USA > Alabama > History of the First Regiment, Alabama Volunteer Infantry, C.S.A. > Part 5
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In a different way, our officers, mostly single, and a hand- some set, too, had their pastimes. There were many large sugar planters in this section, and their beautiful and accom- plished daughters in fine carriages and attended by retinues of servants made frequent visits to our camps "to see the soldiers." Well, they saw the soldiers, and our officers saw them, the re- sult being that our officers made frequent visits to the palatial homes of these young ladies, attending balls, banquets, and other entertainments. But the company officers, having no horses"
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and the distance to these homes being too great to walk, had to leave the monopoly of all these pleasures to the staff. If there was anything on earth that a Southern woman, during these days, could not resist it was a Confederate soldier with brass bars and stars on his coat collar. There was some fasci- nation even in a corporal's stripes.
In November, Col. Steedman hired a brass band of ten musi- cians, commanded by a Capt. O'Neal, the officers of the regi- ment by voluntary assessment paying the band. For profi- ciency it certainly had no superior if an equal in the Confeder- ate service. Their instruments, too, were first-class. They played for us on drill and at night after taps took their position at the Colonel's tent and played us to sleep. We also had many superior fiddlers, Jack Gibson, of the Perote Guards, being the most skillful. Once a week, or oftener, and just after sup- per, he would open up a free concert in his tent. The first stroke of his bow never failed to be cheered enthusiastically by the regiment. After playing an hour or two he invariably closed with "O Lord Gals one Friday," which he would play, - sing and dance at the same time. He was afterwards wounded (July 28, '64, at Atlanta) in the right arm just above the wrist, resulting in a permanent deflection of the arm at that point ; and being asked whether he could still use the bow replied : "Why, yes ; my arm now has exactly the right crook for the business."
Vast quantities of bacon, cattle, sugar and syrup were shipped through Port Hudson to the interior of the Confederacy. The cattle were made to swim across the river in full view of our batteries. No bacon and only a few of the poorest cattle were left for our garrison.
On November 16, 1862, the Federal fleet under Commodore D. G. Farragut appeared below in sight of our batteries. It was composed of the following vessels :
Wocden-Richmond, carrying 27 guns ; Hartford, 26 guns ; Mississippi, 23 guns ; Monongahela, 16 guns.
Iron-clad-Kineo, carrying five guns; Albatross, 5 guns ; Sachem, 5 guns ; Genesce, 5 guns ; Essex, 16 guns.
Mortar Boats-Also five mortar boats each carrying one 13- inch mortar. Total. 138 guns and five 13-inch mortars.
On the night of December 13, Capt. Boone's battery of light artillery, consisting of three pieces and supported by Companies
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Port Hudson Campaign, 1862-63.
D and F of the First Alabama crossed the river, and gaining a position opposite the fleet and behind the levee without being discovered, opened fire at dawn. A spirited duel was kept up nearly all day, but without material results.
In January, 1863, the "Dr. Beatty," a large Red river trans- port, protected by cotton bales, carrying one 20-pounder parrott gun and about 500 infantry, left our landing and steamed up the river, flying a large Confederate flag. The Parrott gun was in charge of Lieut. J. Watts Kearney, and the whole expedition, under command of Maj. J. L. Brand. The Dr. Beatty, the Rams Webb, Queen of the West, and another cotton-protected steamboat constituted the famous expedition. Fully three thousand Confederates had assembled on the banks of the river to witness the departure, and the deafening acclamations of these and those on board marked this as one of the most mem- orable incidents of Port Hudson. The avowed purpose was the capture of the Indianola which had passed the Vicksburg batteries, and one of the most powerful river gunboats in the Federal Navy. - How this improvised fleet performed this dar- ing exploit in capturing the Indianola is one of the immortal achievements of the Confederate soldier and sailor.
FARRAGUT'S ATTACK ON PORT HUDSON.
