The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1905-12-28
CHAPTER XxXvIII.
THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI

McCt9 Win Unexpected TrOuDIe8-D1B-
creditabie Disaster at Galveston-Far-
ragut Again Passes the Batteries at
Port Hudson.
Our account Of the cooperation Of
the forces at New Orleans in opening
the Mississippi halted with the decisive
victory at Baton Bouge of Gen. Thos.
S. Williams's Brigade over Gen. John
c. Breckinridge's Division Aug. 5, 1862.
In that engagement Gen. Williams was
killed, but his men drove off Breckin-
ridges troops, after a sharp fight in
the open field, infiicting a heavy loss
upon them. The Union gunboats at
tackled the dreaded ram Arkansas.
which had played such havoc with Por-
ter's fiotilla, and her commander blew
her up to avoid capture.
In his retreat Breckenridge marched
to Port Hudson, or Hickeys Landing,
about 80 miles above Baton Rouge, $50
above New Orleans and ESQ below
Vicksburg. There the bluffs which
continue all the way down from Vicks-
burg are still 40 feet above the river,
though they sink down into an ele-
waited tableland at Baton Rouge.
Though Port Hudson was an insig-
nificant village in point of population,
Il had much commercial Importance,
since 1T was the terminus of a short
railroad running into the country, and
every year shipped about 10000 bales
gar from the surrounding plantations.
Breckenridge Immediately began the
fortification of the bluffs to protect the
mouth Of the Red River against the
Union fleet, and secure that great route
of supplies from the fertile and we'll
cultivated Louisiana country
The Red River made Port Hudson
OF equal importance to Vicksburg. The
Red River was the great highway of
communication with that portion of the
Southern Confederacy lying west of the
Mississippi With the Government in
possession of the mouth of the Missis-
sippi and all the river north of Vicks-
burg, the rebels could only get men and
supplies from Louisiana, Texas and Ar
kansas by way of the Red River.
By Aug. 19, Breckenridge had several
heavy batteries nearing completion,
and leaving a portion of his command
under Gen. Ruggles to garrison the
place, he rejoined Van Dorm at Jack
son with the rest.
The Union forces at Baton Rouge
were far too weak to pursue him, or
interfere in the least with his opera.
tOns. In fact, they were far toe weak
to hold such an advanced position. The
little army which Gen. Butler had
brought with him had been greatly re-
duced by the translation of the young
volunteers from the healthy highlands
of New England to the malarious del
ments had been sent. The Government
was too hardly pressed for men in front
OF Washington to have any to spare for
Butler. Therefore, Gen. Butler or
dered Col. Paine, 4th Wis, who had
succeeded to the command of the bri-
gade, to burn the town and the State
House, and retire with his whole force
TO New Orleans. The charitable insti-
tutfons, the State Library, paintings
and statuary were to be spared, with
the books, paintings and statuary to
be boxed up and sent to New Or
leans There was a fine statue Of
George Washington, which Butler was
anxious to spare and save from the
hands Of the rebels. Paine protested
against the order to burn the town, and
had it modified SO as to burn only the
arsenal and other buildings of use to
the Confederates- The statue of Wash
ington, the books and the paintings.
except a portrait of James Buchanan,
which was left hanging in the State
House for the edification of his friends,
were brought off, and Aug. 20, 1862,
Paine left Baton Rouge and brought
his command into the lines at Carroll
ton above New Orleans.
Banks Supersedes Butler.
BY orders issued Nov. ., 1862, Gen.
n. Z. Banks was directed to supersede
Butler in command of the Department
OF the Gulf. His instructions laid spe-
clal stress on the Importance of NOV
Ing up at once to open the Mississippi
Gen. Banks, whose name was to be
coupled with the most unfortunate ca
roer I'm the neld. became a standing IL
lustration Of the unwisdom of pre-
suming that successful politician can
De equally fortunate in the command
or troops AS a politician, purely,
Banks was, at the outbreak of the war.
probably the foremost one in the coun-
p h0d 1nn
ents In Massachusetts. and set to work
as soon as he was able to earn any,
thing to help support the family. He
worked awhile in cotton factory and
tfen learned the machinist trade, but
devoted all the time that he could Sc
cure to study and to cultivating his or
atorlcal talents. He became a fayorite
lecturer on temperance and a speaker
at political meetings and other gather
fngs. He was admitted to the Bar. and
In 1S4S elected to the House of Repre-
scntatiyes of Massachusetts. In his
second term the Free Soil Wings and
democrats made coalition by which
he was elected Speaker of the House
and the rule Of the old Wings in Mas
sachusetts forever broken. The follow
Ing year he was elected Representative
10 Congress, and while there left the
Democratic Party and became the can
didate of the Know-Nothing and Re-
He then went over entirely TO the Re-
publican Party, and was put forward
as the Republican candidate for
Speaker at the organization of Congress
iE December, 1855. The struggle was
long and bitter, as it foresnadowed the
opening of the war, but Banks was
finally elected on the 133d ballot by a
small plurality. He was again elected
TO Congress, but became the candidate
of the Know-Nothing and Republican
Parties for Governor of Massachusetts
TO which office he was elected in 1857
and reelected in 1858 and 1859. III
1860 he succeeded Capt George b
Mcclellan as President Of the Illfnoi.
Central Railroad. President Lincoln a
once selected him for one of the Ma
5or-Generals OF Volunteers for the
army which had been called for and
he was the second commissioned a.
such. the first being Ex-Secretary Johr
A. Dix, of New York, and the thirG
Benjamin F. Butler, of Massachusetts,
This high rank was afterward some
thing of an embarrassment to the Gov
eminent, as he could not be employed
under any other Major-General of Vol
unteers except Dix, and was ranked
until Grant became a Lieutenant-Gen
eral, only by such Major-Generals o.
/. the Regular Army as Winfield Scott
George B. Mcclellan and John c. Ere.
mont.