70 



ARMY OPERATIONS. 



vision of Gen. Emory crossed, and the combined 

 force made an advance, which the enemy op- 

 posed, but not obstinately. In this order the 

 Federal colnmn advanced, feeling its way, while 

 the enemy, whose forces were commanded by 

 Gen. Taylor, slowly retired upon their fortified 

 position a few miles above Pattersonville. On 

 the 13th there was considerable fighting, mostly 

 with the artillery, in which tbe Diana, a Fed- 

 eral gunboat, captured about four weeks pre- 

 vious, bore a conspicuous part. On the* morn- 

 ing of Saturday, the 12th, the division of Gen. 

 Grover left Brashear on the gunboats Clifton, 

 Estrella, Arizona, and Calhoun, and trans- 

 ports, and proceeded up the Atchafalaya, into 

 Lake Chetimacha. The object was to get into 

 the rear of the enemy, and if possible cut off 

 his retreat if he evacuated his position, or to 

 attack him in rear at the time of the attack in 

 front. Some difficulties delayed the expedi- 

 tion, but it effected a landing early the next 

 morning, about three miles west of Franklin, 

 near a spot called Irish Bend. At this time 

 the gunboat Queen of the West, which had 

 been captured previously by the enemy, was 

 blown up and destroyed on the lake. Skir- 

 mishing immediately ensued with a small force 

 of the enemy, that fell back as Gen. Grover ad- 

 vanced. His position was about eleven miles 

 distant from Gen. Banks. At Irish Bend the 

 enemy seemed to be determined to make a 

 stand, and a sharp struggle followed, in which 

 they were forced to retire to the woods and 

 canes. On this retreat they destroyed the 

 gunboat Diana and the transports Gossamer, 

 Newsboy, and Era No. 2, at Franklin. This sue 

 cess of Gen. Grover was followed by the evac- 

 uation of the works before Gen. Banks. Early 

 on Tuesday morning, the cavalry and artil- 

 lery, followed by Gen. Weitzel's brigade, with 

 Col. Ingraham's force of Gen. Emory's division 

 as a support, followed the enemy. So rapid 

 was the pursuit that the enemy was unable to 

 remove the transports at New Iberia, and five, 

 with all the commissary stores and ammunition 

 with which they were loaded, were destroyed 

 at that place, together with an incomplete iron- 

 clad gunboat. On Thursday, the army reached 

 New Iberia. A foundery for the manufacture 

 of cannon and other munitions of war was im- 

 mediately taken possession of, as a similar one 

 had been seized two days before at Franklin. 

 Two regiments were also sent to destroy the 

 tools and machinery at the celebrated salt 

 mine of the town. Thus far about fifteen hun- 

 dred prisoners had been captured, and more 

 than five hundred horses, mules, and beef cat- 

 tle taken from the plantations. The Federal 

 loss was small. The entire force of the enemy 

 was about ten thousand men. 



On the next day, the 17th, the army moved 

 forward, but Gen. Grover, who had marched 

 from New Iberia by a shorter road, and thus 

 gained the advance, met the enemy at Bay- 

 ou Vermilion. Their force consisted of a con- 

 siderable number of cavalry, one thousand in- 



fantry, and six pieces of artillery, massed in a 

 strong position on the opposite bank. They 

 were immediately attacked and driven from 

 their position, but not until they had succeeded 

 in destroying by fire the bridge across the river. 

 The night of the 17th and the next day was 

 passed in rebuilding the bridge. On the 19th, 

 the march was resumed, and continued to the 

 vicinity of Grand Coteau ; and on the next day 

 the main force of Gen. Banks occupied Ope- 

 lousas. At the same time, the cavalry, support- 

 ed by a regiment of infantry and a section of 

 artillery, were thrown forward six miles to 

 Washington, on the Corn-tableau. On the 21st, 

 no movement was made, but on the next day, 

 Brig. -Gen. Dwight, of Gen. Grover's division, 

 with detachments of artillery and cavalry, was 

 pushed forward through Washington toward 

 Alexandria. He found the bridges over the 

 Cocodrie and Boauf destroyed, and during the 

 evening and night replaced them by a single 

 bridge at the junction of the bayous. A 

 steamer had just been burned by the enemy, 

 but the principal portion of her cargo, which 

 had been transferred to a flat r was captured. 

 Orders were also found there from Gen. Moore 

 to Gen. Taylor, in command of the Confederate 

 force, directing him to retreat slowly to Alex- 

 andria, and, if pressed, to retire to Texas. 



Another expedition, under Lieut.-Col. Blan- 

 chard, was sent out by way of Barre's Land- 

 ing, to examine the Bayou Courtableau in the 

 direction of Bute-a-la-Rose, but he found the 

 roads impassable four miles beyond Barre's 

 Landing. The steamer Ellen was captured by 

 him, which proved a timely assistance. Previ- 

 ously Bute-a-la-Rose had been taken by orders 

 of Gen. Banks, with its garrison f sixty men, 

 two heavy guns, and a large quantity of ammu- 

 nition. The result of the expedition thus far is 

 thus stated by Gen. Banks*: " We have destroy- 

 ed the enemy's army and navy, and made their 

 reorganization impossible by destroying or re- 

 moving the material. We hold the key of the 

 position. Among the evidences of our victory 

 are two thousand prisoners, two transports, 

 and twenty guns taken, and three gunboats 

 and eight transports destroyed." 



On the 6th of May, Admiral Porter appeared 

 before Alexandria with a fleet of gunboats, and 

 took possession of the town without opposition. 

 On that evening the cavalry of Gen. Dwight 

 dashed into the place, and the next morning 

 the advance of Gen. Banks arrived. Alexan- 

 dria is the capital of Rapides parish in Louisi- 

 ana. It is situated on the Red river, about one 

 hundred and fifty miles from its mouth, and in 

 the centre of a rich cotton-growing region. 



The country thus occupied by Gen. Banks 

 was the most fertile portion of the State of 

 Louisiana. His movements had been so rapid 

 that the enemy had been allowed no opportunity 

 to make a stand against him after their defeat 

 near Franklin. The capture of Alexandria and 

 the attack on Fort de Russe below, was reported 

 by Admiral Porter, with his movements, thus : 



