USA > Texas > A comprehensive history of Texas, 1685-1897 > Part 41
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Brent opened fire on the Federal centre with twelve pieces of artillery advanced to within seven hundred yards of his lines, and soon silenced the opposing guns. Then the guns were directed to the hill oppo- 1 site with effect. As the noise of Churchill's attack on the Federal left grew louder, De Bray's brigade, under orders from Green, charged down the main road on the Federal centre. General H. P. Bce, in command of this division, led this charge in person. The Federals, being disconcerted by the sudden- ness of this onslaught, fell back on their second line, and there opened a destructive fire on the advancing Confederates at short range, which forced them to retire. Here the gallant Colonel Buchel was slain, brave De Bray was wounded, and Bee had his horse killed under him. This brigade, though repulsed, GENERAL H. P. BI.E. fell back in good order and filed to the right and dismounted, preparing to attack on foot, while Walker's infantry came to the front and took their place in the line.
Green now made his attack on the Federal right, posted upon the ravine, where they maintained their ground with much courage ; but the Confederate attack was so vigorously made and maintained that they were compelled to retire over the ravine, up the hill, and back to and beyond the road down which Bee with De Bray's brigade had recently charged. Green, coming up with Walker's infantry division and finding General Walker wounded and disabled, being the senior officer, took command and directed another attack upon the point of the hill in front, which appeared to be the Federal stronghold. The Federals being
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McLEARY-HISTORY OF GREEN'S BRIGADE.
posted behind a dense growth of small pines, the attacking Confederates were put at a great disadvantage and failed to make any impression on their antagonists. The configuration of the ground was such, also, that the Federals could concentrate a heavy fire from several lines upon the advancing Confederates, and so severe was the rain of leaden hail that the small pines were cut down in windrows along the front. The gallant assault of the Confederates was unsuccessful. Being defeated in the effort to carry this stronghold, Green obtained from General Taylor the help of Polignac's division, which had been held in reserve, and moving farther to the left, where the front was more open, he directed, with all the forces, horse, foot, and artillery, under his command, an attack from this quarter. The assault was vigorously made, but on the approach of night some confusion arose, and the ery was made that the Confederates were firing into their own men, and thus the combat ended in that portion of this bloody field.
At the sound of Churchill's guns on the right Walker led forward his division in échelon from the right. The attack was delivered in good order, and in the mean time Major with his mounted men had turned the Federal right flank and gained possession of the road to Blair's Landing ; but just at the dawn of vie- tory disaster fell upon the Confederates. Churchill did not move quite far enough to the right, but made his attack from both sides of the Sabine Road instead of crossing it and advancing from the farther side. Thus he failed to turn the Federal left, and when his gallant Missourians had driven the Federals from their front in the gully and the thicket to the high land near the college, capturing two battalions and sending to the rear three hundred prisoners, and had broken the Federal line and entered the village, they were attacked by Benedict's brigade, which their general had left on his right ; and being separated from their comrades by three hundred yards and the intervening gullies, and surrounded on all sides and thrown into con- fusion, losing heavily, they were compelled to retreat in haste with great disorder.
Colonel Hardeman, with the Fifth Texas Cavalry and other mounted men, being in reserve, checked the enemy and held his ground until Parsons rallied his men and resumed the line first held by Churchill. "Old Gotch," as usual, was at the right place at the proper time. The Arkansas brigades crossing the gully reached the plateau just as the Missourians on the right began their retreat, whereupon they also fell back, Gause's brigade on the left of their line running into Scurry's brigade on the right of Walker's division and impeding its advance. Churchill's two batteries followed the Missourians to the plateau and under great difficulties opened a destructive fire ; but being compelled to retreat when the infantry re- treated, they left three of their guns on the field. When Scurry's brigade was disordered by the retreat of Gause's men. Waul and Randall led in their fine brigades, gallantly forced the Federals to retire, and retrieved the waning fortunes . of this part of the field. Severe fighting continued here, and Waul and Randall advancing became separated by a gully in which a Federal brigade had been left by their comrades. In attempting to get out, these Federals fought like wild-cats, and at length succeeded in escaping. The suddenness of the affair and the unex- pected antagonists caused the Federals to suspect that they were firing on their own men and caused some confusion. Night coming on, it was found necessary to withdraw to the open field, which was done slowly and in good order.
