132 



HISTOKY OF STEUBEN COUNTY, NEW YORK. 



sealed orders. Their destination proved to be New Orleans, 

 at which place they landed December 17. 



After bivouacking a few weeks on the banks of the Mis- 

 sissippi, above the city, the regiment moved to the rear of 

 the city, where the winter was passed. 



December 31 the 161st was assio;ned to the 2d Bris^ade, 

 Col. H. W. Birge, 1st Division, Brig.-Gen. Grover, and 

 19th Corps. January 21, together with the 30th and 50th 

 Massachusetts, 174th New York, and 2d Louisiana, it was 

 assigned to the 3d Brigade, Col. N. A.. M. Dudley, 1st 

 Division, Maj.-Gen. Augur, and 19th Corps. 



During the winter the 161st had spent a great portion 

 of the time in battalion and brigade drills, and become in 

 all respects one of the best disciplined regiments in the 

 Department of the Gulf At this time Admiral Farragut 

 was in command of the marine forces at New Orleans, and 

 being anxious to run a portion of his fleet past the enemy's 

 batteries at Port Hudson, on the 12th of March ordered 

 the 19th Army Corps up the east side of the river, to at- 

 tract the attention of the garrison, thereby affording the 

 water forces an advantage. After marching thirteen miles, 

 the order was countermanded and the main body sent to 

 New Orleans, while the 161st, together with three other 

 regiments, were shipped on transports and landed eighteen 

 miles up the river on the west bank. 



Preparations were now made by Gen. Banks to march 

 towards Port Hudson, and on May 12 the 3d Brigade 

 broke camp and commenced the onward march. May 21, 

 the main forces came upon the enemy at the Plain's Store 

 Boad, where a sharp engagement ensued, and the rebel 

 forces were routed and driven towards Port Hudson. The 

 regiment moved forward, and. May 24, the whole command 

 halted within one and a half miles of the centre of the 

 enemy's works. 



It soon became evident that a charge was the only effi- 

 cient means of reaching the enemy's works, and on the 26th 

 of May a storming-party, consisting of thirty men, a cap- 

 tain, and a lieutenant from each regiment of the 1st Divis- 

 ion, was called for. xlnd as an illustration of the material 

 of the 161st, so many officers and men volunteered for this 

 perilous task that it became necessary to appoint a special 

 committee to make the selections. All being in readiness, 

 May 27, the entire land force, the artillery brigade, and the 

 fleet of gunboats upon the river opened a simultaneous 

 attack. 



The contest was a terrible one : the artillery and flotilla 

 poured a flaming sheet of fire of shot and shell ; the land 

 forces fought with that bravery and perseverance never ex- 

 celled ; while the assaulting column rushed into the very 

 jaws of death. 



The enemy from his strongly-intrenched position poured 

 into those blue ranks a murderous fire of grape and canis- 

 ter, and men fell like wheat before the sickle of the har- 

 vester. Serg. George Bingham, of Company C, and Edward 

 Stratton and Anson Betan, of Company A, were instantly 

 killed. 



After this attack the regiment continued to hold its old 

 position in the ravines until June 14, when another grand 

 attack was made, and again were the Union forces forced 

 back. 



July 4, Vicksburg surrounded, and Gen. Gardner in 

 command of Port Hudson, having defended the position 

 as long as he deemed his duty required, on the 9th of July 

 the stronghold was surrendered and occupied by the Union 

 forces. 



From Port Hudson the regiment proceeded down the 

 river, and on the 9th disembarked at Donaldsonville, and 

 on the 12th moved to Cox's plantation, six miles dis- 

 tant. On the following day the enemy threatened an attack, 

 and, after forming in line of battle, the Union forces, seeing 

 that they were greatly inferior to the enemy in numbers, 

 fell back in good order to a more advantageous position 

 near the town. The enemy opened a brisk fire, which was 

 kept up some time, the 161st losing six killed, thirty-nine 

 wounded, and nine missing. 



The regiment remained at Donaldsonville until July 31, 

 when they embarked for Baton Rouge and returned to 

 their " Old Camp Ground." 



August 15 the 161st was assigned to the 1st Brigade, 

 1st Division, 10th Army Corps. September 2, the regi- 

 ment embarked for New Orleans, and were ordered on 

 Gen. Banks' expedition to Sabine Pass. Four compa- 

 nies were detailed as sharpshooters on the gunboats, — A 

 and B on the Arizona^ E on the Granite City^ and D on 

 the Sachem. Companies C, F, G, and I, under command 

 of Capt. W. E. Craig, were detailed as a storming-party to 

 attack the enemy and force a landing. These companies, 

 with others of different regiments, were commanded by 

 Capt. Fitch, of the 75th New York, and on the steamer 

 General Banks. Companies H and K were with Lieut.- 

 Col. Kinsey, on the N. B. Thomas. 



Upon arriving near the Pass the gunboats opened fire, 

 and soon one became disabled and another grounded. The 

 troops were not landed, the expedition proved a failure, and 

 the resz;iment returned to New Orleans. In the action at 

 the Pass, Company D had two men wounded, ten scalded, 

 and Lieut. Lindsay with seventeen men were taken prison- 

 ers. These were exchanged July 22, 1864. 



The 161st were ordered to join the expedition to the 

 Teche country, and September 15 they left camp. After 

 a series of marches the regiment went into camp, Novem- 

 ber 17, near Bayou Teche, where it remained until Jan. 7, 

 1864, when they broke camp and began the march towards 

 Franklin, which was reached on the 9th. Here the regi- 

 ment went into camp, and the men enjoyed themselves 

 generally for eight weeks. 



March 15 the entire army broke camp and began its 

 march on the famous Red River expedition, and, after a 

 series of fatiguing marches, came upon the enemy at Pleas- 

 ant Grove. Here a terrible battle was fought, in which the 

 gallant 161st saved the whole army from a humiliating 

 defeat. It lost nine killed, forty-four wounded,, and thirty- 

 nine missing. 



At the close of this battle Brig.-Gen. Dwight, on an offi- 

 cial visit to the 161st, addressed them as follows: 



"Officers and men of the 161st New York Volunteers: 

 I appear before you to thank you for your gallant conduct 

 in the battles through which you have just passed. In that 

 of Pleasant Grove you were ordered, upon your arrival, to 

 advance and hold the enemy in check until the division 



