The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1903-01-15
BANKs's RED RIVER CAMPAIGN.
Hard Fighting and Marching on the Retreat
From Alexandria.

EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: The ar
ticle entitled "Uncle Toms Cabin" by
Maj. BeriDg, 4Sth Ohio, brings to mind
some of my experiences in that ill-advised
or ill-conducted campaign.
My battery 9TH Mass.) left New Or
leans March % on transport Lnminary,
being assigned TO the Second Division.
Nineteenth Corps. under command of
Gen. Grover. and the feet of transports
ard monitors arrived at Alexandria, 205
miles from New Orleans. on March 80.
The main army was already above Alex
andria. Shreveport being the objective
point, where a junction was to be made
with Gen. Steele's army. then en- route
from Little Rock. Ark.
Alexandria was Gen. Banks's base of
supplies. and breastwOrks were thrown up
and streets barricaded. as an attack from
Marmaduke and Polignac was threatened.
Fighting began on April 8. and things
were lively both at and above Alexandria.
A transport with wounded arrived. and
assisted in taking them to the Court
House, then being used as hospital. Our
loss was reported as over 5000. More
wounded were brought by boats, and ho-
tells and private dwellings were filed. Ere
long we learned that Banks's army had
met with defeat, and that Gen. Steele
had failed to reach Shreveport. After the
falling of the river. the rescue of Porter's
fleet by building dam at the rapids was
a stroke of good fortune for Uncle Sam.
Somehow, force of the enemy got below
Alexandria, and burned the transport
John Warner, loaded with cotton and a
big mail and her gunboat escort was
also destroyed. have letters ard rebel
bullet molds found in the rifle pits after
we drove the enemy out.
While in Alexandria the sixth piece, to
which / belonged. was located near a
street that ran by the Jail. in the yard
of which was the gallows of hewed tim
her. all in working order. minus ropes
! and victim to drop through the trap.
| A few of us got rope. mounted the
platform, and "noosed" each other, so I
| am able to say | ''have stood on gallOws
with a halter round my neck" citizen
told me that 16 negroes We're hanged one
time in the year previous-1S63.
BY May 10 Gen. Banks's army had re-
turned to Alexandria, and the next day.
before sunrise. our bugle blew 'boOts and
| saddles" and the march began, the col
umn, some five miles in length. following
| the course of the river. while the trans
ports and monitors. gunbOats, etc, kept
opposite until we reached Simmesport. on
| the Atchafalaya (prono unced Chafalia)
River.
There was plenty of fighting on front.
| right flank and rear. and in line of bat
tie twice. although Banks's orders were
to avoid general engagement That
sturdy fighter. Gen. A. ]. Smith. was the
rear guard. with men from the Sixteenth
Corps. On Sunday. the ODD. after a
march of 175 miles, suffering from heat
and thirst-in fact pretty well played
out. we struck the Mississippi River at
Morganza Bend. above Baton Rouge, and
| went into camp, but after few days of
rest joined an expedition whose destina-
ton was st. Charles. a point on the
White River, in Arkansas.
We learned later that lack of transport
tation prevented our heing sent North to
The Army of the Potomac with other
troops of the Nineteenth Corps. Wake
up, boys. of the Red River and Mobile
campaigns. and tell us how it looked from
your standpoint SO or SO years ago.-M.
! A. CLEVELAND, 1th Mass, Ind'p't Bat
! terry L. A., Plainsville, o.