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A COMPREHENSIVE HISTORY OF TEXAS.
Green's brigade was not all together at Pleasant Hill ; the Fourth and Seventh Regiments were with General Taylor on the Confederate left, and the Fifth Regi- ment, under Colonel Hardeman, was supporting Churchill on the right ; but all along the line they did their whole duty and kept their honorable record bright. In this engagement Churchill lost in killed and wounded four hundred and seventy- two men ; also one hundred and sixty-nine prisoners and three pieces of artillery. He captured over three hundred prisoners. In other parts of the field the Confed- crate loss was not so severe. General Taylor never claimed Pleasant Hill as a victory, though it had all the effect of one. Banks claimed a victory, but Grant spoke of it as a disaster. We can fairly class it as a drawn battle.
During the night the Federals retreated towards Grand Ecore and the Confed- erates retired to the Bayou du Paul, seven miles in the rear, leaving pickets on the field of battle. General Taylor estimates his loss in the two battles of Mansfield and Pleasant Hill in killed and wounded at twenty-two hundred, four hundred and twenty-six prisoners, and three pieces of artillery. But the campaign of conquest designed and partially begun by Banks had ignominiously failed.
Although none of Green's brigade were engaged in the affair at Blair's Landing. it deserves a place here because of the fatal results to its best-beloved commander. General Green, being stationed at Pleasant Hill in command of all the cavalry of Taylor's army, was ordered to take a sufficient force and strike the Federal fleet at Blair's Landing, eighteen miles distant from that point and four miles above Grand Ecore. He was promised an artillery force to support him in his efforts to capture or disable the transports detained above that point. General Green took for this service new troops, which had nearly all arrived from Texas after the battles of the Sth and oth, and on the morning of the 12th of April before daybreak reached Bayou de Pierre, about two miles from Red River. Stopping here without light or fire, at dawn he sent out scouts to look for the land forces of the Federals. None were found in the vicinity. At the Landing there were a turreted monitor aground and three wooden boats. Green was reinforced by a battery of four twelve-pound howitzers instead of the rifle artillery promised. Notwithstanding the disadvan- tages under which he was placed, General Green determined on an attack, in exe- cution of his orders to prevent the Federal boats from passing down the river. After crossing Bayou de Pierre in some small boats picked up here and there for that purpose, it was late in the afternoon before his preparations were completed. Marching across the swamp for some distance, he posted his troops in a small ravine at the edge of Blair's plantation, not far from Red River. The river at this point made a large bend, upon the convex point of which the Confederate attack was to be projected. It being understood that all the Federal vessels except the four above named had gone below, the howitzers were stationed on the lower flank to pre- vent any boat ascending to the rescue. The monitor and other boats were a short distance above the houses of Blair's plantation. Above and below the Landing for some distance the banks of the river on the south side were high, some forty fect above the water, but on the north side were very low, almost even with the water's edge, and covered with a heavy growth of timber. Green was on the south side.
With his troops dismounted and acting as infantry, numbering about fifteen hundred, General Green marched rapidly across the field, reaching the river below
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McLEARY-HISTORY OF GREEN'S BRIGADE.
the plantation houses and turning up along the river-bank to reach the boats, expecting to find a land force of the Federals concealed beneath the bank. None were, however, discovered there. On reaching the bank opposite the boats he opened a rapid fire of musketry upon them, which at once drove their men below the decks. Although there was no firing from the Federals now, except a shot at intervals from the monitor, Green could not with musketry alone force a surrender. The artillery was for that reason ordered up to the assistance of the infantry. In the mean time a Federal transport from above, whose presence was until then unknown, landed troops in the woods opposite, and they poured a heavy fire upon the Confederates from the bushes. This caused most of the losses among Green's men. At this instant there came up from below an iron-clad gunboat and opened upon the Confederates with its heavy guns. Although the infantry attacked this gunboat, they were not able to do any damage owing to its armor. Being a so-called "tin-clad," it was possible to pierce its armor with rifled cannon, as was frequently done afterwards. The gunboat having passed up the river, now returned to a point opposite Green's position. He then directed his riflemen to approach nearer the river and fire into the port-holes. This was the customary method in use by his brigade when attacking gunboats. It was here that General Green exclaimed : "1 would give a million to-day for my old brigade and the Valverde Battery." These were his last words. A grape-shot from the Federal gunboat struck him on top of the head and killed him instantly. However, the wound did not disfigure his noble countenance, which even when cold in death retained its martial majesty.
