Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1863-06-11
BATTLE AT PORT HUDSON.

L
BY tho arrival at New York Of the steamer Morning
Star have advices from New Orleans to the 29h utmo
being the date already received but containing
some highly important intelligence that failed to reach
New Orleans in season for the last steamer.
The attack upon Port Hudson, which seemed imminent
at the close Of our last accounts took place the 9th
OF May, after continuous bombardment by Com Farra.
CUTS fleet from the previous Wednesday The position
had been closely invested right resting Thompson
bayou, above the forts and left Springfield landing
below them The extreme right was commanded by Gen.
Weitze the right centre by Gen Grover the left centre
by Gen Augur and the extreme left by Gen j. w. Sher-
man--the artillery being under Gen. Arnold. Previous
revealed that the deences the land side
very strong consisting of several lines of entrench
ments and rife pts with abas of heavy trees feed in
every direction.
The plans of Gen. Banks having been perfected,
general attack by land and water ordered for We'd
nesday aud began about seven O'clock almost smutane
ousy along the entire ne the aim being capture the
heavy batteries respectively the enemys left and right
The first task committed to Gen Wezel, and after
desperate fight, in which his troops suffered severely
was crowned with partial by the capture of the
celebrated sixgun battery commanding the river and
which proved destructive to the fgae Mississippi on
the night when she destroyed This is considered
most important point gained it turns the left Of the
enemy and enabled our troops to it with advantage
against the other Notifications, done with great
success.
The attack upon the enemys right by Gen. Sherman
equally brilliant but less successful With desperate valor
two of regiments carried the enemy works at the
point of the bayonet under murderous fire Of shot, she'll
grape canister and musketry but were at length COM
PEELED to give way before the overwhelming numbers that
were massed aganst them. Considerable ground was
gained and held however though the principal object of
the attack that of getting inside the and cap
turing the batteries on the enemys right not accom-
pshed In this attack Gen. Sherman fell severely wound
cd In the leg and taken to New Orleans the next day
There also heavy loss of other officers among them
being Gen. Neal Dow wounded, and Coils Clarke and
Cowles killed All the regiments suffered severely the
Sixth Michigan and One Hundred aud Twenty New
York losing about half their effective men, and the Second
Louisiana Native Guards, who led the advance with con-
spcuous bravery, out with loss of over six hun
dred men and nearly all their officers.
Meanwhile the attack the centre had been made by
Gems Augur and Grover 1t conducted with the most
mpeuous vaor and met by the desperate resistance
The enemy driven foot by foot of the rifle pits
and Entertainments behind their main works. and our
troops held every inch of ground that they had gained
There is discrepancy the the con-
nuance of the action version stating positively that
at FIVE o'clock in the afternoon general order dis
patched along the whole line retreat the original po-
ston occupied at the commencement of the action
Another with equal postiveuess that at
seven o'clock in the evening the battle raging along
the entire line with great fury and that four o'clock of
the following day dispatches had been received New
Orleans that position still improving with every
prospect Of success.
The details of the second days fight (on Thursday the
25h) had not been received but was believed to have
been that Of the day before The impression
prevailed n New Orleans that the news was kept back
till the field finally lost won bnt as Cen Banks
had been reinforced all his losses and
believed to have sufficient force to complete the reduc
ton of the position and be s said to have expressed
the determination to carry storm if he should lose
ten hous md in doing so, it is confidently expected
that his efforts will be crowned with success and the
next dispatches will convey the important tdngs of the
capture Of Port Hudson and all its defenders
Our loss in the battle Of "wednesday s down at be-
tween and three thousand and that OF the enemy s
also said to have been fghtfu but less 10 proportion
than own they in great degree covered by
their Notifications
The foregoing is condensed from New Orleans letters
by the Newark Daily Advertiser. We add extract Of
letter which speaks particularly of the operations of
Admiral Farraguts feet:
1t must not be supposed that while the army was do
ng all this desperate fighting shore the navy was idle
on the contrary the gallant Admiral at work with the
entire squadron both above aud below The bummers
moved their position much the works and kept up
continuous FIRE of thrteenincb she'll The Hartford and
Abatross engaged the upper batteries aud when General
WetEe captured the sxgun battery before referred TO-
they moved further down aud supported him by attacking
the below Admiral Farrsgut, in the Monougahela
followed by the Richmond, Genes-ee and Essex engaged
| the lower works. and IN a most effective manner.
"The FIRE of the enemy upon the ships was compare
lively light they directed it principally at the MonoDgahe
Ia but tailed to hit her The Richmond equally for
tunate and there not casualty to record 10 the fleet
to six clock last evening The feet engaged in
the morning aud again in the afternoon and succeeded in
dsmounting five of the enemys heaviest guns The firing
for accuracy excelled. Admiral Farragut with
his squadron will render Gen Banks important assistance
In the work yet to be done he will continue rain shot
aud shell upon the enemy in such must ds-
tract HIM great from the land attack, and
compel him to abandon line the other They
not stand for many hours the assault they sub
jected to- it is than human nature endure this
constant wear and tear of both body and mind
OFFICIAL REPORT OF GEN BANKS