USA > Texas > A comprehensive history of Texas, 1685-1897 > Part 39
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At dawn of day, Green, finding the Federals in quiet slumber, waked them up by a cannonade from the Valverde Battery. The first shot exploded in the centre of their camp, at a distance of nine hundred yards, causing the greatest confusion and panic. The Confederates fired forty or fifty shots into the Federal camp before they made any reply at all. Their first shot was from the gunboat lying at anchor in the bay not far below Berwick City. After daylight the Federal gunboat advanced towards the position of the Confederates, but a few well-directed shots from the Valverde Battery drove her off to a position about a mile below, where she opened on her assailants with her heavy guns. About the same time several batteries from the eastern shore of the bay opened on Green's men. The well- directed shots from the Federal cannon caused the Confederate artillery several times to shift their position. A heavy gun from the fort above the city, with the garrison of that fort, was brought down opposite Green's position, and opened a heavy fire on his brigade. This, together with the retreat of the gunboat, left the way open for Major Hunter and his forlorn hope to make their unexpected attack.
Having rested his men in the edge of the swamp until Green had engaged the Federals on the west side of the bay and attracted all their attention, Major Hunter now approached to within about four hundred yards of Fort Buchanan and drew up his men in line of battle. Dividing his forces into two columns, he charged the
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Federal forts and the camps above and below the railroad depot at the same time ; concentrating on the railroad building, where the main body of the Federals were posted under cover. Hunter's men advanced rapidly under a heavy fire from all parts of the Federal lines. After a severe but brief conflict the Federals sur- rendered at about half-past seven o'clock in the morning. The surprise was com- plete and the victory overwhelming.
The Federal loss was forty-six killed, forty wounded, and seventeen hundred prisoners. The Confederates lost three killed and eighteen wounded.
The Confederates captured the camp and all the equipage, stores, and muni- tions, valued at more than a million dollars. Among the spoils were twelve twenty- four- and thirty-two-pound siege-guns and two thousand five hundred stands of small-arms, about two hundred wagons and three hundred tents, and two thousand negroes.
The camp was given up to pillage. This was about the only time that this brigade ever looted a town or a camp. But few of the men could carry away their plunder, for Green ordered a pursuit, and they at once set out on their march for Bayou Bœuf.
During the evening of the same day Green came up with the Federals at Ramos, and there had quite an animated skirmish with them. The Federals had burned the railroad bridge and the wagon bridge and were well fortified on the east bank of the bayou ; but finding that they were outflanked by Green with a part of his command on the east side of the Bonf, they hastily retreated. On the night of the 23d Green crossed a small detachment over the Ramos and approached quite near to the Federal position on the Bœuf.
Colonel Major's command having approached the rear of their position, the Federals surrendered about four hundred men on the morning of the 24th of June. Thus ended this three days' campaign with a second victory for Green and his Texans.
On the 26th of June, 1863, General Mouton issued an order from his head- quarters at Thibodeaux, commanding General Green with his cavalry division to take possession of the Federal fort at Donaldsonville. He took up the line of march about eight o'clock that night with Hardeman's, McNeill's, and Herbert's regi- ments of his own brigade, and Lane's, Stone's, and Phillips's regiments of Major's brigade, and Semmes's battery. After marching the entire night the troops en- camped within nine miles of Fort Butler about sunrise on the 27th, Saturday.
