Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 14.djvu/312

 306 Southern Historical Society Papers.

5th. Narration of James Francis Fitts in The Galaxy for Septem- ber, 1866 — "A June Day at Port Hudson." (Federal.) 6th. Orville J. Victor's History of the War. (Federal.) 7th. Report (official) of Fred. Y. Dabney, First Lieutenant-Engi neer Confederate States Navy, Chief Engineer at Port Hudson.

THE POSITION AND OCCUPATION.

The occupation of Port Hudson had been determined on in July, 1862, and the attack by General Breckenridge on Baton Rouge, early in the succeeding month, was a preliminary step. Brigadier- General Ruggles was left to commence the work of fortifying the ground. The Essex, an iron-clad gun-boat, being in the river above, heavy guns could not be brought down by boats. The plan of detached works was the one decided upon, and the first lunette was thrown up on the Baton Rouge road, four miles below Port Hudson.

This line would have been eight miles in length, and, according to military rule, would have required for its defence a force of 28,000 men, with a reserve of 7,000, making a garrison of 35,000 strong, with at least seventy pieces of artillery. It is not surprising, there- fore, that this system was soon abandoned as impracticable.

NEW SYSTEM OF DEFENCE.

A change of commanders placed Brigadier-General H. N. R. Beal in charge of Port Hudson. A different system of defence was decided upon, and the work commenced. This was a continuous indented or angular line of parapet and ditch, on a more contracted scope. A line was surveyed, commencing about two miles and a half below Port Hudson, describing a slight curve to a point on Sandy creek, a mile back of the town. For about three-quarters of a mile from the river the line crossed a broken series of ridges, plateaus and ravines, taking advantage of high ground in some places and in others ex- tending down a deep declivity ; for the next mile and a quarter it traversed Gibbon's and Slaughter's fields, where a wide, level plain seemed formed on purpose for a battlefield ; another quarter of a mile carried it through deep and irregular gullies, and for three quar- ters of a mile more it led through fields and on hills to a deep gorge, in the bottom of which lay Sandy creek. Thence to the river was about a mile and a half.

This was a line four miles and a half long, which, according to all