Historic leaves, volume 7, April, 1908 - January, 1909

[60] assault was quickly repulsed by the rebels, with great loss to our left wing, especially to the negro troops, who behaved with great courage and covered themselves with glory. Grover's troops also assaulted, but with greater success. Augur's forces were held in reserve to assist Sherman; but from Sherman's troops came no sound of battle, and when, after listening in vain the whole forenoon for his musketry and attack, Banks rode to the left wing, he found Sherman and his staff quietly eating dinner, and the entire left wing resting on their arms, and not yet put into line of battle. Hot words passed, and General Andrews was ordered to replace Sherman; but meanwhile Sherman had advanced upon the enemy's right, six hours late, and met with the same fate as the attack by Weitzel in the early morning. Generals Sherman and Dow were wounded in this day's battle, and ten colonels, lieutenant-colonels, and majors killed, wounded, or captured. Our total day's loss was 1,995 men.

It is to be remembered that in this assault, as well as that later, on June 14, in fact, during the whole siege, we were assisted by the navy. In the bend above Port Hudson lay the Hartford, Albatross, Sachem, Estrella, and Arizona; and below lay the Monongahela, now Farragut's flagship, the Richmond, Genesee, and the iron-clad Essex, together with the mortar boats. All of which fleets did great service, not only in bombarding the fortifications, but in keeping the rebels from crossing the river.

On the forenoon of June 13 another furious cannonade was made against the rebel forts from every Union gun and mortar, completely silencing the rebel batteries, after which Banks sent by flag of truce a call to the rebel General Gardner to surrender, which Gardner declined to do. On June 14 another assault was made on the enemy's fortifications, very similar in plan and result to that of May 27. It proved a terrible disaster, the Union loss being 1,805 men, among them Brigadier-General Charles J. Paine, seriously wounded.

Banks now began to prepare for a regular siege. The