SOLDIER 47 



absence, which was longer than he had expected, the army 

 had marched a hundred miles in three days and four hours, 

 had occupied Alexandria, and in cooperation with the navy 

 had destroyed the Confederate fortresses and scattered their 

 forces to the wind, and had started down the Red River on 

 their way to Port Hudson. Goodell met them at Simsport 

 and here he begins his story of the advance upon that 

 fortress. 



On May 21, we received orders to march, and at 12 

 embarked on board the Empire Parish along with the 13th 

 Connecticut and the 159th New York. You can imagine 

 how crowded we were and add to this the fact that a good 

 many men of the . . . were drunk and inclined to be 

 quarrelsome. Poor Colonel Bissell was quite ill and had to 

 seek a berth immediately. Soon after 3 p.m., the rest of 

 the boats being loaded, we slipped from our moorings and 

 away up the Atchafalaya to the Red where we passed the 

 Switzerland 1 and the Estrella watching for rebel craft from 

 Sheveport. Down the Red to the Mississippi, where we 

 came upon the grim old Hartford [Rear-Admiral Farragut's 

 flag-ship]. The band of the 13th saluted her as we ap- 

 proached, playing 'The Star-Spangled Banner,' and 'Yan- 

 kee Doodle.' 



At 12 at night we disembarked at Bayou Sara some six- 

 teen miles from Port Hudson. The rest of the brigade 



1 The U. S. S. Estrella had made its way up from Berwick Bay with the 

 army. The U. S. Ram Switzerland had on the morning of March 25, in 

 company with the U. S. S. Lancaster, undertaken to run by the batteries 

 at Vicksburg. The Lancaster was destroyed by the enemy's fire and the 

 Switzerland received a 10-inch shell in her boilers, but escaped, to join 

 Farragut and take a part in blockading the Red River. 



