72 



ARMY OPERATIONS. 



Rouge, to assist in the attack on Port Hudson. 

 Thence Gens. Augur and Sherman moved to 

 the south' and east of that position, to coope- 

 rate with Gen. Banks. From Simmesport Gen. 

 Banks moved his army to invest Port Hudson. 

 A portion of his infantry was transported in 

 steamers, and the residue with the artillery 

 and cavalry and wagon train moved down on 

 the west bank of the river, and thence across 

 to Bayou Sara, which is five miles above Port 

 Hudson, on the east bank of the Mississippi 

 river. It was on the 21st of May that Gen. 

 Banks landed, agd on the next day a junction 

 was effected with the advance of Maj.-Gen. 

 Augur and Brig.-Gen. Sherman. His line oc- 

 cupied the Bayo Sara road. On this road 

 Gen. 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 Gen. Weitzel's brigade, which 

 had covered the rear in the march from Alex- 

 andria, arrived, and on the morning of the 27th 

 a general assault was made on the fortifications. 

 Port Hudson, or Hickey's Landing, as it was 

 called some years ago, is situated on a bend in 

 the Mississippi river, about twenty-two miles 

 above Baton Rouge, and one hundred and for- 

 ty-seven above New Orleans. Approaching 

 Port Hudson by water from below, the first 

 batteries were situated on a bluff about forty 



feet above high water mark. Thence three se- 

 ries 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 de- 

 fence. 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. The guns were of 

 heavy caliber ; in addition to which there were 

 light batteries, that might be easily taken to 

 any part of the line. The position was under 

 the command of Col. Frank Gardner. 



The fire of the artillery of Gen. Banks 

 opened about six o'clock on the morning of the 

 27th, and continuld with animation during the 

 day. At ten o'clock, Gen. Weitzel's brigade, 

 with the division of Gen. Grover reduced to 

 about two brigades and the division of Gen. 

 Emory, temporarily reduced by detachments 

 to about a brigade, under command of Col. 

 Paine, with two regiments of colored troops, 

 made an assault upon the right of the ene- 

 my's works, crossing Sandy creek, and driving 

 them through the woods into their fortifica- 

 tions. The fight lasted on this line until four 

 o'clock, and was very severely contested. On 

 the left, the infantry did not come np until 

 later in the day ; but at two o'clock an assault 

 was commenced on the works on the centre 



