The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1863-07-03
The Second Assault Upon
Port HudSOnI
REPULSE OF THE UNION FORCES.
Heroi sm and Gallantry Of our Men.
-espondeaes of the New York Herald.

{
+; NEAR PoRr HUDSON, June II. 1868.
Atearly dawn on Sunday, the I4th inst .
. We commenced another advance movement
f.. on Port Hudson About daylight the 75;h h
New York, which had been slowly advan-
: cling. approached the enemy's works suffi
ciently near to see his fire. Previously the
columns Of the mein body of Gen. Grover
command were formed in the woods skirt
ing the enemy's breastworks. The 18th
Connecticut, during the night, bad lost its
way in the woods, and the 9ist New York
was ordered by Gen. Weitzel to take the
place that had been assigned to it, aud fol-
low immediately in the rear Of the 18th
New ora. Alter the advance of the 18th
and 9l>t regiments, Gen. Weitzels entire
command commenced moving forward
Several days previous our army engineers
bad been preparing a covered way, which
extended from the woods where our troops
lay, to within about so yards of the ene-
mys position. Through this covered way
our troops marched In single file up To the
point where the first line OF battle was
formed. Ii should be remarked that the
covered way spoken Of was relied upon as
beng sufficiently deep to afford protection
TO Ou, soldiers. 1t turned out however, to
to some fault in construction. After the
advance had arrived ut the end of the cover
ed way. they began slowly TO push over the
innumerable barriers that had been planted
by the rebels 10 obstruct their march
The difficulties that have before spoken
Of concerning the open field, Immediately
facing the enemy's works, were here expe-
rienced- The deep gullies, covered over
with brush and creeping vines. were com
pletely obscured from sight, and were only
known to exist after our soldiers had plum
ged into them. Part of our skirmishers
deployel to the right. while suffering Sc
verely from the enemy's fire, aud a portion
Of the advance took up position on the
left of the point to be attacked. They were
immediately followed by General Werzel's
column. General Paine in the meantime ad-
vancing toward the enemy's works with his
command further TO the left. Ii should be
stated that our troops, as soon as they had
left the cover of the woods, which were
scarcely three hundred yards from the enc
my's breastworks, were subject TO the con-
stant fire of the rebel infantry. A portion
of our artillery. which was planted some
distance in the rear of eur advancing for
Gas, kept up constant fire at the rebel
Captain Terry, of the Richmond, with his
OalteTy Oh elout-lucn bauiSTeen guns, auQ
Captain McLafin, with his battery. por-
ton of the Twenty Indiana artillery.
did good execution. These batteries served
very much TO protect our troops as they
were advancing to the attack. After our
skirmishers had picked their way up to
within about thirty yards of the enemy's
works, they sprang into the ditch, expect
ing 10 be able to shelter themselves under
the cover Of the rebel fortihcations, and keep
the enemy down while the regiment, with
the hand grenades, should advance and per-
form their part of the woik in driving the !
rebels from their position. The portion Of
thu 10Th which succeeded in reaching the |
ditch were Immediately repulsed. and near
ly all of them were either killed or woun.
ded. The ditch xas so enfaded that it I
was impossible for men to live long under |
the murderous fire Of the enemy.
In consequence Of the repulse of the por
tion of the 18th that succeeded ir reaching 7
the ditch, the hand grenaders could accom-
plish but little. in fact. although they made I
many desperate and gallant attempts to be /
Of service. they rather damaged than bene-
fitted our prospects of success for they
threw their grenades over the rebel breast. |
works. the rebels actually caught them and
hurled them back amongst as. In the
meantime, while the skirmishers were nobly |
endeavoring to sustain themselves in their
position, Gen. WeitzePs column moved up i
as rapidly as possible, and made series of
desperate assaults on the enemy's works |
which for bravery and daring the history
Of the war can hardly furnish parallel
At this time. the sun having fairly risen, |
the fight became general. A fog which
had partially obscured the contending ar
mics. lifted and revealed their respective
positions The enemy were fully prepared
for US. and they lined every part of their |
fortiications with heavy bodies of infantry.
The battle had begun in earnest. and Gen. I
Paine's column, as well as Gen. Weitzers, :
was actively engaged. Before proceeding
further with the details of the fight with /
Gen. Growers command it will be neeessa /
ry to mention fact that | have previously
omitted-namely, that unGer the general
plau of attack, as directed By Gen. Banks,
Generals Augur and Dwight were to make
feints on the extreme left of Gen Growers
nosition 10 distract the attention OF the enc
nv from the main assault. Accordingly.
before the engagement became general be
,waeu Gen. Growers command and the enc
my Generals Auyur and Dwight had attac-
Led the enemy, as before indicated. On ten
Groxar's extreme left. 1t was not the IN
,ention that the last named Of these forces
sbonli storm the rebel works, but hold the
enemy in check while Gen, Grover was per-
forming his part of the work according TO
the original plan, which. had he been sue
cessfu!, would have opened the way for the
ADVANCE of our enti,e army on Port Hud-
son proper, which is surrounded. as is un-
derstood. by seriss Of fortiheasions more
in pregnable lhan any We have yet assault
ed. The fight on the part OF Gen. Dwights
command was exceedingly severe, and scar
ceIy less so with Gen. Growers. General
Dsighes loss in killed and wounded viii
nr,bsblv exceed two hundred. Gen. Au-
cur'. loss win fall considerably short of tha;
nnmber Under Gen. Growers command,
nrobably the most desperate fighting was
done BIZ Gen. Weii1ers old brigade. Col
Smith. leading these veterans, fhe heroes OF
many fights. fell early in the action mortal
y wounded. A ball pierced his spine and
passed round TO the right side. The Colo
r, r..o~-Eh h.xx h;e daafh y