On the night of March 14, 1863, "taps" had sounded and we had retired for the night when about II p. m. the discharge of several guns from below roused us from our bunks. Farra- gut's fleet was coming up. The long roll and the shrill shouts of officers, "fall in, men! fall in!" dinned our ears as we hur- riedly rushed into our clothes, then into ranks, and then to our batteries. By this time the firing of the batteries below was tremendous, the fleet making no reply. The flagship Hart- ford, with its consort Kineo, and with Commodore Farragut and son lashed to the mast were leading the way. Following these in succession were the Richmond, Monongahela, Gene- see and Mississippi, each, except the last, with an iron-clad con- sort. These were followed by the Essex and Sachem. The large heaps of lightwood knots on the opposite bank of the river prepared for exactly this kind of an emergency, were not lighted as ordered. Only starlight dimly revealed an outline of the advancing squadron. Battery after battery opened fire
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as the fleet came within range. The batteries of the First Alabama regiment being uppermost were the last to become engaged, and the Federal gunboats opened fire about the same time. The scene now became one of indescribable grandeur. The river and our line of fortifications looked like a solid sheet of electric glare and flame. The deafening roar drowned the command of officers. Gunners and squads no longer awaited command, but loaded and fired as rapidly as possible. The mortar boats below having previously gained the range of our position, poured upon us a shower of bursting shells. Within half an hour the Hartford and consort had passed up without material damage; thx Richmond, quitting the channel opposite battery 5, steamed directly toward the landing which was be- tween batteries 5 and 3 under the guns of the First Alabama regiment. Our first impression was that she intended to dis- embark troops for a land attack, and all began to think of our muskets. She came within a few rods of the landing in full and close range of ali four of the regiment's batteries and was several times struck. Her intention was to get close under the bluff of the river where, as she supposed, our guns could not bear upon her. But in this she was mistaken, for while her proximity did throw lier out of range of most of our guns, the few that could bear upon her were all the more effective from being in such close quarters and in better view. Her sailors, thinking themselves safe, jeered the men of the First Alabama as the ship pulled up to the landing. At this juncture a large pile of lightwood knots down at the wharf was ignited by Con- federates, but being between us and our enemy and therefore blinding to us was quickly extinguished. This position soon proved too hot for the Richmond. Within five minutes her machinery had been disabled as indicated by the shrill distress- ing hiss of steam. She hobbled out from the bank bearing up the river, and then back toward the channel in a curved line, and then drifted in a disabled and almost helpless condition down the river.
The Monongahela and Genesee following also diverged from the channel of the river toward our position, but were so quickly and seriously disabled that they retreated down the river as rapidly as their crippled condition would permit.
The Essex escaped with slight damage, and the Sachem never reached the range of the guns of the First Alabama regiment.
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Port Hudson Campaign, 1862-63.
The gunboat Mississippi was struck in the forward part by a hot shot from a Confederate battery as she entered the bat- tle, but her intrepid commander pushed vigorously into the fight with his ship afire in front, until reaching a position in front of our regiment she was grounded on the west side of the river perhaps one hundred yards from the bank. Seeing the impos- sibility of saving the vessel he fired her in the after part and abandoned her. The flames spread rapidly and she was soon enveloped. Fifteen minutes later she broke loose from the bank and went floating down the river a huge and roaring pyr- amid of flames, the towering vertex now bending before an occa- sional breeze, and then when there was a lull darting vertically upward and hurling skyward a continuous stream of angry sparks and firebrands. Her hundreds of loaded shells were soon reached by the fire, and the rapid explosion of these, some- times singly in quick succession, at other times a dozen or more simultaneously sounded like a heavy cannonade and equaling if not surpassing in every element of the sublime, the terrific battle through which we had just passed. The firing had all ceased, and we had nothing to do but sit upon our batteries and enjoy the thoughts of our triumph and the grand spectacle before us. We thought of and pitied the wounded, if any there were, on the burning ship. The fleet below fled in consterna- tion from their late companion and disappeared from view. About 5 a. m. this floating volcano rounded a point of land on the opposite bank five miles below and the flames sank out of view, but we gazed with unabated interest on the crimsoned horizon beyond. This gradually grew paler and paler until about 5 a. m., when there was a fearful explosion resembling in report that of a heavy peal of thunder in the distance, the flames leaped high above intervening lands and forests, the shock being distinctly felt at our batteries ; and what remained of the old historic Mississippi sank to the bottom of the river.
