The National tribune., 1906-01-11

vestment-Battle of Plains Store
The GarrisOn-Gen. Banks's SubOrdi-
mates.
Jefferson Davis had instructed Penn
berton to defend Port Hudson at all
hazards, SO as to keep open the Red
River and maintain that great channel
of communication with the TRANSMITS
sissippi country, and which was the
only one now remaining to the South
ern Confederacy. With the Mississip-
pi from New Orleans to Port Hudson
held by the Army of the Gulf while the
upper part of the river from Cairo to
Vicksburg was completely under the
control of the Army of the Tennessee,
the $50 miles of country between
Vicksburg and Port Hudson was the
only bond of union between the por-
tions of the Southern Confederacy east
and west of the Mississippi. The Red
River was the only highway by which
Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas could
be reached, and their men and supplies
brought to the support of the Confed
eracy Pemberton had obeyed his
chiefs instructions, arming the place
with relatively more artillery than
there was at Vicksburg, by making eX
tenSive fortiflcationS and by Stationing
there a garrison of over 10000 men,
of whom something over 10000 were
effectiyes.
In some ways~Port Hudson was
stronger position than Vicksburg,
though the bluffs We're not SO high.
Where they were 200 or more feet at
Vicksburg they were only so feet above
the water at Port Hudson, but they
stood in the arm of a sharp bend, which
gave the heavy guns command of
long stretch of river in both directions
and enabled them to deliver a raking
fire upon any vessels attacking them.
The elevation of the works and their
relation to the angle of the river were
such as to enable them to be worked
in great security by their cannoneers.
Where the guns on the top of the bluffs
at Vicksburg were so high AS to have
only plunging fire, those at Port Hud-
son had just enough elevation to give
them the greatest effect, and when
they recoiled from the shot they were
be1ind works which securely protected
tho cannoneers in reloading them. The
place was known to steamboat men as
Hickey's Landing, and 1t was very
difficult one, because Of the strong ed
dies and currents. The Confederates
had properly appreciated the strength
and Importance of the position from
the time it was first taken up by Breck-
fnridge in August, 1862. Competent
engineers had studied it at leisure, dis
covered all its strong points, and with
the abundant slave labor impressed
from the neighborhood had made the
very most of its advantages. They were
not interfered with for months, and so
carried out their plans to the last de-
tail. Along the river front they con-
structed a series of batteries, mount
ing in all 90 siege guns. On the land
side they traced continuous line of
I,arapets from Ross's Landing, one mile
below Port Hudson. This ran east
Wardly about one mile TO broad plain,
and thence turned northward, follow
ing the contour Of the ground, at length
turned westward into very rough land
aDounding in gorges and ravines, and
finally came back to the river about a
half mile north of Port Hudson at the
mouth Of Thompson's Creek. At the
mouth of Thompson's Creek was an
impenetrable swamp, which effectually
protected the left of the line. The
main parapet was of the strongest pos
sible character. having an average
thickness Of 20 feet and ditch i'm front
of not less than Is feet In depth and
was between four and five miles long
1t began i'm an inclosed fort at Ross's
Landing. Where the line turned north
ward was another fort. A third was
built at the forks CT the roads lead
Ing to Baton Rouge and Bayou Sara,
and there was a fourth facing Thomp-
sons Creek. The parapet was of sufi-
behind 1t, and troops could be moved
with great freedom and security from
one part Of the line To the other. 1t was
defended by 80 pieces of field artillery,
besides some heavier guns, and such
was the convenience of the ground in
tine rear that batteries could be rapidly
concentrated with the troops from one
part or the line upon another.
The Garrison.
The nar0lpS Sbnyy that tho faliou,.x~
troops composed the garrison at Port
Hudson:
Mai. Gen. Frank Gardner
Line commanders Brig.-Gen. W. N
X. Beail, Col. W. r. Miles, Col 1. g.
w. Steedman.
Garrison troops: 1st Ala, Col. 1. G.
w. Steedman; Lieut.-Col. NJ. b. Locke,
Maj. Samuel l.. Knox: 49th Ala, Maj
T. A. Street; Maury (Tenn) Artillery
(attached to the 18th La. II. A. bat
talion); 1st Ark. battalion. Lieut.. Col
y. Jones; 10th Ark, Lieut.-Col. NJ. B.
Maj. G. NJ. Cargile; 18th and
18th Ark. (detachment); 18th Ark,
Col. T. ]. Reid, Jr.; 14th Ark, Lieut.
Col. Pleasant Fowler: 18th Ark. Col.
Ben. w. Johnson; 10th Ark, Col. David
Provence: 18th Ark. Lieut.-Col w. NJ
4th La. tdetachment), Capt. Charles T.
Whitman; 9Th La. battalion Gnf't,
Capt. X. b. Chinn; 9Th La battalion
partisan Rangers, Lieut-CoI. j. H.
Wingfeld. Maj. James DE Baum; 18th
La. II. A. battalion, Lieut.-Col p. F.
De Gournay; 30th La. (detachmen)
Capt. T. X. Porter; La. Legion, Col. w.
II. Miles. Lieut.. Frederick q.
Brand; La. Battery. Capt. X. NJ. Boone,
Capt S. NJ. Thomas; La Battery (Wat-
SOM, Lieut.. f. A. Toiedano; 1st Miss.
Iieut.-Col. A. $. Hamilton, Maj. Thos
II. Johnston; 3Sth Miss. Col. w. b.
Shelby; Claiborne (Miss) Light Inf't
Capt. A. j. Lewis; 1st Miss. l.. A. Cab
s bays, Bradfords and Herod's batter
ies); Miss. Battery tEnglish's), Lieut.
p. ]. holland; Miss. Battery (Sever
Stars Art.), Lieut.. T. G. w. Coleman;
B and g, 1st Tenn. II. A. (attached to
18th La. II. A. battalion), Lieut.. Os-
waid Tilghman and Capt. James A
Fisher; Tenn. battalion composed OF
details from 41st 42d, 48th, 49th, SD
and 55th Tenn. regiments), Capt. s. S
Whiteside.
Cavalry and mounted infantry Cop
Grating outside of the post)-col John
L. Logan 11th and 17th Ark (consol-
fdated), 9Th Tenn. battalion, Cochran's
battalion. Garland's battalion. Hughes's
battalion, Stockdale's battalion, Rob-
aft's Battery (section).
The above was all that was left oi
i,,y II