The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-05-29

The cavalry. with the exception Of six oil,
companies. was poor aud quite insufficient II
numbers OF land and water Transportation
there was barely enough for tho movement o
a single division.
| l.
With so much OF this force ms It was prudent
to withdraw from New Orleans. Banks under.
took the two unsuccessful assaults upon Port
Hudson. and finally captured that stronghold
chapter Is devoted to the first ntortive at.
tack on May "a. 1863. which was made at n
fearful cost to the Union army. When the list
OF Killed, wounded. and missing was made up
the aggregate was found TO be 1895 More.
over the confidence that before had run high
was rudey shaken. 1t was long. indeed. be.
fore tho men OF tho corps felt tho same faith
In themselves. and Col Irwin considers it but
tho plain truth to say that their reliance on
the department commander never quito ro-
turned. Nevertheless. he deems It only fair TO
point out that Grants first, assault Of .Nicks.
burg. which had neon mnhu on May ~ hud
Leen repulsed Will, loss of o42. ana that his
second assault delivered three day, later. had
cd aud missing. The Confederate losses MT
Port Hudson during tho assault of May u
s," nj" En%Wn u. tGnt "1 was som
ncarly useless. with the result Of thi, day the
Est hores Of y junction between the armies OF
shult uron Port HUDSON. made on June a.
was ,.aay incirec,au the total loss Of thy
missing being II 500 AMI" NproN w'n" Of t I'll,
SECOND. ,repuse. the author makes somo
i,,t!se;r,nstiaG remarks on. III. defensive
= G!GGdy lessons as that IinristsI
or followers on either side the full v;lnfSconl-
nut .i IN TIN" OF even siinrl. line Of breast.
works OF low relief. Or the cost in hlooasof any
val ~ IF iy,n nv
ryinG the works alta rush. indeed. thcnuthor
Expresses doubt whether from the beg inning
the ctstgations that resulted from disregard.
" ,ng W wa. i EYER "ly mcss"d unon tho Eo,
came u time when. a. at Cnld Harbor. tho men
hnd an opinion OF their own and chose t. act
u ,, n. 1t i even nrononncet questionable
n line OF skirmisher prepared and deter
minod To defend thcm have over been sue
ccssiuliy assaulted save as tho result Of u sur.
mock rrdouhts and OF Maryc's Heights have
h zen citHd as instances TO- tho contrary. but
surprise. =" The trnth Is says Col. irwin.
simple brtastworks has almost always caused
{ hos" general and stat! officers. especially that
the Diminishing power Of a long perspective.
TO forget that an assault upon an enemy be-
NM intrrnchments Is not 50 much battle as
the other goes out to bn shot. or il io stops to
shoot. it is in rlnin sight of an almost invlsl-
APPLIED or misunderstood, have eontributod |
nrTe!y to the rHrsist"nGy Of this fatal illusion;
% which these sounding syllahlcs were no |
tore than names; ignorant. therefore. of tho
hose Victories. forgrtful Of their fearful cost,
md. above all. ignoring o., forgetting. the
lYiom on which rest the whole, nrt and science
'toutrst Of stone walls must Yield at last to
ne n,' smallest trench through which man may
own, delivered as a last, resort after crown
Ms; tn" slncis and orcnins wide the breach.
ne the same name. made rs the first resort.
grpinst eartlworks OF tho very kind whereby
round unknown and perhaps obstructed.
wen So in the storm of Rodrigo tho defenders
nmGcrs: Badaios Was taken 81 'n a hn TMv
hpnce after tho main assault had miserably
niled: ut beth Places the losses of the ussai-
nut little greater than ut Port Hudson: ' Yet in
ontemplatioon Of tn" ,nw:ur slaughter Of Ba.
rok" down in a. passion OF tears." -"
It was, as Col. Irwin has made evident. Grant
i. .iessbmrG and no. Banks at Port Hudson.
AIMED place. 1t was on July. I. 1863. thnt
'anSs received n note Informing him Of the
his note. wrapped securely around cod OF
ayine sl%sSit HpmrTarn /" stone to b9
'uH, III me !OWHlnuS Oh IsOllSluna-WaS tossed !
Yer into the nncmy's works An officer OF an |
rknnsns regiment. to whom was first handed |
Ie i't!e srran OF tissue pnGer. on which
!; sew. seven words; acknowledged the. com.
lher damned Yankee lie" Yet before
way. andthn evening Gardner. tho Confed-
'nt" General. summoned his commanders to
lcet i'm in council. On tho following day n
ilitulatnn was agreed upon. tho forms being
n unconditon SURRENDER. which was car
I'd out on Jniyn. With tho place wrro taken
$40 prisoners OF war. OF whom 4n5 were on /
RS. The men were lnrolrd with an exact
js"rvnncc Of all the forms prescribed hy the
irte! then in force: yet the paroles were ;
n mrhiatcly declared void by the Con. /
dcrate Government. and tho men /
ar" required TO return to duty in the
INKS The officers. in accordance with {
e retaliatory orders of tho period had 10
= kept in captivity. hut they were allowed 10 /
loose their lace Of con f'nrmcnt. There were /
60 cnItur"'l twenty pieces Of light artillery c
nj thirty-ono pieces Of field artillery. the +
r-er nnrt If which were in comparatively i
nod order. The total losses Of the Nineteenth /
'rps during he Il ,Gr were 4.:a;:: and little I
'unt remains that Il large proportion of those =
down ns cnnturci. or missing in reality l.
riSh"i. or the Confederate losses NJ coul- I
e. return was ever nn'" d
Several charters are a!lo't"dto the orcra- +
ms o! Banks in the Rcd river region. The /
llura OF this cnmrainn is To soma rytent rn