Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-12-27


send to The Pinex Co., Fl. Wayne, Ind.
Guiding the Thirteenth Army Corps
and considerable cavalry and artillery,
with their necessary equipments-and
although our original command had
been reduced by very nearly that
number by the casualties of the cam
paigns, the muster-out of nine months
men, and by disease, we still were
able to concentrate quite a formidable
body of veteran troops. A number of
distinguished general officers had also
Joined us, including Generals VIM. B.
Franklin, e. O. C. Ord, n. J. T. Dana,
C. c. Washburn, T. j. Heron, T. E. G..
Ransom, and others of lesser note. All
this, for prudential reasons, was only
confded to those of Gen. Banks mill
tary household. AS a matter of fact,
moreover, it appears that this was not
positively determined upon until quite
late in the summer. The plan was a
matter of dispute, Gen. Halleck, the
then commander-in-eh chief, rarely agreed
with the commanders in the field as
to any campaign, and he seems to
have been especially ''mulish" in his
treatment of Gen. Banks. Though af-
fecting to give him the largest discre-
ton as to plan and detail. campaign
was no sooner entered upon than an
entire change of programme was
necessitated by peremptory instruc-
tons from Washington. But this was
a characteristic of the Halleck era
of laundering" in high places. from
which all our fighting generals, and
the country's interests as well, suf-
fered keenly.
Nevertheless, after much CORE
spondence and consultation among the
military commanders, a plan was per-
fected, in August, for a combined
military and naval attack upon Mo-
bile Bay. and. this was about being
entered upon by Grant, Banks and
Admiral Farragut, when message
was received by Gen. Banks, sent at
the earnest solicitation of the State
Department, setting forth that there
were reasons other than military,
why our flag should be restored to
some one point in Texas without de-
lay" And this of course, for the
time being, gave to the Mobile Ex-
petition its quietus.
In pursuance of orders from the
Washington authorities Gen. Banks
made his first demonstration towards
Texas by way of Sabine Pass, in Sep
TENDER. This had always been his
favorite route, and seemed to present
advantages over all others. The pan
was to effect landing at Sabine Pass,
and push on, overland, to Houston
and Galveston, thus controlling the
railroad centers, and also maintaining
communication with New Orleans by
railroad and ater-transportaton. But
the General made fatal error at the
start. He placed Maj.-General Frank
lin in command! 1t was designed that
Franklin should land his troops at
some eligible point and cooperate
with the naval vessels in capturing
the enemy's fortified position at Sa-
bine Pass: instead of this the gun
boats were allowed to ,bear the brunt
of the assault unaided by the infantry
and although the rebel WORKS were
defended by less than one hundred
men. the warships not only mace no
impression, but really ran aground IN
the narrow channel of the Pass, I'M
der the guns of the fort ana were
comnelled to surrender. The infantry
failed to effect a landing, and were re-
luctantly compelled to return 10 new
Orleans. in very great Illumination.
The expedition was worse than utter
failure. as 1t had advertised the plan
to the threatened locality.
Rut. happily. the Sabine was not the
only avenue of approach to the Lone
Star State" and another eXpeoltioh
was at once dispatched to reconnoltef
the route from the Teche to Nlpletts
Rluff or. if that was found imprac-
t;cable by way of Alexandra ana
shreveport. The army was transfer
red to the Teche, Sept 18th, Gen. Her
ron,s Division of the 18th Corps NOV
ing from Morganzia. After carelui
;nsnection. however, both or THESE
routes were found to be wholly I'M
practicable. They involved a mafch
of from three to five hundred miles,
through a bitterly hostile country
without supplies or water and the
roods worry. difficult The force was
no rdlv ADEQUATE to such an undertake
ing Nevertheless, tiiS ho'e
unfurled upon Texas soil all the same
and that without delay. There was
still another broad highway TO
Texas leading down." and TINS was
nv the way of the Gulf of Mexico ana
the Mexican frontier! There was no
time to lose; and for the double pur-
nose of bewildering the enemy ana
testing the skill of another commah-
der. Gen. Franklin and the greater
norton of the troops which had un-
dertaken the overland route, were ielt
in occupancy OF Berwick Bay and the
Tecbe. while another entirely lnde-
pendent expedition was quietly organ
ized. to move by the only remaining
route that seemed to offer any~assur-
anee of success.
And this is how 1t came to pass that
the Thirteenth and Fifteenth, while
quietly pursuing the even tenor of their
way at their stations about New Orleans
were ruthiessly disturbed Oct. II by an
order to prepare for a sea-voyage report
ing to Maj. Gen, N. ]. T. Dana, the inn
commander of the expedition.