The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1895-10-26
CON MlI\FGATED.
Thihoslaux La. Oct. 26. 1895.
To THE rHIBopArx SENTINEL.

NHI"h fitiS Is NE .i.5fU anniversary,
'1e Confederate tnrceS nc nnvlee the
Lafnnrrhe and Attackanas valleys of
Lonisi,na s,tie undes III. command af
Rriga,iier General Alfrrd NrutnH. with
Colonel Louis Bush Is adintant Ger.
-rnl. with Headquarters IN the TOWN at
Thih"aaux. In comparison With the
extensive and valuable section of he
State that he was guarding. his mill
tary strength MAS very wea. AT ot
near Dana'tlsonville Cnl Ninrent's
2nd. Louisiana Cavalry regiment.
Capt. Jumr's mounted CumpauN. Capt
SemmeS Battery of Artillery and Il
couple 1T militia companies. We're
Watching th movements nt the enc ~
upon the Mi>Si>>ippi tiv"r
Col BicK. Wit, Il regiment of militia
ua> Sta TONED nea, tli" hostile forces
~ arpioach that section by way q
Bavou Des Al'emanas.
These commands. wi,:, few de-
tachtd. >land~ con posed the military
strengths OF the Confederate Amy,
when ;iiinfmatinn WIS eanreSe,l 10
Gen Monnn that Gen +. +. Butler
commander of the Federal Army III
New Orleans. WAS organizing a large
force for the invasion OF the i.a!onlr,le
Territory.
'fhe General commanding imm~-
diatelN issued orders to He cnmnlan,
ing otlice:s ot the Crescent Regiment
stationed at New Iberia, and the 18Th
! Lonl,ana Regiment encamped at B.f-
wick city to report to his headquarters
without delay leaviH. Amy trains on
til west Of that Ray
Those two commands were greatly
reduced il numbers. having been cals-
>nliuAted into one Regiment in June
aud tcuraanized separately at New
lbt,l. III September 1862.
Tie Crescent did 10, muster over
100 guns at roll call. whilst the 18th.
did not produce over 200 men fit for
dnty.
Col. Leopold L. Armant comman-
ded the $th., 1T. Col. Mcpheeters
| commanded the Crescent Regiment
On their route to Thihodaux, at
| Ba.nR l}rnf they were strengthened
by tie addition of Ralslon's Battery
of two guns. Reporting to Gen. Mon
ton they we're toimed into a Brigade
with senior Col. Almant III command
leaving the 18th in charge OF 1t. Col
, Collin
The mounted company of Capt, Ju-
mel was attached to this Brigade
| Col. Armant was directed to proceed
forthwith TO Wynn's wood one mile
above Lahadie.ille. and II miles above
/ Thahodaux, on the Vest side of Bayou
Z! Lafnnrche.
From Lahadieville upwards for four
miles. parallel to and about 2oO yards
from the hayou extends an impossible
marais. Wynn'S wood were about one
half mile long. fioutlng on the Bayon
! and extending rearWald into the ma
rails and across it.
! public road ran from the Bayou To
I the interior settlement of Texani,,
with Il bridge across the marais.
i Col. Armants command less than
! 400 men composed the only force on
! the west side of the Bayou.
I The headquarters Of Gen. Monton
We're located in the residence of p
/ Lansdale Cox ut Lahadie0ille. wnere
that gallant officer was suffering So
seriously with rheumatism that ht
was physically unable to GO to tht
front.
The march from Thibodaux to the
woods WAS made during a bitter cold
night with II strong wind facing the
men as they made their march. In
the bivouac the day oi Oct. - passed
quietly away. The weather WAS IN
tensely cold Sugar cane was frozen
! down into the earth, something that
=. WAS never Witnessed. ut that date on
any previous occasion. and has not
, been experienced since. On the morn
/ ing ot. 0rtnbc, 2Sth the Federal forces
uadcr Gen. Weltzel. left Napolron-
willie and moved down Bayou Latour-
che on The East side driving the Con
federate forces before them. who offer
ed hut little opposition 70 their prog
| reSS.
His advance scouts. discovered
the position ,f the Confederate force,
under Col. Armaut. III e enemy eros
sed his army over the baNou ont
mile above on a pontooh made ont ot
Il ti.tboat. that stream beng ut low
water mark Capt. Ralston threw some
shells at the enemy, creating some
confusion, but without arrcsting theil
progress.
The Federal commander imme-
diately deplnyed his three regiment,
aud advanced in echelon against til,
Confederate line occupying the roat
leading to the Texana Settlement pro
tecttd by an ordinary picket fence
Ralston's Battery near the Bayou
with the Crescent Regiment on it