Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1863-06-18
TrIr srkGE or roRT MUpsoN.
LETTER FROM AN OFFICER IN BANKS Army
PARTICULARS OF THE YANKEE DEFEAT.


The Northern pepers publish the following letc. from
an officer in Banks army, showing how the Yankees
we're defeated in their assault upon the stronghold of
Louisiana.
PoRr HUDsoS, Thursday, May %.
Same position yesterday. We have had very
hard and bloody battle and have not yet reached PORT
Hudson. Yesterday morning The ball was opened by
the centre of Dwight and Weize charging the first
outworks, and alter a severe engagement they took
ITEM The enemy retired taking with hnihis artillery,
and after severe skirmshng retired his second line,
where he made desperate stand. Our artillery played
on him. and was answered by his own The Seventy
I Fifth New York Eighth New Hampshire AID Ninety
frstNew York were engaged in diving them in being
supported BIZ the whole Of Emory,s division. After
driving them into the inrenchments they advanced the
skirmishers and finally madea desperate charge, carry
Ing the second line aud driv the enemy his last
line. This was all up hill, nearly perpendicular, and
the enemy had cut down trees TO lay across the RIVER
making it Sd much tie more dangerous, from The very
SLOW place at which it necessary 10 charge. The
artillery was meanwhile pouring in grape The brigade
entered less than half its Original strength.
Emory's Division, meanwhile, led by General Paine,
we're under the same fire, being the supports
They suffered very mrcd Our men now began TO move
upon the ride pits before the lest line The fire
heavy as to stagger them, and for time no Roadway
was made battery on the enemy left was firing on
our fanks completely enyeQpng US with the fire. For
! an hour we stood il, 10 lug Immensely when Wezc
sent TO Grover for reinlorcments Grover in az hour
came with lis division, and supported US, relieving
those regiments who were mOstcut up. After giving
them ammunition another charge was made carrying
the rife pits and the ditch in frona of the LIST works.
The works themselves they could not caRy. Time and
time again it attempted, but when the heads ap
peared the parapet they were metby voey which
moved them down.
We sent now to Augur for reinforce ments, and Gen.
Dudley came in with his brigade A last charge
made and failed. Meanwhile, little TO tho right,
part Of brigade advanced until they too were be-
fore the last works; but bayou here utted in font
and prevented a movement, as sounding With poles
showed six feet Of water. Here their sharpshoo,ers
we're very effective. If showed his head in sight
| ne was picked of. On their extreme right the tsO
negro regiments advanced over the bayou. on pom.
toon bridge and advanced toward the eGemys works..
They found them almost perpendicular to bayou TWEEN
ty feet across and deep in front FIRE OF muskey
opened FROM the top of the bluff and from the rifle
Is al the way down. The fire was supported by their
batteries one of them the heavy used to shell
gunboats on the river Their Colonel showed me one
inch and one l0nch she'll which had been throwl in
on them.
They stood up nobiy but it was impossible to cross
the BAYOU and retreat WAS ordered. Slowly they fell
back the enemy not daring to follow them. Hearing
our heavy fire. another charge was made, and another
and fourth, with like result. They could not get
across the bayou. Dwight meanwhile ordered them TO
| take the battery. They failed Colonel Gooding was
now Oldlfeu Dy dwight 10 90 10 Lnch ana ty 70 taHe
it, He went over aud found the two regiments could
not muster nine hu dved and sixty men. Colonel
Cooling satisfied that they could not take the work.
! for the reason that the bayou efectuaY rostra ed
them from attempting it as If it was the Mississippi it
self He communicated bis orders, however and o
| fifth charge was made with like result They stood
like veterans, and moEed down, and finally re-
treat was ordered which made as if by old soldier
find that many sueerers very polite TO Colonel
Nelson, ofihe Third Louisiana. They have to admit
that no regiment behaved better than they did They
never staggered under fire from superior force and
batteries Of the largest guns known to warfare On the
left General Sherman made attack, and replsed
being wounded in hsleg with solid shot Re will pro-
badly survive it. General Andrews, Chief of General
| Banks Stan assumed his command Gen. Augur also
made an attack and Likewise repulsed in the final
work. after takipg the Outwoks and number OF phi
soners. On the whole, during the day we lost many
men and failed to take the real works Of the enemy
capturing but four guns and they ellpieces judge
we viii hardly make another attack IKE that Of ye.ter
| day.
An interesting episode occurred during the afternoon
fight Suddenly he firing ceased, aud it announced
that flag of truce lad been sent in. We ell thought
they had surrendered and very few regretedit All
had enough fighting. IL turned out that Major of
New Hampshire Regiment had put up his handkerchief
for flag OF truce TO inquire about bis killed The
enemy seized the preext and hung out one pretending
10 INQUIRE what was waned-realy to relieve their ex
| hausted men. 1t took over an hoW to find out what
/ the mistake The firing then was resumed, and
continued untlnight whenit ceased, almost completely
by mutual consent both parties holdg the position
they had held at the commencement OF the flag OF truce
lost many friends Colonel Chaplin, One-huudred and
.xteenth New York, was killed at the head Of his bi
qade; Colonel ROdmsn, at the head Of his regiment
Rodman was my most intimate friend We had bid
each other good bye just before going into battle Jest
iue on our last words little did dream that it to
1 be our last meeting alive Captain Hubbard and Lieut.
| Romanowsky, Of General Weitzeis stah, were both
killed.
We had takea a drink together from my canteen but
an hour before. They men Of the finest talents
aud must have made their marks wherever they had
lived. Quite number OF 10Y friends we're wounded
Fortunately was not touched. My position is much
exposed being mounted and yet is all the safer for that
reason. II is like shooting on the wing We had our
headquarters the field, and sound asleep soon
after the close of the battle. About two in the morn
! ing we we're awakened by heavy shower of grape,
which few around US. Il seems that the Ninety-irst
New commenced shooting at the enemy's piokes, and
they answered by shower Of grape. Unhapply, both
General Weltzel and Colonel Goodngs headquarters
were in range and TIE grape whstled over heads
but one Of US was hurt General Weitzel however,
had la strike in the tree, root of which served him
| for pillow and not more than couple oil feet from
his head. In the morning examined forces and
gave the necessary instructions about lying down. &c,
and cautions against Unnecessary exposure.
About nine o'clock the firing began to slacken and
shortly after ceased We went to General Wetze for
the news and found that General Banks had sent flag
of truce proposing cessation until t. o'clock, to allow
1 US to bury our dead and pick up our wounded. We
then went to the negro brigade to cut road between
them and our brigade and to whether could not
silence the battery which had so annoyed them. cut
my way through and ascending the trees in the neigh
borhood, had good idea of our position met GEN
eral Andrews evidently accommodating. He looked
Thoughtful. fancy he fears he will have 10 turn this
into a seige and starVe the rebels out They much
stronger than we supposed the number expected to
meet. have had many hsrbreadth escapes, and do
not hesitate to say do not desire continuation of the
scenes of yesterday. Two colonies, who were in the
seven days fight and at Antietam, say they never
more severe FIRE than the second hours work at the
right centre. We in the centre Of the croTs-re
You may imagine my position. The cracking Of limbs
around me- the whzzing Of balls and Shells seeing the
! mangled wounded and dead made such horrid and
sckenirg sight that but for the excitement and hope
| If I shoud have vowed never would into