Here Green rested his troops and their horses, and proceeded to collect all the information possible relative to the situation and strength of the defences at Donald- sonville. He learned that the fort was garrisoned by about four or five hundred Federal troops, and that there were five gunboats lying in the river opposite. He also learned that the approach to the fort was through an open plain nine hun- dred yards wide, and that there was a ditch around the fort, on all sides but that next the river, sixteen feet wide and twelve feet deep ; making it impossible to scale the works except by the use of strong planks or scaling-ladders. From his camp at the ford and Davenport Plantation he wrote General Mouton, giving him this information, and expressing the opinion that an attempt to storm the fort would be attended with great loss of life and no adequate benefit, even if successful. He
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further suggested that the object of the expedition being to annoy and capture, if possible, the Federal transports in the river, it could be better and more safely accomplished by taking a position below the town of Donaldsonville. He added that until he arrived at that point he had no idea of the position, strength, or feasi- bility of taking the fort, or the value of it when taken. He then detailed the prepa- rations he was making tor the attack, and strongly urged General Mouton to come down and take command ; adding again that he thought the fort could be rendered nugatory by taking a position below it, thus compelling the garrison to come out and fight in the open field. To this letter General Mouton replied, approving the views of General Green as to turning the fort ; but the letter was not received by Green until after the assault had been made and repulsed. During the day (Saturday) Green was not idle. He placed a pontoon bridge constructed of sugar-coolers across Bayou La Fourche, and crossed over Stone's regiment to the east of the bayou, and ordered him to advance towards Donaldsonville on that bank, and attract the attention of the Federals, and, if possible, to attack them on that side. With the balance of the division he advanced during the night of the 27th to within one and a half miles of the fort, and dismounted the men. Here he called the officers com- manding the regiments together, and explained to them specifically the position each one was to occupy in the assault. After the troops had been ordered into position, Colonel Hardeman went to General Green and advised him not to make the attack, stating as his opinion that if the fort was taken the gunboats would shell the Confederates out as soon as the sun shone on them. As we have seen, this was Green's own opinion, but his orders were imperative ; he had no reply to his letter written General Mouton, and the attack had to be made.
The plan of attack was as follows : Major Shannon, in command of the Fifth Texas Cavalry, was to make a circuit around the fort, reach the Mississippi one mile above, and advance down the line to the stockade, consisting of upright timbers set in the ground between the levee and the water's edge, and there make an entrance. Colonel Hardeman, commanding the Fourth Texas Cavalry, was to move up the Bayou Road along the levee of the La Fourche, and as soon as he heard the fire opened by Shannon, or a fire from the fort, to assault the fort at the water's edge along the stockade, and simultaneously with Shannon to make an entrance through the stockade, and with Shannon assault the garrison within, hand to hand. Both Shannon and Hardeman were charged that they were expected to take the fort ; while Phillips, Lane, and Herbert, with their regiments, were to envelop the works, moving up around them to the brink of the ditch, shooting down the cannoneers and their supporters from the ramparts, at a distance of eighteen feet.
After this explanation to the commanders of the regiments, Shannon and Hardeman, being furnished with guides, set forward to approach and attack the fort. The regiments which were to surround the fort and attack from the outside of the ditch were under command of Colonel Major, and were also set in motion. As Shannon reached the river and turned down towards the fort he encountered the Federal pickets, and immediately a murderous fire was opened on the Fifth Regiment by the artillery from the fort and the two gunboats in the river. Evi- dently the assault was not unexpected, and the garrison and the gunboats were wide awake and waiting for the fray. Shannon led his men forward regardless of the
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deadly hail from front and flank, and advancing down the Mississippi struck the stockade at the river's edge, and drove the enemy from it into the fort itself, firing at them through their own port-holes. The men scaled the stockade, mounting on each other's shoulders, and those left waded around the end of the stockade in the water two feet deep and thus gained an entrance ; but they found to their surprise that they were not yet within the fort. As soon as this entrance was effected Shannon was wounded and captured, and the command of the storming party devolved on Captain Ragsdale, who was ignorant of the plan of attack, and had no orders as to what to do next. There was an impression among. the men that they were to wait here for some one to come in from the other side ; and, according to the plan, Colonel Hardeman was to meet them here from the lower side of the fort. but he was delayed until after daylight by the ignorance or treachery of his guide, and did not arrive in time. Hearing the firing from Shannon's rifles amid the roar of the artillery, General Green ordered an advance of the whole line. Colonel Phillips at the head of Major's column marched around the fort and with some of his men also entered the stockade. Colonel Ilerbert, of the Seventh, enveloped the ditch as directed and opened fire on the garrison. The fight was desperately contested on every side from without and within. Besiegers and besieged vied with each other in deeds of daring. Although Hardeman, from the causes named, arrived too late, his losses show with what determined courage that veteran regi- ment stood its ground after it came into action. By some mistake Colonel Lane with his regiment did not get into action. He was waiting for a guide who did not appear, though General Green acquitted him of all blame for not reaching the scene of conflict.