Had the lightwood knots on the opposite shore been promptly lighted it is believed that no vessel could have passed our bat- teries. A singular coincidence is that the Confederate ram Arkansas, co-operating with Gen. John C. Breckinridge in a land attack on Baton Rouge about a year previous, had gone down at almost the same spot.
Several of the Mississippi's crew were killed and probably burned with the vessel. Some of the wounded leaped into the
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river and were drowned; about forty men were captured, the rest escaped, among them being the executive officer, Lieut. George Dewey, later the distinguished "hero of Manila."
The captain's gig taken from the Mississippi fell to the lot of Col. Steedman, and furnished him and his officers much sport when off duty.
As to the origin of the fire on the steamship Mississippi, and as to which ship it was that came up so close under our batter- ies, several theories were at the time advanced, and have since been contended for.
Anxious to have the question definitely and correctly settled, I addressed a letter to Admiral George Dewey May 29, 1903, propounding the following questions: (1) Was it the Rich- mond or Mississippi that came up so close to the landing on the night of March 14, 1863, at Port Hudson? (2) Was the steamship Mississippi fired by a hot shot from a Confederate battery, or fired by its executive officer ?
The following reply from the distinguished Admiral settles the question that it was not the Mississippi that steamed up so close to the landing that night, and could he have spoken as definitely as to which one it was that did come so close his state- ment would have been final. It is seen that he inclines to the opinion that it was the Hartford instead of Richmond, but of this he is not certain. Not undervaluing the weight of even an indefinite impression of so distinguished a man who was a par- ticipant in the battle, I have, after mature consideration, and not without hesitation, felt it my duty to follow the almost unan- imous opinion of authors, that it was the Richmond, until fur- ther light shall establish it as an error.
Admiral Dewey's letter is as follows :
"Navy Department. "Office of the Admiral of the Navy,
"Mills Building, Washington, June 1, 1903.
"My Dear Sir: I have the pleasure to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of May 29, relative to the battle of Port Hudson, and will gladly give you such information as I can in response to your inquiries.
"I was the executive officer of the 'Mississippi' in the battle named, and it was not that vessel of which you speak as steaming
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up nearly to the landing, as we were on the other side of the river, and grounded; nor do I think it was the 'Richmond.' My impres- sion is that it was the 'Hartford,' which ran in so close to the land- ing, though I am not positive on the matter.
"The 'Mississippi' was first fired, in the forward part, by a hot shot from one of the Confederate batteries; afterward, finding that she could not be floated and saved, we fired her in the after part and abandoned her.
"I hope that you and I may sometime come into close range again, but under different circumstances from those of that me- morable 14th of March. Very truly yours,
"George Dewey.
"Professor E. Y. McMorries, "Plantersville, Ala."
The object of getting these ships above us was to cut off supplies west of the river from the Confederacy, and to en- able Gen. N. P. Banks, then descending Red river valley with 20,000 men, to cross the river at Bayou Sara, six miles above Port Hudson.
Affairs now relapsed into their former status, the fleet daily shelling our lines with slow guns in a desultory way. An Arm- strong rifle-gun on the fleet amused itself by throwing 250- pound shells into our upper batteries, and sometimes even into Sandy creek swamp, half a mile above our lines-an extraor- dinary range at that time, being about five miles.
On the night of May 9, Col. Paul F. DeGournay with a de- tachment of artillery, and Co. K of our regiment, having in all four guns, intrenched under cover of darkness at Troth's land- ing opposite the fleet, and early next morning opened fire upon the Essex. The whole fleet, mortar boats and all, joined the Essex in her reply. The battle was furious and against fearful odds until I p. m., when our men withdrew, Co. K's gun having been disabled.
May 14, 1863, Gen. C. C. Augur, commanding a Federal force of 10,000 men at Baton Rouge, threw out an advance line of skirmishers toward Port Hudson, and encountered our cav- alry pickets in a light skirmish at Plains' store, about six miles below Port Hudson. The aggressive activity of Federal cav- alry on both sides of the river, Gen. Augur now advancing from Baton Rouge, Banks crossing the river at Bayou Sara, left
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no doubt that Port Hudson was to be invested. The effective force at Port Hudson never exceeded 3,500 men. The Confed- erates were in high spirits, having not the least doubt of their ability to hold the position against any odds.
