Daily national Republican., 1863-05-05

General Orders No. 90.
Soldiers; 1t Is with pride that your Brigade
Commander recalls your uniformly good con.
duct on the march as well as your gallant and
noble behavior at Fort Bisland; you have won
for yourselves an cnviable reputation. Be true
to Mat reputation, and in the future let your
cvcyy act, in the camp as we'll as on the battle
field, be such us will only add 10 its purity and
splohdor. For four mortal hours YOU were ex.
pos(d to an inCessant fire Of artillery aua mus
ke;ry. You did notfalEe. but molly perform
cd your duty, driving before you and capturing
some of the most daring and reckless of South
ern troops.
For our noble dead who fell fighting so gal
lantly on tho field of Bisland, we drop the pa
triotG' tear. May their death be our death, and
their glory our glory. We could i'll afford to
lose such noble spirits as the gallant Captain
Gait and chivalrC LiCuts. Frear and Nuttng;
but 1t is pleasing to reflect that they died for
the old flag. Let us emulate their example and
march on to victory and yet more glory.
By order of o. 2. GOODING,
Colonel Commanding.
E. II. FARNHAM, Capt. A. A. A. G.
The following official report of the battle on
Bayou Teche will prove interesting, being more
authentic than any newspaper statement, as
the commanding officer, Colonel Gooding, was
the CALLING fire of the enemy, whereas no news
paper correspondent was within musket range:
| HEADQUARTERS 3D BRIGADE 3D DIVISION,
OPELOUsAs, La, April 81, 1868.
SIR: l have the honor to report that, in ac-
cOrdancG with orders from Gen. Emory, on the
| 18th inst. my brigade, excepting the l75th New
/ York volunteers, marched with our army from
PattCrsOnville toward the enemy's works on
Bayou TeChc, some four or five miles distant
| the l56th New York volunteers, Lieut.. Colonel
Sharpe, following the line of the railroad.
short distance from Pattersonvlllc, pur-
suant to orders from Gen. Emory, | sent the
SD Mass. vols, Col. Kimball, to reinforce Col
| Ingraham's brigade.
A short time subsequent sent the 3lst Mass.
vols, Lieut.. Col. Hopkins, to the left bank of
the Bayou TcChe TO reinforce the l75th New
York vols, Col. Bryan, who was skirmishing
with the enemy's piCkcts on that bank of the
Bayou.
The SD Mass. vols. and 156th New York
vols afterwards rCjOinyd the brigade On ar
riving in front Of the cnCmy's works an artil.
lery duel ensucd Seeing that my brigade was
exposed to the shot and shells of the enemy,
marched 1t two or three hundred yards to the
rear, and caused the men to lie down. In the
meantime the l75th New York vols, supported
by the 3lst Mass. vols, carried on a brisk
skirmish with the enemy on the left bank of
the Bayou, gallanty driving him before them.
On the morning fthc 18th | was ordered to
take my best regiment and proceed to the left
bank of the Bayou TCChC, assume command of
all the forces, and hold at all hazard the pom
toOn bridge which had been thrown across the
Bayou, which did.
! had been there but short time, when re-
| ceived an order from Gen. Emory to attack q
light battery of the enemy, which was throwing
| grape into Gen. Paine's brigade, on the oppo-
site shore ofthC Bayou, ana which was sup
posed to be in position outside of the encmy's
works, on the left bank of the BAYOU. lust
above sugar-house, but was not ordered to
storm the Cnemy's works.
made my dispositions for the attack, ad-
vanced my skirmshers beyond the sugar-house
in plain view of the works, and discovered
that there was no light battery outside the same.
The 3lst Mass. Vols. composed my line of
skirmishcrs, supported by the 3Sth Mass. Vols.
Lieut. Col. Rodman.
The advance of my skirmishers was hotIy
contested oy the enemy, who was driven before
them. A skiTlnish fight on the right of nv line
in and near the woods, was kept up till about
q pm.
The ammunition of the 3lst Mass. being ey-
pended, it was relieved by the 3Sth.
At this time | was reinforced by the 53d Mass.
Vols. and 10th n. Y. Vols, and the remain
ing two sections of the lst Me. battery.
In accordance with orders from Generals
Banks and Emory, made my dispositions and
Immediately moved on the cnemy's works.
My dispositions were as follows:
3Sth Mass. Vols. in advance, deployed as
skirmishers.
SD Mass. vols. about 100 yards in rear of the
3Sth and deploycd as skirmshers.
Two sections of the 1st Me. battery. under
command of Lieutcnants Haley and Morton, on
parallel plantation roads leading to the enomy,s
works, and Immediately in rear of the second
line of skirmishers, the remaining section in
reserve.
lT5th y. Y. vols. in reserve Immediately to
the left and rear OF the left section of the bat
terry.
3lst Mass. vols. Immediately to the right and
rear of the right section Of the battery
l56th n. Y. vols. in the woods on the cX-
treme right, having been seut to turn the
enemy's left flank.
Detachments of cavalry posted in reserve
some distance In rear Of my right.
These dispositions being made at 3.l5 p. M,
| ordered an advance Of the whole. NV ad-
vance was met by a brisk fire from the artillery
and musketry of the enemy, who was driven
into his works about p. IN. The ammunition
Of the 3Sth Mass having been expended, it was
relieved by the SD Mass. vols.
AT about the same time, having learned that
the l56th n. Y. vols. had a superior force to
contend with on the right, ordered the Slst
Mass. to 20 to its support. The 3lst having
arrived to Its support, short time afterwards,
the l66th n. Y. vols, Lieut.. Col. Sharpe. sup-
ported by the 3lst Mass, under command of
Lieut.. Col. Hopkins, charged and carried
DTeaslWOfk Ol tue enemy in the woods in front
of our right, killing many of the enemy and
capturing 81 prisoners, among whom are two
licutenants, one of the 7th Texas Cavalry, and
one of the 18th Louisiana infantry.
The fight was continued in front by the SD
Mass. vols. and the artillery, and by the 3lst
Mass. and l5Gth n. Y, in the woods on the
right, until darkness put close to it; the
troops having advanced to within 200 yards of
the enemy's works, which line they held, not !
withstandng repeated efforts of the enemy to
drive them back. This line was held during
the night.
In my judgment, two hours more of daylight
would have enabled Inc to turn the cnemy's |
left flank and witnessed the triumphant entry
Of my troops into his works.
At $50 a. IN. Of the l4th, the 53d Mass vols, |
commanded by Col. Kmball, entered the enc
my's works, and at the same time company d, |
Of the Slst Mass. vols, under the command OF
Capt. W. j. Allen, who had deployed his com
pany as skirmishers in the woods, entered the |
fort on the extreme left Of the encmy's position,
It having been evacuated by the enemy during |
the night,
The loss in my Brigade during the entire en-
gagement was fifteen (lj) killed and hfty-Seycn
C57) wounded.
Among the killed were the gallant Captain |
Gaut, 3Sth Mass. Vols, and Lleuts. Nutting
and Frees, Of the SD Mass. and l54th n. Y.
Vols, who lost their lives while nobly battling
for their country.
About 100 prisoners were captured, l50 stands