The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1863-06-12

We have received the account Of the deencesO Of
Port Hudson Of the strength Of it's garrison and liz means
generally TO resist the efforts now being made to reduce
Il from q young Kentuckan who happened to DO IN Ar
Kansas the breaking cut Of the rebeion and who was
compelled to join the rebel troops raised in that State
His regimont part Of tho brigade o; General Zeal,
which soon after the battle Of Conth, Pttsoug Land
Ing, was 10 Port Hudson where II has eyer sioco
remained. John Harris, Informant, is native Of
Kentucky and now on his way 10 his atiyostate, he
having oyfay taken tho oath Of allegiance 70 tho Union
ovesumsnt ana forever sbsred that u dsunou and JEFF
Davis Mr. Has-- Askansas when that state seeded,
md such The Mid excitement Of the people nsti
nated by The wilder rawlings and unbvdlod denunciaons
Of Hdmsn Of hs stripe, that there was no al
tentative of young but 70 volunteer and TO swell tho
ranks Of the rsdoabtahss nndman. He consequently
josnsd tho Fourteenth Arkansas regiment, which ct Ito
nrss organization numbered twelve hundred men, but
which Al the time Of his capture mustered only ono
hundred and eighty Of the original command He con
linusd with hh regiment throughout ns whole career
up he moment Of biz capture, and was present w the
battles Of Pea RIDGE and Corinth In oil or which
Nc vsbek were Aeisated. But Mr. Harris came OUT
ysa,hslsss in oil. He Yves never absent from duty,
either through WOUNDS 9 ses s
xxFsahs.~' rom HUDSON.
; In November last Beals brigade Wa ordered 70 move
With al haste into Port Hudson There were not many
hoops tnsH hsn and the force now In u was hurrsdly
Concentrated there Tortscatons were then only talked
bboua though general plan Of fos'nsAsons ana m &C.
Soedancs with which The present deences were construct
sd hsd bean already drawn out The troops soon ass
ner arrival were put constructing the works, and I'm.
sessns activity was rgldy enforced In short Time the
korhs began 70 regularity and strength which
bvuced their purpose and the Oss 70 which they would
re long be put III stirred shs soldiers 10 increased
Sxertop, Spd In short time the extensive semcrc'e
n 6utwOrks Of rife pics and aoatn, from wncn
ouroa The deadly shower Of hail that greeted our
hrss assaultIng parties, was completed Port hudson
situated on bend Of The Mississippi, on shs eastern
More the sweeps taken by she river above ana De'ow
having M m position 10 completely command the ap-
r,oannss sabsr way The moro outer works consist Of
sr,xeochsa abasi extending IN The form Of asemicfcIs
=, ses nine Of ven niles Beyond these the country was
,erea % 10 favorable for hs defenders Of the post
pu, from ,his they have been driven, and our forces corn
r,s,s,y invest H. Tne place, naturally strong has been
sov,oed with geat SKILL and ability. The outer nsrench
sbs,s brsts wis cannon OF heavy cabre which SWEEP
M the approaches Come forty Siege guns besides lighter
Aed batteries, arc Ia position here, together Win 'ws
.us hundred and twenty.pounders. Great reliance \
esd on hs strength Of there works. but there are In
,eror lines of defence upon which the rebels can rally
49, Of being driven back These were not Of much con
soueuoe al nrst but some time before tho ato atac'
considerable labor had been expended on them Tnes
vorns are NOT Of continuous character ke tho semi
srcs OF outer works. but detached erected on posi-
lions favorable 10 the rebels in case they wero compelled
40 sa, back and abandon their outer defences Hoav.
,lere guns are planted these Publications Betwee
snsse works and the town itself several swamps an
,ner uudersrowth adding considerably 70 the strengt
~ ,he Mace Tho water defenccs consist Of ten bate
r,es numbering between thirty and forty CUNT
soms OF them being eleven inch and osne'
sA,rtseu inch BORE Ono Of these batteries 10 81
TONED on q bluff eighty fees high. Anosher pas%fI
Inc mos. westerly Of the water deencos situated belo
shs mouth OF Thompsons creek. There S also mor''
battery intended for throwing hot shell. Tho guns gen
rally are shrty.twos aud fortytwos. These batterb
were erected early in the war, bus tho land defenc
were principally built after tho advance OF the un'
forces 70 Baton Rouge
GENERAL YKANKLM GARDNER,
eh,sa in command u Port Hudson, 10 native OF the Sta
Of New York, graduate Of West Point, to which he
amounted from Iowa. He served with distinction
Mexico; but on the breaking out Of The rebellion,
,ouod tbe rebels and the oth Of May 1891 his MAI
VA. stricken or the roll Of the United states Army
roous under him were for the most part previously CO.
handed by General Bea who Ia still, however, In co
voand az subordinate 70 General Gardner. MI. Har
.ompu,es the whole rshaI strength a. between four
A.. ,nousapd men, consisting OF the following regime
or parts Of regiments
The yourtsensh. Seventeenth, sixiscnih and Fnec1
Arsansss, The rsrss ssd Thirty ninth Missouri; the Iir
Thirsyrss and Thirty ninth Alabama parts Of The Fcs
second, For,y-sshsh Torsynu,h and Fifty-n Tenn
see md the Ninth Louisiana battalion.
General Marcy commands brigade OF troops.
annRAL eAwpNrR's srAyS.
zIieuteuant Alec Dupre, Aid .dssCamp.
lieutenant T. r. Wilson, A. An.
3 CApta,n ], n. spYatiey, A. M.
a Cavtain John J. wheadon, A. o. 8.
\ Lieutenant r. NJ Rogers, Ordnance Gnncer
raI CONDITIONS OF THE TROOPS
,uressnsed 40 almost perfect Previous 10 the late IA
s,s assault upon their works they had every condenc
sssv strength and ability 70 rspsl any attach made
. sssm; but NE numbers and determination Of our VI
- INA, occasion hAs reduced their vsm bosesings
A sous,aerably.