After the death of General Green the Confederates remained at the river continuing the attack, until Colonel Parsons, now in command, communicated with General Major, who was near the field but had not arrived, and under his direction withdrew his troops and, recrossing Bayou de Pierre, encamped for the night. The Confederates retired in perfectly good order, bringing off the body of General Green and nearly all their wounded. The retrograde movement was made under a heavy artillery fire from the guns of the Federal fleet nearly two miles below. Had Green lived and had his dying wish, the result might have been far different.
On the roth of April, the brigade, under command of General Bagby, marched from Pleasant Hill towards Pearcal Island in pursuit of the retreating Federals. Crossing Peareal Bayou on the night of the 11th, a sharp skirmish ensued in which about a dozen Confederates were captured.
On the 13th, having recrossed to the mainland, the sad news of the repulse at Blair's Landing and the death of General Green was made known to his old brigade in general orders. All the flags were draped in mourning, and many a veteran soldier's check was wet with tears of sorrow. Then the brigade marched down to the double bridges and did outpost duty for several days, watching the Federals in and around the town of Natchitoches. On the 20th of April, 1864, General Bagby was assigned to the command of another brigade in Bee's division and Colonel W. P. Hardeman was made brigadier-general of the old brigade. It would have been difficult since the promotion of Green to find a man in the brigade more beloved by his men or more worthy to command. A hardy frontiersman, a veteran of three wars, an Indian-fighter of renown, one of nature's noblemen, and an old-time
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A COMPREHENSIVE HISTORY OF TEXAS.
Southern gentleman, were all combined in the person of General Wm. P. Harde- man. The line of march was taken up here for the lower Red River, to make an effort to cut off the Federal retreat, or to hang upon the flanks of the flying foe and harass every detachment that left the main army for an hour or a mile. For a month these tactics were followed assiduously and heroically.
On the 21st of April, General H. P. Bee, with his cavalry division and one battery, under orders, marched by a route through the piney woods with the pur- pose of taking such a position on Red River as would enable him to prevent the passage of transports and supplies to the army of General Banks, intrenched and beleaguered at Grand Ecore. He reached Red River, some thirty miles below Natchitoches, on the afternoon of the 22d. The engineers examined the ground and selected a suitable location on the river for the battery, too late in the day, however, to establish it before night. Here Bee, believing himself far distant from immediate danger, sought to rest his exhausted troops. At two o'clock in the morning of the 23d, however, his advance pickets in the direction of Natchitoches were driven in by a large force of Federal cavalry. Bee at once aroused his slumbering soldiers and formed in line of battle to check this advance, and sent off his train to Monette's Ferry, six miles below. Daylight coming on and showing the Federals in large force, he withdrew his division to Monette's Ferry, and together with Major's division, including Bagby's and De Bray's brigades, which he found already there, took position at the crossing of Cane River. It was only at this point that General Bee found that he was confronted by Banks's whole army on its retreat to Alexandria. He then realized the importance of holding this position if possible. From a hill above the Ferry where he had established his head-quarters, affording an extended view of the surrounding country, he closely watched the movements of Banks. At eight o'clock A.M. detachments of the Federals were sent forward to feel the approaches. Two hours later a large force crossed Cane River two miles above the Ferry and moved down on the Confederate left. Another column passed down the river to a ford four miles below. The remainder of Banks's force, probably fifteen thousand strong, confronted the Confederate centre. Although plainly perceiving the plan of the Federal attack, Bee was powerless to prevent it. Cane River was fordable at all points, and the swamps and lagoons on the Confederate left, which were usually impassable, were quite dry. Bee's line of defence extended for a mile and a half along Cane River, having his artillery, consisting of three batteries, in the centre.
