
landing at Springfield, as well as to meet the advance of the main
column under Banks from Bayou Sara, now likely to occur at any
moment. With Augur now were Dudley, Chapin, Grierson, Godfrey's
squadron composed of troops C and E of the Louisiana cavalry, two
sections of Rawles's battery, Holcomb's battery, and one section
of Mack's commanded by Sergeant A. W. McCollin. At six o'clock on
the morning of the 21st of May Augur marched toward the crossing
of the Plains Store and Bayou Sara roads to seize the enemy's line
of retreat and to open the way for Banks. When Grierson came to
the edge of the wood that forms the southern boundary of the plain,
his advance fell in with a detachment of the garrison under Colonel
S. P. Powers of the 14th Arkansas regiment, and a brisk skirmish
followed. The same afternoon Gardner sent out Miles, with his
battalion, about 400 strong, and Boone's battery, to feel Augur's
advance and perhaps to drive it away. This brought on the action
known as the battle of Plains Store. Unfortunately, no complete
reports of the affair were made and the regimental narratives are
meagre.
In the heavy forest that then masked the crossroads and formed the
western border of the plain, Miles met Augur moving into position;
Dudley, on the right of the road that leads from Plains Store to
Port Hudson, supporting Holcomb's guns, and Chapin on the left
supporting Rawles's guns. For about an hour the artillery fire
was brisk. The 48th Massachusetts, being badly posted in column
on either side of the Port Hudson road, gave way in some confusion
under the sharp attack of Miles's men coming on through the thicket,
and thus exposed the guns of Beck's section of Rails. As the 48th
fell back through the advancing ranks of the 49th Massachusetts,
the progress of that regiment was momentarily hindered, but a brisk
charge of the 116th New York restored the battle. On the right,
a section of Boone's battery got an enfilade fire on Rails and
Chapin, and enabled Miles to draw off and retire behind the
breastworks. Thus the affair was really ended before Augur, whose
duty it was to act with prudence, had time to complete the proper
development of his division as for a battle with the full force of
the enemy, which he was bound to suppose was about to engage him.
Then he completed the task of making good his position, and proceeded
to open communication with Banks and with Sherman.
The main loss fell upon Chapin, Dudley's casualties numbering but
18, Grierson's but 2. The total casualties were 15 men killed, 3
officers and 69 men wounded, and 25 men missing--in all, 102. Miles
reports his loss as 8 killed, 23 wounded, and 58 missing,--in all,
89.
When Augur quitted Baton Rouge he placed Drew with the 4th Louisiana
Native Guards in Fort Williams to hold the place, supported by the
fleet, and ordered Nelson with the 1st and 3d Louisiana Native
Guards to be ready to follow the division to Port Hudson.