50 HENRY HILL GOODELL 



in. Advancing one mile, we halted in a field near a well of 

 deliciously cold water, about two miles from Port Hudson. 

 In a few minutes General Augur rode up and the generals 

 held a conference together. 



At 7 p.m. I was suddenly detailed with forty men to go 

 on picket. Pretty rough on a fellow to be three nights on 

 duty; but a soldier's first duty is to obey without grumbling, 

 so I went, though I could hardly keep my eyes open. It was 

 a magnificent moonlight night and I sat and watched the 

 bombs from the mortar boats for hours, curving round 

 in the heavens and bursting in a fiery shower. The night 

 passed without disturbance, save one or two false alarms. 



At 4 a.m. May 24, 1 started out black-berrying, and in 

 a very few minutes had more than enough for a good meal. 

 Fancy me peacefully gathering berries under the guns of 

 Port Hudson. At 8 a. m we were called in and at 9 we 

 commenced making a Sunday advance on the centre forti- 

 fications. The 2nd Brigade was in the advance, and the 

 24th Connecticut lost a few men. At noon the first earth- 

 work was taken and we deployed in the woods to the right 

 and stacked arms. We lay here a couple of hours while 

 shells exploded and burst around us and over our heads, 

 but we were mercifully preserved though in great danger 

 for a time. Soon after 4 p.m. the right wing was ordered out 

 as picket-skirmishers, — that is, we were stationed behind 

 trees, one to a tree all through the woods, to keep the enemy 

 back. On our right was the 13th Connecticut, and on the 

 left we joined the 24th Connecticut. This was the fourth 



and an immense quantity of public stores, arrived at Baton Rouge, May 2, 

 and was detained to cooperate with General Banks in the operations 

 around Port Hudson. 



