up Black river to make a reconnoissance, and he destroyed a large amount of stores, valued at three hundred thousand dollars, consisting of salt, sugar, rum, molasses, tobacco, and bacon. (Signed) DAVID D. PORTER, Acting Rear-Admiral, Commanding Mississippi Squadron. General Banks now concentrated his troops at Simmesport, preparatory to an advance on Port Hudson. Minor expeditions were meanwhile taking place in other districts of the department. A brigade under General Nickerson advanced to the neighborhood of Lake Pontchartrain, destroying some valuable property, and capturing a few prisoners. A portion of General Auger's division penetrated to a point on the railroad between Clinton and Port Hudson, where they encountered and routed a Confederate force, killing five and capturing twenty-five. Colonel Grierson was also successful in an expedition near Port Hudson, capturing three hundred head of cattle. Admiral Farragut now in command of the flect, was preparing to assist in the attack on Port Hudson. General Banks's army advanced about the middle of May from Baton Rouge to Port Hudson, portions of his army on either bank of the Mississippi, and a part being forwarded on transports. On the 21st of May General Banks landed, and on the next day junction was effected with the advance of Major-General Augur and Brigadier-General Sherman. His line occupied the Bayou Sara road. On this road General Augur had an encounter with a force of the enemy, which resulted in their repulse with heavy loss. On the 25th the enemy was compelled to abandon his first line of works. On the next day General Weitzel's brigade, which had covered the rear in the march from Alexandria, arrived, and on the morning of the 27th a general assault was made on the fortifications. Three series of batteries extended along the river above Port Hudson to a point on Thompson's creek, making a continuous line about three and a half miles in extent. Above Thompson's creek is an impassable marsh, forming a natural defence. From the lower battery began a line of land fortifications, of semi-circular form, about ten miles in extent, with Thompson's Creek for its natural terminus above. ATTACK ON PORT HUDSON, LA. It having been understood that a grand and simultaneous attack from every part of the lines encircling Port Hudson was to be made on Wednesday, the 27th, General Augur, as early as 6 A. M. of that day, com menced a heavy cannonade upon the works, which continued incessantly until 2 o'clock, P. M. At 10 o'clock, General Weitzel's brigade, with the division of General Grover-reduced to about two brigades-and the division of General Emory, temporarily reduced by detachments to about a brigade, under command of Colonel Paine, with two regiments of colored troops, made an assault upon the right of the enemy's works, crossing Sandy creek, and driving them through the woods into their fortifications. The fight lasted on this line until 4 o'clock, and was very severely contested. Brigadier-General Sherman, who intended to commence his assault at the same time on the left, had his troops in readiness. General Augur's assaulting forces consisted only of Colonel E. P. Chapin's brigade, viz., the Forty-eighth Massachusetts, led by Lieutenant-colonel O'Brien; the Forty-ninth Massachusetts, by Colonel F. W. Bartlett; the One Hundred and Sixteenth New York, led by Major Love; and the Twenty-first Maine, by Colonel Johnson; also two regi ments of Colonel Dudley's brigade, called up from the right, viz., the Second Louisiana, under Colonel Paine; and parts of the Fiftieth Massachusetts, under Colonel Messer. Before commencing the assault Captain Holcomb's Vermont battery played upon the works to draw their fire, which he did very effectively; and then the order for the assault was given. A number of brave fellows from each regiment had volunteered to go in advance with the fascines, for the purpose of making a roadway through the moat; these were immediately followed by others who had volunteered to form the assaulting party; and after them the various regiments with their colonels, all under the immediate direction of Major General Augur. The scene that presented itself to the view as the devoted men emerged from the wood was really appalling. Between them and the fortifications to be assaulted lay an immense open space, at least a mile in length, from right to left, and at least half a mile in depth from the edge of the wood. This space was originally a dense forest, but the rebels had ingeniously felled the trees, leaving the huge branches to interlace each other, and forming, with the thick brushwood underneath, a barrier all but impassable. It was enough to daunt the stoutest hearts; but the order had been given that Port Hudson must be taken that day, and the brave men advanced. In so horrible a place, where men could scarcely keep their footing, and were sinking at every step up to their arm-pits, and tumbling along as best they could with their muskets and fascines through the impenetrable rubbish-the enemy all the while blazing away at them with grape, shell, and canister-the result may easily be imagined. It was wholesale slaughter. But it was cheering to see the heroism and endurance of the men. Onward they went-the old flag streaming proudly above them (the fascine-bearers falling in every direction)-until they actually, many of them, fought their way through the half mile of tangled rubbish to the narrow open space between it and the breast works, where, as a matter of course, the gallant fellows perished. The unequal contest lasted from 3 P. M. to 5 P. M, when General Augur, finding it utterly impossible to carry out the instructions he had received, withdrew his men in perfect order-returning shot for shot as they got back to the wood. A vigorous bombardment of the position had been made by Admiral Farragut for a week previous to this assault; and reconnoissances had discovered pretty accurately the nature of these formidable defences. ASSAULT ON PORT HUDSON, LA. After a bombardment of several days, another assault on Port Hudson was made on the above date. General Banks deemed it necessary on this occasion to change the position of his troops, and they now formed a right and left wing, without the customary centre, and were joined in the form of a right angle. The division of General Grover, on the