Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-02-23
[Copyright, 1904, by G. l.. Kilmer.l A R ARCH IA, 1864, was the date

Russy, the Gibraltar of the
 COnfederates on Red river, by troops of General Banks expedi- don. While the ships of the Federal navy were picking their way cautious ly up the river channel among torpe- does and other sunken Instructions the land force marched around to the rear of the fort and, getting within cannon shot, opened bombardment Fort De Russy offered a stubborn obstacle to the concentration of Banks army at Alexandria. point twenty miles up the river
 The column which attacked De Rus Sy consisted of two divisions of infan- try detached from his command on the Mississippi by General Sherman to aid Banks on Red river. General A. J. Smith was the leader of the column, and General T. Kilby Smith and Gen eral A. J. Mower commanded the divi- sions. Leaving Vicksburg on March 10, Smith joined the gunboat fleet of Admiral D. D. Porter at the mouth of Red river next day, the combined force being under imperative orders to be at Alexandria on the 17th. There was no time to be lost, for the waters were at high flood. Porter was an en- thusiastic believer in the movement up Red river, and the expedition set out on the 18th with the land troops and the navy in hearty accord. At the mouth of the Atchafalaya, Porter turn ed off from the column with nine gun boats to clear out any force in the ad- joining waters. leaving Commander Phelps in charge of the gunboats which were to convoy Smiths army trans ports up to Fort De Russy. .,
 Nine miles below Fort De Russy, Phelps found the river blocked by formidable raft, and the troops were put ashore to make their way overland to the Confederate stronghold. Phelps intended to sail up in front of the fort and engage the attention of its defend- CTS until the army could inclose 1t on the land side. This plan was defeated by Instructions the Confederates had placed in the channel below the fort in anticipation of the emergency at hand.
 Smiths force landed on the morning of the 18th and at nightfaH took up the march for the fort, distant on the route travelled about twenty-five to thirty miles Mowers division led off and irn- mediately ran into the Confederate bri- gade of Colonel Scurry intrenched on Yellow bayou This force was quickly brushed aside, and by a. forced march Mower drew his lines up in front Of Fort De Russy the afternoon of the 14th There remained three days in which to take fort, scatter the enemy and march to Alexandria, but Mower took no chances and with his wearied troops, rushed to the attack. The posi- ton known as Fort De Russy consisted of two earthworks connected by cov- cred way for the shelter. of. troops. It. mounted eight siege guns and two field2 pieces and was garrisoned by 300 men.
 A strip of woods screened the storm ing column formed by Mower, consist ing of the brigades of Lynch and Shaw, but an open space of 100 yards lay be- tween the woods and the enemy's par apet The bombardment of the heavy works by heldpfeces proved useless, and, as the navy was not up to lend the aid of it's 100 pound Parrots, Now, CT decided to end 1t before the sound of s the guns should summon Confederate re-enforcements in from the rear. Gen. era1 Lynch led out the Fifty eighth Hi nois and Eighty-ninth Indiana and Gen. eral Shaw the Towans of the Four teenth, Twenty seventh and Thirty-secr ond regiments.
 The instant the column, preceded by General Mower emerged from the woods the Confederate guns opened with shell and shrapnel. The fierce outburst was answered by blast from the battle trumpet, sounding the double quick charge. When in full headway the troops broke into a wild cheer and marched straight on over the parapet and into the works at the first rush, General Mowers horse leaping the ditch and rampant with his firm seated rider ahead of the most impetuous of the soldiers.
 The capture of the fort was in nick of time to save tedious battle, for the next day the place was surrounded by General Dick Taylor's Confederate cav airy. Mowers trophies were 25 off cers, 292 men and 10 guns. two Of which were nine inch Dahlgrens orig inally captured by the Confederates from the Federal steamer Harriet Lane of Fort Sumter fame and the ironclad Indianola. Mowers loss was but thirty eight in all.
 The gunboat Eastport, after long de- lay at the raft below Fort de Russy, burst through the obstruction and came up just in time to fire a single 100 pound shell before the Confeder- ates ran up the white flag in token of surrender.
 As soon as Porter received news of the fall of Fort de Russy he started for Alexandria with his fastest ships and arrived off the town on the 18th of March and saw the last of the flee ing Confederate boats moving on up Red river. A. J. Smiths land column reached Alexandria also ahead of the appointed time, but a column which Banks had ordered to march across country from Little Rock. Ark, under the leadership of General Steele, and another. land column which Banks in person WAS to march to Alexandria hv