The Federal advance on the Confederate left flank was met by Colonel Madison with his own and Wood's regiments. The attack was furious, but stubbornly resisted for two hours under an incessant fire ; at last Madison was driven back and the Federals gained the hill. The troops on the Confederate left centre were with- drawn, and under the personal command of General Bee reinforced the extreme left. Scarcely had this movement been accomplished when Banks advanced. This advance was met by the fire of a section of McMahon's battery under Lieutenant Fontaine, at close range with double canister, and the concentrated fire of twelve hundred rifles. The effect was crushing and the repulse decided. In the mean time Captain Lane, commanding De Bray's regiment, was stubbornly but vainly con- testing the Federal advance on the extreme right. Bee was in close quarters ; the
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McLEARY-HISTORY OF GREEN'S BRIGADE.
Federals had turned both his flanks and a heavy force was pressing his centre. Availing himself of the momentary advantage gained on his left, he determined to abandon his position, and had scarcely given the necessary orders when the artillery, which had been masked opposite his centre, opened such a fire as plainly showed that his position was no longer tenable. The Confederates retired in good order and at a walk, losing only about fifty men and one artillery wagon. The Federal loss was about four hundred in killed and wounded. The Federal forces were at least twenty-five thousand strong. The Confederates had two thousand cavalry and three batteries of artillery. The position was not a strong one, for, although imme- diately at the Ferry the banks of the river are high and steep, the frequent fords afforded the Federals every opportunity of turning the Confederate flanks, which, with their overwhelming numbers, they were not long in accomplishing. The battle lasted for some hours, and, if it did not result in a victory for the Confederates, it brought them no dishonor.
Bee fell back to Beasley's in the piney woods, twenty-eight miles distant, where his supply-train was parked.
Leaving Beasley's on the 26th of April, the brigade again pressed the rear of the Federals retreating. They were overtaken at Bayou Cotile, and a brisk skir- mish was the result. The Federals fell back, after burning every house in the neighborhood. On the 29th they were driven to McNutt's Hill, and five miles beyond another desperate fight ensued, in which Hardeman's and Parsons's brigades were most actively engaged. On the next day, the 30th, Polignac's infantry with the artillery came up, and the cavalry again moved to the front. Major's division, in which Hardeman's brigade was included, was sent to Cheneyville, with orders to strike the Federal rear on Red River and annoy his transports and gunboats, and if possible cut off his communications with the Mississippi. On the Ist day of May, Stone's, Lane's, and Baylor's regiments reached Red River and captured the trans- port Emma loaded with cotton bound for New Orleans. Ninety-six prisoners and some valuable stores were captured. On the 3d, the Fifth Texas Cavalry and some other regiments taken from both brigades attacked the City Belle on her way to Alexandria carrying troops. A large number of prisoners and many valuable stores were captured in this affair. Again, on the 5th, the Confederates, improving by practice, captured two gunboats, No. 8 and No. 26, and another transport, the John Warner, loaded with cotton. These were burnt, but the stores, guns, and ammunition were saved. It must not be supposed that all these captures were made without resistance. In every case sharp fighting, attended by bloodshed and loss of life, was the result of the attack and preceded the surrender.
These events transpired at and near Smith's Landing, twenty miles below Alexandria, while Admiral Porter was trying to float his flect over the rapids. This admirable feat of engineering was finally accomplished on the 11th of May, and the army at once began to move towards the mouth of Red River.
On the night of the 6th of May, Hardeman's brigade was ordered to reinforce General Bee at Lecompte, and after making a forced march of twenty-nine miles arrived at his head-quarters. Shortly after their arrival Polignac's division of infantry also came marching up. On the morning of the 7th the Federals were reported to be advancing on their retrograde movement from Alexandria. General
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A COMPREHENSIVE HISTORY OF TEXAS.