May 19 a detachment of our regiment crossed the river and without loss, severely chastised a body of marauding Federal cavalry, the latter leaving several dead and wounded on the field. The fighting down the Plains' Store road was daily getting nearer and heavier, showing that Gen. Augur was gradually forcing back our line, artillery being brought into action on the 19th and 20th.
While we were at our batteries interested listeners to the battle several miles away, Gen. Frank Gardner, our Major- General commanding, unattended (as usual) by any member of his staff, his ruddy face animated and his eyes aglow, show- ing that the lion in him was aroused, rode up to our battery and asked: "Are you all ready here?" Being assured that we were, he pointed in the direction of the firing and said: "The enemy are comning, but mark you, many a one will get to h-1 before he does to Port Hudson"-words that proved prophetic if he meant that many would be killed in battle.
On May 22 Gen. Banks began his advance from Bayou Sara upon our position. Our pickets met his advance in the Aberger plantation beyond Big Sandy creek and drove them back. On May 23 the skirmishing was resumed and kept up all day in the same position. That night our cavalry, reinforced by a detachment of infantry, intrenched in rifle pits in the skirt of woods between Big Sandy creek and the plantation. The next day the enemy advanced upon us in a heavy skirmish line that was promptly repulsed. This heavy picket fighting, occasion- ally approaching a heavy battle, was kept up all day, the Con- federates holding their position. That night our infantry fell back to our rifle pits south of Big Sandy creek. In the mean- while Col. Miles had been doing some hard fighting on the right with Augur, and on the 24th a portion of Beall's brigade was likewise engaged. The investment of Port Hudson was now complete, and the enemy's forces less than half a mile from us. The position of the regiment on the morning of the 25th was in the swamp about one hundred yards south of Big Sandy. There was much large timber, but very little undergrowth. Where rifle pits were wanting breastworks of logs were hastily
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constructed. A light skirmish line was thrown forward to the creek to impede the enemy in crossing, and soon a brisk fight was on. The enemy, with a strong force, drove in our pickets, and charged our position. He was driven back with loss. The enemy fleeing, our skirmish lines pursued and drove them back across the creek. They rallied, reinforced and again drove in our pickets, charged and were repulsed. Several times this was repeated during the day. In the evening, just after one of these charges and repulses, a Federal lieutenant was wounded and captured. As he was being carried back through our lines on a litter dripping blood, he raised himself up and abused us without stint, adding that the Federals would have Port Hudson in twenty-four hours. He was quite a handsome young man, and our men applauded him for his pluck, but assured him that he was mistaken in judgment. After the last charge and re- pulse of the enemy nearly sundown that evening, our pursuing skirmishers, commanded by Capt. Knowles, not only drove them back across Big Sandy creek, but crossed themselves where Capt. Knowles captured and brought back a very fine horse as a trophy, of which he was very proud.
Col. Steedman having been put in command of the left wing, composed of the First Alabama, 15th Arkansas and 10th Ar- kansas, a detachment of Wingfield's battalion and 39th Mis- sissippi regiment, Lieut .- Col. M. B. Locke commanded the reg- iment from this time to the end of the siege. Col. Steedman, during the siege, won the highest encomiums from his men and superiors, and would have received a brigadier-general's com- mission soon afterwards had he not been captured and sent to prison ; while Col. Locke proved himself a brave and able reg- imental commander.
About sundown the regiment fell back to the heights about a quarter of a mile from our line of fortifications, had stacked arms and were lying about promiscuously on the ground, when Col. Steedman rode up, having received an order from Gen. Gardner to advance and "feel" for the enemy, and in a loud tone commanded Col. Locke to take the First Alabama regi- ment and go forward until he struck the enemy. The evening twilight had just faded from the western horizon, and a full moon was mounting the eastern sky as the regiment descended .the bluff into the deep swamp canopied high above with the luxuriant foliage of a giant forest. The enemy's pickets, per- ceiving our advance, had ceased firing, and ensconced behind
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trees were silently awaiting our approach. Our way led through a clearing of deadened timbers and over ground densely cov- ered with shrubbery, brush, briars and logs. Through this tangled copse we made our way the best we could in various squads. A slough of thick underbrush formed the farther mar- gin of this clearing, and when we were within a few yards of it, the enemy lighted up his lurking places with a blaze of musketry. Exposed to a hidden foe we returned the fire until ordered to fall back, carrying with us our dead and wounded. We had "felt" the enemy. During the night battle a minie rifle ball cut out the letter "C" from the hilt of Col. Steedman's sword, leaving the letter "S"-destroying the Confederacy, but leav- ing the States. The sword is still in his possession (1904). Lieut .- Col. Locke wore the sword that night by mistake. The vital importance of the delay thus secured by these days of fighting in advance of our main line of defense, will be better understood by adding here an extract from Col. Steedman's official report of the siege of Port Hudson. Had not these rifle pits been constructed, the enemy would have entered Port Hud- son May 27, 1863.
