The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-11-09

n. m. there was a terrific explosion, the
shock Of which was distinctly felt At our
batteries, and the steamship Mississippi
sank to the bottom Of the river. Had the
bonfiras been promptly lighted 1t Is be-
lieved that no ship could have passed our
batteries. A singular coincident Is that
the Confederate gunboat Arkansas Ram.
cooperating with General Breckenridge
| in land attack on Baton Rouge about a
| year previous, had gone down at almost
the same place. Several of the crew of
the Mississippi were killed and probably
burned with the vessel: some of the
wounded leaped into the river and were
drowned: IS men surrendered; the rest es-
| capped. among the last being the execu-
tive oficer. Lieutenant George Dewey.
| afterwards distinguished as the hero" Of
Manila. The captains gig captured
| from the Mississippi fell to the lot Of
| our Colonel Steedr1an and furnished him
1 and his officers much sport when Off duty.
The object in passing these ships above
us was to cut off supplies west of the
| river from the Confederacy, and to enable
| General N. p. Ranks, then descending
Red River Valley with 10000 men to cross
| the river at Bayou Sara, six miles above
Port Hudson.
Affairs now relapsed into their former
status, the feet daily Smelling our lines
with slow guns In q desultory way. An
Armstrong ri1e-gun on the fleet amused
itself by throwing So-pound shells into
our upper batteries, and sometimes even
into Sandy Creek Swamp, half mile
above our lines-an extraordinary range
at that time, being about five miles.
On the night of May eth, Colonel De-
| Gourneay with a detachment of artillery,
and Company X of our regiment. having
| in all four guns, entrenched under cover
| Of darkness at Troth's landing opposite
| the fleet, and early next morning opened
| fire upon the Essex. The whole fleet,
| mortar boats and all. Joined the Essex IN
her reply. The battle was furious and
| against fearful Gods until l p. m. when
our men withdrew. Company KS gun
| having been disabled.
| MAY 18th General Anger. commanding
a Federal force Of 10000 men at Baton
| Rouge. threw out an advance line of skir-
mishers towards Port Hudson, and en-
| counfered our cavalry pickets in light
| skirmish at Plainstore about six miles
below Pok Hudson. The aggressive ac-
tivity of Aderal cavalry on both sides
of the river. General Anger now advanc-
| ing from Baton Rouge, Banks crossing
the river at Bayou Sara, left no doubt
that Port Hudson was to be invested
The effective force at Port Hudson never
eXCecQeQ
were in high spirits having not the least
doubt of their ability to hold the position
| against any odds.
| May 10Th a detachment Of our regiment
| crossed the river and without loss. Sc
vereiy chastised a body of marauding
| Federal cavalry. the latter leaving sew
| eral dead and wounded on the field The
| fighting down the Plains Store road was
| daily getting neare. and heavier, snow
| ing that General Anger was gradually
| forcing back our line. artillery being
| brought into action on the 18Th ana 10th,
On the END General Banks began his
advance from Bayou Sara up"n Our p|'
sition. Our pickets met his advance in
the Aberger plantation beyond Sandy
Creek and .irove them back. On the 2'rd
the skirmishing was resumed ami Kept
| up all dey In the same position. That
night our cavalry. reinforced by &C.
tachment of infantry. intrenchnd ir: r'he
Tits in the skirt IF woods between Sandy
Creek and the plantation. The next day
the enemy edyancsl upon US in heavy
| skirmish line that was promptly repliised
| This heavy picket fighting, occasionally
| approaching a regular battle. was kept
| up all day. Confederates holding their
| position. That night our infantry fed
| back to our rifie-pts so1th of Sandy
| Creek In the meanwhile Colonel Miles
| had been doing some hard lighting on the
right with Anger and on the oath por-
| ton of Bealrs brigade was likewise en-
| gaged. The nvestm ,nt OF Port HUDSON
was now complete, and the enemy
| forces less than half d mile from us. The
| position of the regiment on the morning
| of the 25th was in the swamp ABOUT l0o
| yards south of Sandy Creek. There was
| much large timber, but very little under
inc
! brca stworks OF logs we're hastily con-
structed. A light skirmish line was
| thrown forward to the creek to in pedc
| tho enemy in crossing, and soon brisk
| fight was on The enemy with strong
| force drove In our pickets, and charged
| our position. He was driven back with
| loss. The enemy fleeing, our skirmlsh
| lines pursued and drove Them hack across
| the creek. They rallied, reinforced and
| again drove in our pickets. charged ana
were repulsed Several times this was
| repeated during the day. in the evening
lust after one of these charges and re-
| pulses a Federal Lieutenant was wound
| ed and captured. As he was being car
ried back through our lines on litter
| dripping blood. he raised himself up and
| abused us without stint, adding that the
| Federals would have Port Hudson in
| twenty four hours. He was quite hand
some young man and our men applauded
him for his pluck, but assured him that
he was mistaken in judgment. After the
last charge and repulse of the enemy
nearly shutdown that evening. our pur-
suing skirmishers commanded by Captain
Knowles not only drove them back across
| Sandy Creek but crossed themselves
where Captain Knowles captured and
brought back a very fine horse as a
| trophy, of which he was very proud.
Colonel Steedman having been put in
command of the left wing. composed OF
the First Alabama, 18th Arkansas. 10th
| Arkansas, a detachment of Wingfeld' 8
battalion and seth Mississippi regiments;
| Iieutenant- Colonel M. B. Locke COM
| manded the regiment from this time to
the end of the siege.
| About shutdown the regiment fell back
| to the heights about quarter OF mile
: from our line of fortifications. had stacked
| arms, and were lying about promiscu-
ously on the ground, when Colonel Steed-
man rode up, having received an order
from General Gardner to advance and
| feel for the enemy, and in loud tone
/ commanded Colonel Locke to take the
First Alabama regiment and go forward
| until he struck the enemy. The evening
| twilight had just faded from the western
| horizon and a full-wheel moon was
mounting the eastern sky as the regi-
ment descended the bluff into the deep
swamp canopied high above with the
luxuriant foliage of giant forest. The
enemy's pickets. perceiving or hearing
our advance, had ceased firing, and en-
| sconced behind trees were silently await
| ino o,,- anDrocb Our waV led through