Comte de Paris, History of the Civil War in America. Vol. 4.
Henry Coppee , LL.D., Ed.

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[398] and, pushing them in disorder in another direction, did not permit them to give Leake the alarm. At the same time Speight, followed by Mouton, marched rapidly and fell unexpectedly on the Federal infantry. The latter, surprised and hastily drawn up, defended itself energetically. But Boone's cavalry, arriving on its flank after their first success, threw its ranks into disorder, and, not even giving Mouton time to arrive, forced the swarm of fugitives on the ambuscade set up by Green. The latter picked up all that had escaped his lieutenants. There were more than a hundred men hors de combat, but he withdrew, taking with him two cannon and nearly five hundred prisoners. This bold coup-de-main proved the strength and self-reliance of the Confederates; it foreshowed what they would attempt should the bulk of Banks' army penetrate into the wilds of Texas, whether by pursuing it or pushing it back as far as the city of New Orleans.

The plan of reaching Texas by land had therefore to be perforce abandoned. For two months Banks had been seeking in vain some means of executing the orders of his government. Happily, during that time he had received, at New Orleans, the seaworthy vessels owing to the want of which he had been obliged to direct his first attack against Sabine Pass. He could henceforth, without much danger, cross the Gulf of Mexico to disembark a corps of troops at the mouth of the Rio Grande. We have shown how important it was for the Federals to occupy this point.

The naval expedition was at once decided upon. But Banks, in order to divert the attention of the enemy, wished to appear as if persisting in his first project. The old division of Herron (First of the Thirteenth corps), commanded by General Dana, was selected to form the landing-corps, and left the vicinity of Morganzia to return to New Orleans. In the mean while, Franklin, to whom Banks had left the command of the forces collected on the Bayou Teche, moved up this stream and the Bayou Vermilion as if he wished to reach Alexandria by the route that the Federals had taken the preceding spring. He had with him the Nineteenth corps and Lawler's and Washburne's divisions of the Thirteenth. He was to carry on this demonstration as far as Opelousas, then withdraw as soon as he should hear of the departure of the fleet to unite his troops, occupying only the interior line of the Bayou