EXTRACT FROM COL. STEEDMAN'S OFFICIAL REPORT OF THE SIEGE.
"The enemy's demonstrations on this day convinced me be- yond a doubt that he had determined to attack our lines in the vicinity of our commissary depot, arsenal, etc. Up to Monday night, the 25th of May, no works of any description had been thrown up to defend this position, extending from Col. John- son's advanced work, on the right of my command to a point within five hundred yards of the river on the left, including a space of three-fourths of a mile. There was not a rifle pit dug nor a gun mounted on Monday night.
"I reported my convictions to the Major-General command- ing. The evidence was satisfactory to him, and he ordered all the available tools, negroes, etc., to be placed at the disposal of the Chief Engineer. The work was promptly laid out by Lieut. Dabney and ere the dawn of Tuesday, considerable progress had been made. A battery of four pieces had been mounted during the night on the hill in the immediate vicinity of the commis- sary depot which, since that, has been called Commissary Hill. The emergency being great, this work was pressed with energy
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all Tuesday and Tuesday night, so that by Wednesday morning an imperfect line of rifle pits had been thrown up to protect the most exposed points on the left wing."
During the night of May 26 the entire Confederate army took position along our line of breastworks, where we remained dur- ing the period of forty-nine days of siege that followed. Port Hudson was not provisioned for a siege. Gen. Gardner had received orders to evacuate it, but the rapid approach of Gen. Banks prevented its execution.
The position of the command and the assignment of com- manders for the seige were as follows: Maj .- Gen. Franklin Gardner, commanding all the Confederate forces ; Col. I. G. W. Steedman, acting brigadier-general, commanding the left wing; Brig .- Gen. W. N. R. Beall, commanding the center; Col. W. R. Miles, commanding the right wing.
Beginning at the extreme left and giving in the order in which they occur, the left wing was composed of the following regiments, and in the order named: The 39th Mississippi, a detachment of Col. Wingfield's dismounted cavalry, 10th Ar- kansas, Ist Alabama, and 15th Arkansas regiments; the center, of the 23d Arkansas, 16th Arkansas, Ist Arkansas and 12th Arkansas; the right wing, of DeGournay's battalion of artil- lery and Col. Miles' legion.
The distribution of Confederate batteries numbered from left to right was as follows: On the left wing were batteries 3, 6, II (Fort Desperate), 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17; on the center, bat- teries 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25; on the right wing, bat- teries 26, 27, 28, 29, 33. Missing numbers indicate batteries planned, but never constructed. On the left wing were no de- fenses except that the timbers for two hundred yards in front had been felled, the surface being so rugged that the skill of the engineer was hardly deemed necessary. The position of the First Alabama, about three-quarters of a mile from the extreme left, was between the 10th Arkansas on its left, and the 15th Arkansas on its right. A ravine pierced the right of our regi- ment, separating Co. A and its battery from the rest of the reg- iment. The length of the left wing was one and one-half miles long and defended by 1,600 effective men. This put the men along the line in single file about five feet apart. Our regiment never at any time had its full strength at the breastworks; de- tachments from Companies A, B, G and K being kept at their
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respective batteries, and two detachments from Co. K being assigned, one to a redan on the Jackson road, and the other to battery II on the river.
During the siege several heavy guns were transferred from the river batteries to the breastworks, wooden guns shaped and painted like cannon being substituted to deceive the enemy be- low. It is singular that the fleet made no serious effort to cap- ture any of our river batteries during the siege.
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