The National tribune., 1906-02-01
PLAN OF FORT BUTLER.

morning of the 18th, Banks sent flag
Of truce asking leave to send I'm medi-
cal and hospital supplies for the COM
fort of the wounded of both armies,
Gardner promptly assented, and in his
reply called attention to the condition of
the dead and wounded before the
breastworks, yet 1t was not until the
evening Of the 18th that Banks could
bring himself to ask for a suspension of
hostilities for the relief of the suffering
and the burial of the slain. But three
days and two nights had already passed;
most of the hurt, and these the most
grievously, were already beyond the
need Of succor. The same thing had
already occurred at Vicksburg."
Dick Tayl0r's Return.
Gen. Dick Taylor had been chased
out of Alexandria, and with the small
force that still remained with his ban
ners had retreated to Shreveport in the
remote northwestern corner OF Louis
lana. The balance of his army dis
persed over the prairies and into the
forests. the Texans going back to their
| own State.
They gathered heart again when
| they learned that Banks and the gun
boats were retiring. The Texans came
back, the other troops were collected
by the conscripting parties Taylor sent
out. and early in June Taylor was NOV
ing cautiously forward with a force
that was soon increased to between
1000 and 5000 men. He found Alex
| andria wholly stripped Of Union troops,
and even Fort De Russey abandoned.
vanced on Opelousas, which he found
| turned back to the charge Of it's inhabi-
tants, with no Union soldier beyond the
Bayou Teche. The Confederate au-
thority was reasserted. the people who
had been protesting loyalty and allie
glance to the Government resumed their
connection with the e nfederacy, and
Taylor promptly impressed all those
| capable of bearing arms into his ranks.
The mushroom growth Of loyalty which
| Banks had nurtured faded even more
! quickly and noisome1y than the swift
rotting of the magnolias' gaudy flowers
| The "Cajans" of that region cared as
little about politics as they did about
| the Arion controversy. They only
| wanted to be left to lounge around in
| the shade and smoke and drink thin
native wine. The last thing they de-
sired was to fight on either side, or do
anything else that involved labor or
hardship. They rather preferred the
| Union ascendancy. because that prom
ised they should be left i'm peace at
home, while the Confederates dragged
them off to camp, put guns I'm their
hands, insisted upon their drilling,
marching and fighting. Still they were
make any resistance TO the strong-will-
ed "Americaines," who were insane
upon fighting, instead Of lolling through
the hot weather in the coolest places
that could be found. as sensible men
should.
In his desperate need for troops
Banks had only left in the La Fourche
District remnants Of regiments in weak
garrisons here and there. to guard i'm
portant points. Not only were these
numerically small and insufficient. but
they were mostly green troops, usual
ly nine months men. and all suffering
more or less from their sudden transit
tion from theiE comfortable homes In
the salubrious highlands of New Eng
alnd to the hot-beds Of malaria In the
Louisiana swamps. They had learned
little discipline, and this little dfsap-
peared In the enervating surroundings
Still farther, these posts were remote
from one another, and there had been
no thought Of concert OF action and
mutual help. When Taylor retreated
from Alexandria everybody seemed tq
think that he had been disposed OF per-