New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-09-10

/ fourteen field pieces and two improrised
gunboats. tho Neptune and the Bayou CITY.
! Having completed his plans, General
! Magruder decided to open the new year
with a surprise for the enemy.
1t was carly i'm the morning when he
/ made his intentions known by means OF an
artillery display from his heavy guns. 1t
| was still dark when under the cover OF
/ this pyrotechnic exhibition. two storminS
parties supported by the remainder OF the
/ Confederate troops came swinging along.
carving scaling ladders for the purpose OF
/ climbing over the barbados on the wharf
/ The Union soldiers were ready for them
+ They tried TO climb by means Of their lad
ders, which were found to be too short.
| into the face of foe that beat them back
/ with savage energy. Nor was the little
/ force on the wharf left TO fight alone, Tor
the Harriet Lane and the other vessels OF
the Union fleet concentrated their fire up
on the assaulting forces. AS day began
to break the Confederate troops were on
the point of withdrawing. when the i'm
proyised Confederate gunboats appeared
and the fortunes of the two opposing forces
quickly changed.
The Neptune, claimed by the god whose
name she bore. was disabled and sunk by
the guns of the Harriet Lane. but her fate
was avenged by the men Of the Bayou
| City, who boarded with cutlasses and
bayonets the Union vessel and captured
her. the gallant commander. Wainwright
| being among those killed. The Westheid'
Of the Union fleet. ran aground and was
blown up by her commander. FOLLOWING
the example of the Lane. upon which a
i 10 bnr a
/ also displayed the white ensign Colonel
Burrcu. noting the action Of the fleet,
/ thereupon surrendered also, and the hrlnS
on shore ceased, but as this action had not
/ taken place as soon as had been expected
by the officers of some of the Union YES
sells. they thought the naval truce had
been violated and the Clifton, Owasco and
Sachem. preceded by the Saxon and Mary
/ A. Boardman. army transports. put TO sea.
/ The Confederates lost 26 killed and III
wounded, while the Union loss was the
small one OF killed and Is wounded.
| General Banks now began to consider
plans for securing possession of Port Hud-
son, a fortified area situated at bend
at the head OF a reach 135 miles up the
river from New Orleans, which took its
| name from a community included within 1t
ard row only a pOstoffice surrounded by
! the homes of less than five hundred per-
sous The ancient delta of the Mississippi
! vest OF the river is a network OF bayous,
J waterways in the wet season and roadways
/ In the dry. These parallel the course of
+ the Father Of Waters, some of them eX-
/ tending as far into the northwest as the
/ Red River, which empties into the Misss-
! sippi some miles north of Port Hudson.
/ Among them are La Fourche, the Atchafa-
lava River which. passing through series
! of broad eXpanses of water, forms a short
cut for a part OF the water OF the Red
River. and the Bayou Teche, tributary OF
the Atchafalavs, which joins II near Brasil
ear City. This community was the west
err terminus OF a railroad line from New
Orleans. Near by was fortified post named
Fort Bisland. Other places along the
Bayou Teche were Franklin, New Iberia
and Opelousas. North of the last mem
toned on the Red River was Fort de Russy,
a strong work near Alexandria. on the
Atchsfa'aya, near its junction with the
Red River. was Simmesport
OF the three possible plans for accom-
plishing his purpose General Banks gave
particular attention to a movement by way
OF the Atchafalaya into the Red River,
which would put his forces on the north
side of Port Hudson. As he was preparing
to execute this project, word was received
that Ellet's rams, the Queen of the West
and the Indanola, which had succeeded in
passing the Vicksburg batteries, had been
captured by the Confederates. With these
vessels in the hands of the enemy, General
I n hOf0rN
undertaking his plan for the possession OF
the steamers gave the Confederates control
over the river above Port Hudson until
/ such time as the Union vessels could pass
'Nicksburg or the lower Notifications.