The daily morning journal and courier., 1894-09-12
General Bank. ss . Commander.

Soionel John l., Rice or tLls city has reason to remember the late General Banks. for he served under him in the campaign of the Red river and the Gulf. Colonel Rice went to the front in December. 1862. captain in the Six teenth New Hampshire. and that force was soon sent with Banks as a part of the Nineteenth corps. TLe first move- ment was the farlous Bayou Teche campaign In the spring of 1863. and ended In the siege of Port Hudson The memorable charges of May 27 and June Q resulted disastrously, and Gen. eral Banks was almost In despair, for the terms of enlistment were expiring It was during that siege that he took action that was certainly worthy of General Butler. in putting an entire regiment under arrest to keep them in the field. 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. Re- peated attempts had been made to un- dermine the Port Hudson citadel. One method was to dig a zigzag trench twenty feet wide, "tacking" 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 1t 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 shell would roll back. The desperate ''forlorn hope" planned by General Banks Is familiar. He isued a fred hot" manifesto. famous as general or der 49," calling for 1000 volunteers to lead the way into the fort. So many volunteered that a selection had to be made. The volunteers were placed by themselves and drilled. General Banks would visit them daily and make a pa triotic speech. But the forlotn hope volunteers did not have to sacrifice their lives, for soon came the news that Vicksburg had surrendered, and the Port Hudson defenders knew that Grant would have chance to help Banks. so they gave lip the fight.
 When Colonel Rice started on the Red river campaign he was at the head of colored regiment. There were 12,- 900 in cavalry troops. and the line Of march stretched out nearlyforty miles. I Kirby Smith to swoop down and at- tack a part of the column. So while Shreveport, La, was the objective point, the force was turned back after the battle of Sabine crossroads When Alexandria was reached Commodore Porter's gunboats found that the water had fallen so low that it was impossi- ble to get by. The enemy realized this also and crowded about. throwing shells into camp. It was an anxious time for General Banks, and it was feared that the gunboats must be blown up. Finally General Bailey of Wiscon- sin, lumberman, suggested damning the river, and for two weeks the troops worked night and day at the job. Col. onel Rice had charge of building one side of the dam, and did not get sleep for fortnight. It was an anxious mo- ment when the gunboat Essex started 10 run through the narrow channel. The prov was grounded, but gradual ly she swung free. When the troops left Alexandria the city took fire, and part of the force was sent back to fight the flames. General Banks in uniform took bucket and carried water with the rest. But he never lost his dignity, however democratic he might be. He was especially annoyed by West Pointer who had a contempt for vol unteers and persisted in addressing him as Mir" Banks Colonel Rice says that while General Banks was brave and even daring at times, he lacked a certain executive ability, and 1t was standing joke in the war that if a Confederate general wanted supplies he would take them from, Banks. His baggage train seemed to be never prop. erly guarded. .-Springfield Republican.