The purpose of the night attack, made as it was at two A. M., was to prevent the gunboats from observing the advance. But this scheme wholly failed, as the gunboats opened fire as soon as Shannon reached the river. There were no weeds along the margin of the stream to conceal the approach of the assailants, and their presence was immediately known and recognized by a concerted fire from fort and river. The failure of the attack has been attributed to the existence of a ditch within the stockade and on the river side of the fort, but this would not have pre- vented the Fifth and Fourth from capturing the fort if they had arrived simul- taneously and had a commander who knew the plan of attack to lead them. After entering the stockade and waiting for the arrival of the Fourth Regiment, the men of the Fifth, without a leader, for Ragsdale was killed shortly after he took command, had a most desperate hand-to-hand fight with the Federals within the fort, using not only rifles and pistols, but brick-bats and any other missile which chance supplied. Captain Killough and Lieutenant Land and many of the men were wounded in the heads and faces by these novel weapons. There never was more desperate courage displayed than was shown by the assailants in this assault, and the besieged stood their ground with the greatest coolness and gallantry. The contest lasted from two o'clock until daylight, about three hours. The garrison consisted of about five or six hundred men ; the assaulting party engaged was about eight hundred strong. The Confederate loss was very heavy in killed, wounded, and prisoners. The Federal loss is unknown. Among the killed were Captain Ragsdale and Lieutenants Darby and Cole, of the Fifth, Lieutenant Cart-
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wright, of the Fourth, and Major Ridley, of Phillips's regiment. Major Shannon and Lieutenant John Shepard, of the Fifth, and fifty or sixty other officers and men were wounded and captured. The fort was much stronger than General Green expected to find it, and the difficulties in the way of its capture were not fully under- stood or appreciated. Had it been taken, it could not have been held against gun- boats in the river, for it was built to resist a land attack only. The prize would have been a dear one at the cost of the lives and limbs of so many brave men, which, as it was, were lost in vain.
After the battle, General Green issued an address and circular, congratulating his troops on the heroism displayed, and speaking in befitting terms of their dead comrades. The circular was addressed especially to the Fifth Regiment, which he had commanded as colonel, and speaks in every line his confidence, his pride, and his affection for his comrades in the field.
After the dismal night of the 28th of June, 1863, Green's brigade remained in the vicinity of Donaldsonville watching the movements of the . Federals at that point, while Major's brigade operated on the Mississippi River, having with them several batteries, mounting altogether about twenty pieces of artillery. These troops kept up an almost continual fire upon the Federal gunboats and transports which passed their points of observation. Several of the Federal boats were crippled more or less badly. This being such a great source of annoyance to the Federals, on the 11th of July several transports came down from Port Hudson loaded with troops, followed on the 12th by another large detachment. To meet this threatened advance General Green called in Major's brigade with the artillery and concentrated his forces along the Bayou La Fourche on both sides of that stream, facing the Federals as they descended in two columns, one on each bank. Green's forces, counting cavalry and artillery, did not exceed sixteen hundred men. These consisted of Major's brigade on the right wing, ascending the left bank of the bayou, and his own brigade on the left wing, ascending the right bank of the bayou. The regiments of Major's brigade were commanded by Colonels Lane, Stone, Baylor, and Phillips. He also had on the left bank of the bayou two sections of Faires's battery. The regiments of Green's brigade were commanded as follows : the Fourth by Lieutenant-Colonel Hampton, the Fifth by Captain McPhaill, and the Seventh by Lieutenant-Colonel Herbert, They were aided on the right bank of the bayou by one section of Gonzales's battery under Lieutenant Angel. There had been warm skirmishing for some days, and the Federals were advancing in force on both sides of the bayou. On the right bank of the bayou were the brigades of Generals Weitzel and Dwight, and on the left bank part of the command of General Grover.