upper side of Port Hudson, extended a distance of nearly four miles from the river, toward the interior, within supporting distance of General Augur's division, which was on the west side of the fortifications, and extended a distance of three miles to the river, within hailing distance of the fleet. The defences of the enemy formed nearly a right angle, both lines of which extended to the river, and enclosed a sharp bend. The point of attack was the extreme north-eastern angle of the enemy's po sition. Several of their pieces had been dismounted at this point by the incessant bombardment of the previous days, while the Federal sharpshooters were able to render dangerous any attempt to work the artillery in position. Two regiments of sharpshooters were detailed to creep up to and lie on the exterior slope of the enemy's breastworks, while another regiment, each soldier having a hand-grenade besides his musket, fol lowed. Another regiment followed with bags filled with cotton, which were to be used to fill up the ditch in front of the breast works. The remaining regiments of General Weitzel's brigade succeeded, supported by the brigades of Colonel Kimball and Colonel Morgan. These forces, all under General Weitzel, constituted the right of attack. On the left General Paine's division constituted a separate column. The whole command was under General Grover, who planned the attack. It was expected that General Weitzel's command would make a lodgment within the enemy's works, and thus prepare the way for General Paine's division. The advance was made about daylight, through a covered way, to within three hundred yards of the enemy's position; then their progress was retarded by deep gulleys, covered with bush and creeping vines. Under an incessant fire from the enemy, a part of the skirmishers reached the ditch, where they were met with an enfilading fire, and hurled back, while their hand-grenades were caught up by the enemy and thrown back again into the Union ranks. The assaulting column moved on as rapidly as possible, and made several gallant and desperate attempts on the enemy's works, but found them fully prepared at all points, and every part of their fortifications lined with dense masses of infantry. At length the assaulting columns were compelled to fall back under the deadly fire of the enemy, and the fighting finally ceased at eleven o'clock in the morn ing. General Banks's loss was nearly seven hundred in killed and wounded. Meantime the first parallel encircling the outer line of the rebel de. fences was pushed forward, and the skirmishers were posted in rifle-pits so near that skirmishes were of constant occurrence at night. The withdrawal of General Banks's force from the west side of the Mississippi was followed by great activity on the part of the enemy, for the purpose of recovering the places held by small bodies of Federal troops, and to cause a diversion from Port Hudson. Opelousas was reoccupied by a considerable Confederate force; and the west bank of the Mississippi was lined with squads of the rebels, who fired on every boat which passed. On the 17th of June, an attack was made on the Federal pickets at La Fourche, which was repulsed. On the 23d, Brashear City was captured by a Confederate force under Generals Green and Morton. A camp of contrabands, was attacked by the enemy, and large numbers killed. Immense quantities of ammunition, several pieces of artillery, three hundred thousand dollars' worth of sutler's goods, sugar, flour, pork, beef, and medical stores, of vast amount, were also captured. On the 28th, an attack was made on Donaldsonville, and the storming party succeeded in getting into the fort. But the gunboats opened a flanking fire above and below the fort, and drove back the supporting party, so that the enemy broke and fled. Of those who had entered the fort, one hundred and twenty were captured and nearly one hundred killed. Other movements on the part of the enemy were made at this time, which indicated great activity, and enabled them to destroy much Federal property. No embarrassment however was caused to the position of General Banks. The enemy, in short, recovered the La Fourche, Teche, Attakapas, and Opelousas country, and captured Brashear, with fifteen hundred prisoners, a large number of slaves, and nearly all the confiscated cotton. After the two attempts to reduce Port Hudson by a land assault, on the 27th of May and the 14th of June, the purpose to make another was given up General Banks, until he had fully invested the place by a series of irresistible approaches. He was thus engaged in pushing forward his works when Vicksburg was surrendered. Information of this surrender was sent to General Banks, and it was the occasion for firing salutes and a general excitement in his camp, which attracted the attention of the enemy, to whom the surrender was communicated. General Gardner, upon receiving the information, sent by flag of truce, about midnight of the 7th, the following note to General Banks: "HEADQUARTERS, PORT HUDSON, LA., JULY 7th, 1863. "To Major-General BANKS, commanding United States forces near Port Hudson: “GENERAL: Having received information from your troops that Vicksbnrg has been surrendered, I make this communication to request you to give me the official assurance whether this is true or not, and if true, I ask for a cessation of hostilities, with a view to the consideration of terms for surrendering this position. "I am, General, very respectfully, Your obedient servant, FRANK GARDNER, Major-General." To which General Banks thus replied } "HEADQUARTERS, DEPARTMENT OF THE GULF, BEFORE PORT HUDSON, JULY 8th, 1863. "To Major-General FRANK GARDNER, commanding C. S. forces, Port Hudson: "GENERAL: In reply to your communication, dated the 7th instant, by flag of truce, received a few moments since, I have the honor to inform you that I received, yesterday morning, July 7th, at 10 45, by the gunboat General Price, an official despatch from Major-General Ulysses S. Grant, United States Army, whereof the following is a true extract: HEADQUARTERS, DEPARTMENT OF THE TENNESSEE, NEAR VICKSBURG, JULY 4th, 1863. "Major-General N. P. BANKS, commanding Department of the Gulf: "GENERAL: The garrison of Vicksburg surrendered this morning. The number of prisoners, as given by the officer, is twenty-seven thou } |