The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-09-14
Gen. Banks as a Commander.

Col. Johu L.Rice of this city has
reason to remember the late Gen. Banks,
for he served under him in the cam
paigns of Red River and the Gulf. Col.
Rice went to the front in December,
1862, as captain III the Sixteenth New
Hampshire, and that force was soon sent
with Banks as part of the Nineteenth
Corps. The first movement was the
famous Bayou Teche campaign in the
spring of 1868, and ended in the siege of
Port Hudson. The memorable charges
Of May ~ and June 9 resulted disas-
trously, and Gen. Banks was almost in
despair, for the terms OF enlistment were
expiring. 1t was during that siege that
he took action that was certainly worthy
of Gen. Butler, in putting an entire regi-
met under arrest to keep them in the
fl ED. The mems terms had expired, and
they were on the verge of mutiny, SO
Gen. Banks placed them on the picket
line, exposed to guerilla attack. Repeat
ed attempts had been made to undermine
the Port Hudson citadel. One method
WAS to dig a zigzag trench twenty feet
wide lacking" towards the citadel, so
that the earth could be thrown in front
as protection. When the last angle
reached the citadel the enemy made long
wooden troughs on which shells were
rolled out into the trench below. But
the Yankees got the best of it in this
trick by preparing long poles, and when
they saw the shell trough coming over
| the top of the wall they would push the
trough up so the she'll would roll back
The desperate "forlorn hopen planned by
Gen. Banks is familiar. He issued "red
hot" manifesto, famous as general order
49, calling for / 900 volunteers to lead
the way into the fort. So many volun-
tered that selection had TO be made.
The volunteers were placed by them
selves and drilled. Gen. Banks would
visit them daily and make patriotic
| speech. But the forlorn-hope volunteers
| did not have to sacrifice their lives, for
soon came the news that Vicksburg had
| surrendered, and the Port Hudson de.
| tenders knew that Grant would have a
| chance 30 help Banks, so they gave up
| the fight When Col. Rice started on
| the Red River campaign he was at the
head of colored regiment. There were
| $4,000 in cavalry troops, and the line of
march stretched out nearly 40 miles, 1t
was easy, therefore; for Gen. Kirby Smith
| to swoOp down and attack part of the
column. So while Shreveport, La, was
| the objective point. the force WAS turned
| back after the battle of Sabine cross
roads. When Alexandria was reached,
| Commodore Porter's gunboats found the
/ water had fallen SO low that it was inn
possible to set by. The enemy realized
this also, and crowded about, throwing
/ shells into camp. 1t was an anxious
/ time for Gen. Banks, and it was feared
that the gunboats must be blown up.
Finally Gen. Bailey Of Wisconsin, a
1 lumberman. suggested damming the riv-
er, and for two weeks the TROOP work ed
night and day at the job. Col. Rice had
charge of building one side of the dam,
and did not get sleep for fortnight.
1t was an anxious moment when the
gunboat Essex started to run through
the narrow channel. The prov was
grounded, but gradually she swung free.
When the troops left Alexandria the city
! took fire, and part of the force as
sent back to fight the flames. Gen.
Banks in uniform took bucket and
carried water with the rest. But he
never lost his dignity, however demo-
cratic he might be. He was especially
annoyed by West Pointer who had 4
contempt for volunteers and persisted lin
addressing him as "Mr.n Banks.
Rice says that while Gen. Banks as brave
and even daring at times, he lacked a
certain executive ability, and it was a
standing joke in the war that if Con-
federate general wanted supplies he
| would take them from Banks. His
baggage train seemed to- be never prop
erly guarded. -Spring6 Republican.
/