The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1906-02-01

Mel. Capt Thompson, to whom l had
given the defense Of the right entrance,
after a severe engagement under great
disadvantages and with number many
times exceeding his own, was compelled
to withdraw to the inner works where
the Captain and his command with the
greatest desperation fought the enemy,
who in large numbers had succeeded in
getting within the outer works
During the hot fire on the left
Lieut.. Murch. Of Capt. Thompson's COM
pany, was in command of one of the re-
serves and vas ordered to support
Capt. Thompson, which he did with the
greatest energy, and after an hour s
struggle was killed. Here also Lieut..
Perry was severely wounded.
My force was so small that the re-
serves had now to support Capt. Mel
and now Capt Thompson, as the case
demanded After an engagement of
three hours and a half some 25 Of the
enemy at the left surrendered and more
than 100 on the right. A majority of
those who succeeded in getting within
our outer works made their escape,
leaving a little more than 100
1 cannot speak in terms of too high
communication of my gallant officers
and my brave men who fought against
so great superiority Of numbers with
unaccountable energy and endurance.
"'Of the enemy we have buried more
than so that were gathered up just
without and within our outer works.
Twenty-Five Of their wounded we found
where we gathered up their dead. The
remainder were borne away by the re-
treating forces. The number must have
been large. Two deserters came in yes
terday and stated that the enemy &C
knowledged loss of 500 killed and
wounded
Gen. Green finding that his 500 vol
unteers were not sufficient to capture
the fort. and enraged at his losses.
massed his entire force numbering at
that time nearly 1.40O men, and fol-
lowed cautiously down the banks Of the
river in confidence of making the cap
ture.
But fortunately for us the very night
on which that attack was planned. one
of the Federal gunbOats. watching for
a movement of that kind. discovered
the whereabOu of the COnfederates,
and under cover of the fog got i'm posi-
ton and gave them a broadside that
caused q general stampede.
Mass Of Prisoners.
CHOSE of the enemy who were still
in position to fight US, together with
others who from time to time had
Joined them. finding that the main body
the night, waved white flag at day
light. They were asked What is
wanted?' and replied We wish to sur
render They were required to lay
down their arms where they were. They
then filed into the fort and gave their
names. Though they did not know the
fact, and il is well for us that they did
not, yet they numbered more effective
men than those TO whom they had sur
rendered themselves prisoners.
after looking about for a few mo-
ments and seeing scarcely any troops.
they asked Where are your men,
oh, they are at breakfast; some of
them have gone for water and others
are secreted where they can fix Green if
he makes another attack Those We're
falsehoods but were told on the falla-
cious ground that in war all things are
fair
There can be no doubt that if the
weakness of the garrison really had
been known. those men would not have
surrendered They had been completely
fooled during the day and night by
fictitious commands like these: Col.
Smith, move your regiment to the left
and hold your fire till the enemy are in
easy range Col Littlejohn. keep n
sharp outlook and be ready with your
command to make an assault Many
such orders were given to regimental
and company commanders who had no
existence except in the imagination Of
the Yankees who held the fort and gave
the commands.
Fortunately soon after the COnfed-
crates had surrendered, a small gum
boat. No. 2, which formerly was the
blockade runner Princess Royal came
down the river and relieved us of our
prisoners. Then our boys breathed
easier, for up to that time they had
been in mortal dread that those Texans.
discovering the weakness of the garri-
son, would spring upon and disarm the
guards and have the fort and it's de-
tenders in their own hands.
"Gen. Green's plans meantime were
unknown The fear was that he would
return at any hour with perhaps an ad-
ditional force, and If SO our men,
though slightly reinforced, June 20. by
few men from the 28th Me. and the
Louisiana 1st, who compensated for the
loss to our forces during the fighting Of
the previous day and night, could not
seemingly have held out If there had
been another assault And what made
matters still worse for us was that the
enemy had planted batteries on the
river both above and below Donald
sonville, which quite effectually cut off
all transport navigation unless attend
ed by gunboats.
I'm that critical condition of affairs
our men from June % to July We're
kept on duty almost constantly. day and
night. They slept behind the intrench-
ments with muskets In their hands,
and even cooked and ate their rations
with their equipments on.
"And yet, strange and odd as 1t may
seem, those more than half-exhausted
and almost-imprisoned troops on the
morning OF July I resolved to fire the
National salute. Accordingly they ar