On the morning of the 13th of July the Federal forces pushed on down the Bayou La Fourche towards the town of Thibodeaux, and at nine o'clock brought up their artillery and strengthened their skirmish line, filling the cornfields which covered the valley with troops in line of battle. Green determined then and there to deliver battle, and accordingly reinforced his skirmishers and checked the Federal advance. Calling Colonel Lane across the bayou, he gave him instructions for the engagement, and as soon as he had recrossed himself commenced the attack on the right side of the bayou. He found the Federals drawn up in battle array, reaching
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from the bayou across the broad valley entirely to the swamp. Not having troops enough to oppose the whole of the Federal force on the right bank General Green attacked the two wings with the largest part of his brigade. Captain MePhaill, with a part of the Fifth and a small detachment of the Seventh Cavalry, advanced along the bayou, charging the opposing artillery, killing most of the gunners, and cutting to picees the infantry support. He carried this battery in gallant style. At the same time Colonel Hampton was charging briskly the Federal right wing and turning his flank, while Colonel Herbert, with the Seventh Regiment and a part of the Fifth, drove the Federal centre through the fields in a regular steady advance. The Federals frequently rallied their flying forces and made desperate stands in the ditches which stretched across the fields, but one or the other of their flanks was invariably turned by the Confederates, and a · galling fire poured down the ditches, while Herbert moved up on them in front, and thus they were driven about four miles up the bayou, almost to the walls of their fort. Each stand made by the retreat- ing Federals was more feebly defended than the COLONEL WALTER P. LANE. preceding, and the whole battle was a series of charges, the advancing Confederates frequently de- livering their fire at a distance of twenty-five paces with the same coolness as if on parade.
The victory was complete for the Confederates. The entire ground over which the fight was made was strewed with dead and wounded Federals. They lost two hundred dead on the field, three hundred wounded, and two hundred and fifty captured. The Confederates also captured three pieces of artillery and about a thousand stand of small-arms, principally Enfield rifles. Among the spoils was also found a large quantity of ammunition, provisions, tents, wagons, teams, and general camp equipage. The Confederate loss was nine killed and twenty-four wounded. The disparity of losses shows the panic in which the charges of Green's men were received and the energy with which they pushed their advances. For the numbers engaged, the bloody annals of 1863 seldom show a more signal victory. Green re- mained on the field and in the vicinity for two days, and when under orders he retired to the bay, the Federals remained quietly under the walls of their fort, making no hostile demonstrations whatever, not even following the retiring Confederates with a picket line. Green reached the bay without molestation.
After the battle of La Fourche, Green crossed Berwick Bay and marched up the Teche, traversing the battle-field of Bisland and, passing the lovely village of Franklin, camped awhile at Jeanerette, observing the movements of the invaders. General Banks about this time sent a large force to Morganza, where the Atcha- falava leaves the Mississippi, with the purpose of forcing the Confederates to evacu- ate the Teche country. Here he began to cross the bayou on the night of the Ist of September, 1863. Hearing of this, Green immediately set out to check the Federal advance. On the 5th of September, Major H. H. Boone with a small
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cavalry force met the foremost of the Federal forces at Nash's plantation on Big Cane and drove them back to Bayou de Glaize. On the next morning the Con- federate artillery arrived and covered the crossing while the cavalry crossed the bayou. They then advanced, and all the brigade crossed without opposition. On the 7th a brisk engagement was fought at Morgan's Ferry, in which the Federals were repulsed with great loss.
Having driven the opposing forces from the ferry, Green spent some days in scouting up and down the bayou. The swamps here proved very sickly, and the Confederates buried more men from fever than they had lost in battle for months before.
On the 12th the Federals fell back to Catlett's plantation on the Fordôche, took a strong position, and checked the Confederate advance. Here day after day was passed in skirmishing with more or less men engaged, but with few losses on either side. Having succeeded in inducing General Mouton to send him on the 12th of September a reinforcement of Major's brigade, Green determined to attack the Federals wherever he found them. The weather was very unpropitious, but Green continued his preparations in the face of all the difficulties which severe storms, muddy roads, and incessant rain-storms could oppose to him, and at last was ready to advance.