Bagby took command of the Confederate advance, having his own brigade and Hardeman's under command of Lieutenant-Colonel Hampton. The Fifth Regi- ment, except Companies C and G, was under the immediate command of Harde- man on the Confederate left, supporting the Valverde Battery. Bagby advancing up the railroad about a mile dismounted, and then advanced on foot for half a mile, and forming into line of battle approached Bee's division. The firing of the skir- mishers told of the proximity of opposing forces. Two-thirds of Hardeman's brigade were sent to the front and the rest held in reserve. General Polignac having arrived in person, a forward movement was ordered. Colonel Terrell's regiment advanced rapidly for about eight hundred yards, and on coming to the edge of a field saw a line of the Federal cavalry, which the colonel ordered his men to charge. At this moment a column of infantry sprang from a ditch in which they had been concealed and poured a murderous fire into the Confederates. This threw them into confusion, and they fell back on the reserve, when they were rallied and remounted. The Federals, about eight thousand strong, advanced with loud huzzahs, thus warning the Confederate infantry, who were concealed behind an embankment awaiting the attack. As they approached within close range, a furious volley was poured into their ranks, accompanied by the rebel yell. They were checked in their onward course, and, reeling, ran backward even farther than they came. About this time darkness silenced the voice of battle, and the Confederates bivouacked on the battle-field. The Confederate loss was small, but the Federal loss was considerable. During the night the Federals retreated to Alexandria, leaving a force of about three thousand cavalry to protect their rear. This was a small but brilliant affair, and quite a triumph for General Polignac, who was now well known as a fighter.
Early on the morning of the 15th of May. General Wharton concentrated a cavalry force in the edge of the Choctaw Swamp near the Marksville Prairie. Here the weary Confederates sought a few hours' repose. At ten A. M. the cessation of the firing of cannon from the Federal fleet indicated a forward movement on the part of their land forces.
At two P. M. the Federal vanguard reached the edge of the prairie and had a desperate hand-to-hand fight with a detachment of Lane's brigade, forcing them to retire. In the mean time Hardeman's brigade had formed in line of battle, upon which Lane's men rallied, and together they gave the advancing Federals a warm reception. After fighting with great determination for some time, the Confederate commander, secing that his antagonists were bringing their infantry to the front and had sent their cavalry to operate on his flanks, caused his forces to retire for about two miles to the rear of the town of Marksville, where the Confederate artillery, numbering twenty-six pieces, was posted. The Confederate line of battle was formed with Lane's brigade on the left and Hardeman's brigade under Waller on the right, the artillery being in the centre, supported by the Fourth Texas Cavalry under Colonel Hampton. Presently the Federals made an advance, first with their cavalry dismounted, and were met by a dismounted force of half their number, taken from Lane's and Hardeman's brigades, and easily repulsed. This took place some three hundred yards in advance of the Confederate line of battle. Seeing his troops thus driven from the field, the Federal commander at once brought to the front his
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McLEARY-HISTORY OF GREEN'S BRIGADE.
whole infantry force, twenty-three thousand strong, and pressed the Confederate right and centre ; at the same time sending his cavalry, amounting to about seventy- five hundred men, to operate against the Confederate left. The Confederate skir- mish line gradually withdrew before the heavy force of infantry. Lane's brigade had in the mean time remounted. Not a shot was fired ; silence settled over the prairie like a morning mist. But the clear notes of a bugle rang out on the sultry afternoon air, and it was immediately answered by a deafening roar from the Con- federate artillery. A murderous volley of canister from the double-shotted guns of the waiting Confederates sent their adversaries reeling and flying to the rear. Simultaneously with the discharge of the artillery, Lane's men charged gallantly with loud cheers, regardless of the overwhelming numbers before them. The Fed- erals rallied and renewed the onset, and thirty-two pieces of artillery threw a broad- side into Lane's advancing squadrons. This caused them to retire until they were met and covered by their companions advancing to the rescue. The contesting troops now met each other on foot, and the artillery ceased to hurl shot and shell at the opposing forces. Even after darkness had fallen over the scene the muskets continued to flash and rattle and the discharge grew brighter and louder, until a few well-directed shots from West's Louisiana battery, under Lieutenant Joyce, drove the Federals from the field. The losses on both sides, though considerable, are unknown. The Confederates held possession of the field and bivouacked in the edge of the prairie.
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