Page:History of the Forty-eighth Regiment, M.V.M. during the Civil War (IA historyoffortyei00plumm).pdf/90

 occupy the rifle pits and support Holcomb's 2d Vermont Battery tonight.

Before going on duty the Lieutenant-Colonel visited Gen. Augur's headquarters, by his request, and was particularly instructed and cautioned as to his duty. He said, "You are going into the most important position on the line, and as the ranking officer on the brigade picket line you will be expected to exercise the greatest vigilance. The information we have leads us to expect that the enemy will offer to surrender or make an attempt to break out through our thin lines, and it is expected that you will be prepared for either or any emergency. Double your outer picket line, keep your men well in hand and allow none to sleep. If any attempt is made to break out it must be prevented at all hazards till reinforcements reach you, which you may feel assured will be pushed forward to your assistance at the first alarm, and you must check the attack at the hazard of your lives; two companies from another regiment will be ordered into the rifle pits to strengthen your line." Regiment went into the rifle pits at about 9 o'clock in the evening.

July 8. The inevitable has happened! Port Hudson has fallen! Regiment laid quietly in rifle pits till shortly after 12 o'clock, midnight, the notes of a bugle were heard in our front sounding "a parley," and a few seconds later an officer with a small escort approached, bearing a lantern fixed to a long pole, with a white handkerchief tied beneath it to serve as a flag of truce. At the outpost the flag was halted and its object ascertained, which was the delivery of a dispatch to Gen. Banks from Gen. Gardner, in command of the Confederate forces in Port Hudson, which was imme