On the 19th of September, 1863, General Mouton ordered General Green to make preparations for a movement against the Federal forces occupying the country east of Atchafalaya, and General Green proceeded to carry out these orders with marked ability and activity, his preparations resulting in a sharp engagement at the Fordôche Bridge and Mrs. Sterling's plantation on the Fordoche, six miles from Mor- ganza. In obedience to orders, Colonel Major sent Phillips's regiment, commanded by Major Frazer, to General Green at Morganza. Green's forces began crossing the Atchafalaya at three o'clock P.M. on the 28th of September, Waller's and Rountree's battalions being the first to cross with their horses. Semmes's battery followed and were successfully crossed before dark. Next came Speight's and Mouton's brigades of infantry and the Fourth, Fifth, and Seventh Regiments Texas Cavalry, dismounted. All were safely landed on the east bank of the Atchafalaya about one o'clock on the morning of the 29th. It rained almost incessantly from dark in the evening of the 28th for forty-eight hours.
On the morning of the 29th at daylight the Confederate troops began their march. Colonel Henry Gray, commanding Mouton's brigade, to which Speight's brigade had been added, with fifteen mounted men from Waller's battalion, took up his line of march by a trail through the swamp which intersected the main road to Morganza about four miles from that place, and thus threw his forces between the main Federal forces at Morganza and their advance at Sterling's plantation and the Fordôche Bridge. Colonel Gray attacked the Federal advance on reaching the intersection of the road, Speight's brigade bringing on the engagement. The balance of the troops under General Green, consisting of his own brigade, with Waller's and Rountree's battalions of cavalry and Semmes's battery, started out at daylight by the main road, and reached Fordoche Bridge about eleven o'clock in the morning. The Confederate cavalry, being sent forward to the bridge, were fired on by the Federal pickets at that place. Sharp skirmishing continued here for
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half an hour, when the report of firing was heard from the rear at Sterling's planta- tion. General Green moved forward with one section of the battery, under command of Lieutenant West, and the Fourth and Fifth Regiments, deploying through a ploughed field, opened fire with artillery upon the Federals at the negro quarters on Catlett's plantation. At the same time Major Boone, with two sections of the battery and the Seventh Regiment of Cavalry, moved rapidly down the road to the bridge, while the Fourth and Fifth Regiments, dismounted, advanced at double- quick across the ploughed field to the quarters. In the mean time the Federal cavalry advance had retired to their head-quarters, one mile farther on, at Nor- wood's house .. The sections of artillery being united at the bridge, the whole Con- federate force proceeded rapidly towards Norwood's house. Majors Boone and Rountree made a dashing charge upon the Federal cavalry, drawn up in line of battle near Norwood's house, and completely routed them, so that they made no further appearance upon the field, having retreated through a lane leading around the rear of the plantations, which means of exit was unknown to General Green. In this charge Lieutenant Spirey was killed while riding in the front with L. H. McNelly, who was wounded. During these transactions the battle between Colonel Gray and the Federals at Sterling's plantation had continued with slight interrup- tion, and Major Boone, under orders from General Green, took his own command and Rountree's battalion and made a gallant charge upon the Federal battery at Sterling's, receiving two severe wounds from which he has never recovered. This charge closed the battle, with victory for the Confederates, the Federals surren- dering in detachments as they retreated from the field and were overtaken by the advancing and victorious Texans.
The results of this victory consisted of four hundred and sixty-two prisoners, including twenty-nine officers, two excellent ten-pounder Parrott guns with caissons complete, two new ambulances, and one new hospital wagon filled with medical stores, two stands of regimental colors belonging to the Nineteenth Iowa and Twenty-sixth Indiana Volunteers, and a large quantity of small-arms and accoutre- ments, with which Green replaced ineffective weapons in his own command. The brigade in this engagement was under command of Colonel A. P. Bagby, of the Seventh Texas Cavalry, who brought his men most handsomely to the charge and kept them in hand ready for any emergency, and by his intelligent activity rendered most efficient service. The Confederate loss was, all told, twenty-six killed, in- cluding four officers, eighty-five wounded, including seven officers, and ten men missing ; total, one hundred and twenty-one.
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