Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 14.djvu/311

 Fortification and Siege of Port Hudson. 305

Fortification and Siege of Port Hudson— Compiled by the Association of Defenders of Port Hudson; M. J. Smith, President; James Freret, Sec- retary.

The village of Port Hudson is situated on a north and south bluff on the east, or left bank of the Mississippi river, about eighty feet above low water, and about thirty miles above Baton Rouge.

About two miles above, the river, from a southward course, turns about due east, directly against the village and against the bluff, by which it is suddenly turned south again for about five miles. It then curves again towards the east, dividing into two branches, which form Prophet's Island.

The village was built just at the angle formed by the sudden turn of the river above noted. The bluff extended a few hundred yards above the angle, and then went down to a ravine, beyond which was a steep, narrow ridge, cut vertically on the west.

A short distance beyond is Sandy creek, crossed by a bridge, from which a road lead under the knoll and bluff to the angle of the river.

Westward from this road, and north of the river, was a marsh, ex- tending to the southward branch of the river first above noted.

Thomson's creek flowed through this marsh to the river.

About a mile and a half below the village, the bluff was cut by a ravine about three hundred yards wide, which came down in a south- westerly direction, with ramifications towards the village in the rear.

Eastwardly from the village, the plateau extended into extensive fields, from which roads ran to Jackson, Clinton, Bayou Sara and Baton Rouge.

To the north, the ground became suddenly very much broken, densely wooded, and almost impassable, for a few hundred yards, to Sandy creek, a branch of Thomson's creek.

A railroad, in very bad working order, ran from Port Hudson to Clinton, thirty-three miles northeast.

The following account is compiled from —

ist. Official report of Colonel Steedman, First Alabama regiment, commanding left wing of defences.

2d. Official report of General Miles, Miles's Legion, commanding right wing.

3d. Two official reports of Colonel Marshall J. Smith, command- ing heavy artillery.

4th. Narration of the Siege, published by Lieutenant Wright in the New Orleans Weekly True Delta, September 5, 1863.