On May 27, the 49th Massachusetts took part in the first assault on Port Hudson. A call was made for 200 volunteers for what was known as a "forlorn hope"—a storming party to lead the division's charge and lay down fascines to allow passage over ditches and trenches. The 49th Massachusetts supplied 65 of the 200 for this dangerous duty. The rest of the regiment advanced with the main body of the division. During the assault on May 27, the extremely rugged ground and tangle of felled trees proved too difficult and neither the storming party nor the main assault made sufficient progress. The 49th Massachusetts reached the foot of the Confederate earthworks gained the most advanced position of any unit in their division that day. The regiment lost 16 killed and 64 wounded.