Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 08.djvu/341

Rh the Mississippi would be open nearly to New Orleans, and the navigation of Red river secured. General Breckinridge was therefore ordered to make the attack, and the Arkansas was ordered to co-operate by engaging the gunboats, it being believed she could drive them off, or at least by occupying their entire attention, render them unable to give protection and assistance to the land forces. On the afternoon of the 4th of August, General Breckinridge, having learned by messenger that the Arkansas had passed Bayou Sara, and would be at hand ready to co-operate at daylight next morning, ordered one day's rations cooked, and at 11 o'clock that night the command started for Baton Rouge. It was a rather dark starlit night. The march was slow, frequent halts being made, so that the men might not be fatigued. General Ben Hardin Helm's Kentucky brigade was in advance, and about 3 o'clock in the morning, when about a mile and a half from the enemy, and during a halt, an unfortunate accident (if I may so call it) occurred. We had no information that any of our friends were in our front, and when suddenly there came galloping down on us at full speed what, from the noise made by the horses' hoofs, seemed to be a regiment of cavalry, we naturally supposed it was an attack of the enemy, and for a few moments considerable confusion ensued, the men scattering to the right and left of the road and opening fire on the supposed enemy. It was a body of partizan rangers or mounted home guards, who had managed to get through to the front, and which stampeded on being halted and fired on by the enemy's pickets. When order was restored it was found that Brigadier-General Helm had been seriously wounded, his horse having reared and fallen on him. His Aid-de-Camp, Lieutenant Alex. Todd, was killed, as were several of the men, and Lieutenant-Colonel Caldwell, of the Ninth Kentucky, and Captain Roberts, of the Fourth Kentucky, were wounded. Two of the three guns of Cobbs' battery were disabled.

It was now nearly day, and the dispositions for attack promptly made, the command taking position in a single line to the right and left of the Baton Rouge and Greenwell Springs road. While the line was forming we could distinctly hear the reveille of the enemy. A field band was playing the "Grand March from Norma," and every note was borne clearly out to us in the still air of early morning. Soon the order to advance was given, and the troops moved rapidly forward through cornfields and gardens, over fences, around houses, quickly driving in the skirmishers and developing the enemy's line, behind which, when the fog cleared, we could