The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1906-02-15

i
ing to surrender to you, and will ap-
point commission of three officers to
meet similar commission appointed
by yourself at 3 o'clock this morning
Tor the purpose of agreeing upon and
drawing up the terms of surrender, and
for that purpose ] ask for a cessation
OF hostilities. VIII you please desig-
nate point outside Of my breastWorks
where the meeting shall be held for this
purpose?
II am. General, very respectfully,
your obedient servant.
Frank Gardner, Major General, Com
manding G. ). Forces"
Banks Announces Terms.
AT 4:30 Banks sent back his answer:
headquarters United States Forces,
Before Port Hudson, La. July s, 1868,
4:30 a. m.
Maj.-Gen. Frank Gardner, Command
ing c. S. Forces, Port Hudson La.
General: 1 have the. honor to ac-
knowledge the receipt OF Your COM
munication Of this date. stating that
you are willing to surrender the garri-
son under your command to the forces
under my command, and that you will
appoint a commission of three officers
to meet similar commission appointed
by me at 9 o'clock this morning, for
the purpose OF agreeing upon and draw
ing up the terms of the surrender.
In reply, l have the honor to state
that I have designated Brig Gen.
Charles =. Stone, Col. Henry W. Birge
and Lieut.-Col. Richard b. Irwin as the
officers to meet the commission ap-
pointed by you. They will meet your
officers at the hour designated. at a
point near where the flag OF truce was
received this morning. l will direct
that active hostilitieS shall entirely
cease on my part until further notice,
for the purpose stated.
Very respectfully, your most obedi-
ent servant.
IN. P. Banks, Major General, Conn
manding."
To Save New Orleans.
Banks's first thought after sending
Dick Taylor. After sending the notiff-
cation to all his division commanders
and to those of the upper and lower
fleets, he hurried Capt. Walker off TO
find Admiral Farragut, wherever he
might be, notify him of the surrender
and also that force Of the besiegers
would be dispatched at once into the
La Fourche country to drive Taylor
back. and to ask him to send all the
light-draft gunboats to Berwick Bay to
cooperate In the movement. Banks's
plans were to march WeitZe1 directly
through the Port Hudson lines to the
river landing, where the steamboats,
would meet him to take him down the
river. and Grover was TO follow him
with all expedition. These preparations
and those for receiving the surrender
made very busy hours, and they were
seriously complicated by dispute aris-
ing as to who should have the honor of
being foremost in receiving the capftu-
lation. The conversations held with the
Confederate officers while waiting for
the exchange of notes revealed the
starving condition of the garrison, and
the thoughts Of the. besiegers were at
once turned from hostility to the succor
of their needy enemies Col. Irwin felt
this charitable PURPOSE most strongly.
and asked To be relieved from the COM
mission and assigned to duty to take In
supplies to the garrison. This was done,
and Brig Gen. Dwight was named in his
stead, which at once brought forth a
protest from Weitzel. AS a Brigadier-
General Dwights commission was some
months junior to that OF WeitzeI, and
Weitzefs Brigade and Division had been
very much more conspicuous I'm the as
saults than Dwight's command. and had
suffered far more heavily. WeitZel did
NOT make the plea for himself so much
as for his command Banks offered TO
name WeitZel to receive Gardner's
sword. but the offer was declined. There
vas also a great deal Of bitterness in
regard to the failure to have the navy
represented in the commission The
geroas work in the siege. and had suf-
fered severely both from the climate
and from the guns of the enemy. The
presence of the navy had been absolute
IL necessary to the successful prosecu-
tion of the siege It had prevented a re-
lieving column approaching from the
west and the garrison from escaping; it
had protected the communications with
New Orleans, and had finally prevented
New Orleans from being captured and
allowed the city to be stripped of every
possible man TO reinforce the besiegers.
Banks's excuse was that every minute
was precious with reference to the op-
crations against Taylor, and that ii re-
qufred three and half hours to send
communication from headquarters to
the upper fleet and four and half
hours to reach the lower fleet. Beside
this, Admiral Farragut had gone to New
Orleans the evening before to give per-
sonal supervision to- the threatening sit
uatiOn there.