The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1894-12-13
BOMBARDMENT OF PORT
HUDSON
AN OFFICERS "REMINISCENCES.

After a lapse of thirty years or more
we are engaged in peaceful struggle
for existence, many scenes and incl-
dents Of the toilsome campaigns and
bloody conflicts during the war Of the
rebellion are recalled with thrilling in
terest. Much Of its true history is in
deed lost to the surviving heroes Of
that great struggle. as we'll as to the
new generations, except as some str
ring events are recounIed by the par
Elephants.
Ofthe many days and nights fraught
with narrowing scenes upon hotl.y con
tested battle-ields, none occur to me
now that so wildly suggest a night of
terror as the scene during the lombard
ment OF Port Hudson, Louisiana, in
1868.
The confederate forces consisted OF
only 5000 infantry, aregiment OF cav
airy and the garrison at the fort.
General Banks moved his army Of %,
600 men up the river along with Far
ragut's naval fleet and halted ten
miles below the fort. on the afternoon
before the contemplated midnight at
tack. This brought the armies within
eight miles of each other, the rebel in
fantry being IN camp two miles out
from the fort, the several regiments
covering the various roads leading
through the country and guarding
them during the period Of their en-
campment.
At midnight there came d sudden
alarm. The rebel regiments were
hastily formed into line and a quick
march was made in the direction OF
the breastWOrks Immediately sur
rounding the fort We (the writer
was a member of the confederate regi-
ments) We're informed that we were to
be attacked by an overwhelming force
by land and water. Onr commanders
had not anticipated battle against
such ODDS, and to officers and men, as
they hastened toward the earthWOrhs
at the fort for protection as well as a
stern resistance, the thought of sur
render or butchery was irresistible in
estimating the probable results.
The night was dark as the blackness
of night could make it and this much
was III our favor had the land forces Of
General Banks made the attack. The
lights upon the vessels of the federal
fleet could be plainly seen as they
came creeping up the river until they
reached point about two miles dis
tant. Here they paused and rapidly
spread In file across the stream. The
garrison within the fort, the sentries
on the outposts and the officers who
were taking observations along the
river banks knew that the critical
moment had come.
The last Of the severaI regiments
composing the two small brigades of
rebel soldiers were crossing the inner
tier of breastworks and marching to
their respective positions in line. when
suddenly there was a flash as of light
ming down the river and then came the
| heavy, sullen roar as Cf a peal of thun-
| der. The whirling blaze of a single
! shell was seen as it described its semi
/ circular journey, first rising slowly till
| II reached its zenith, then descending
with the rush of the whirlwind till
! within a few hundred yards of the
| fort, when the explosion came with a
loud report, sudden burst of brilliant
light and the deathly whir of the frag
ments as they scattered and flew
about over the ground. This was
simply 'feeler."
Boom. went one of the GA Founders
at the fort and a solid shot ploughed
a furrow in the water near one of the
gunboats a mile away. This was a
''feeler," too, merely an intimation Of
the earnest business that was cOnteIn
plated by those on the water and land.
Meanwhile the infantry, to whom
/ the first shot came as a shock, We're
busy hustling into position within the
breastwOrks. This hastily chosen bat
! tle-g1oUnd covered an area Of not more
than two square miles, and the small
/ compass of this area can best be ap-
preciated when it is shown that the
fartherest point of the semicircular
earthwOrks forming the first entrench-
ment was not more than a quarter OF
mile from the fort
Into this small enclosure was crowd
ed not only the entire command of in
fantry. but, for protection, all the sup
ply wagons with teams of horses and
mules were brought in and coTaled
behind our line, almost at our heels
Then there We're the field military,
teams, ambulance teams, officers
horses and the horses and mules used
by the garrison. SO closely were we
huddled together that a part of our
line, particularly that occupied by my
regiment, the 35th Alabama. ran