Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 14.djvu/313

 Fortification and Siege of Port Hudson. 307

military writers, required filteen thousand men to hold, with a reserve of from three to five thousand.

Work was commenced and Hngered on through the summer and fall ; the breastworks thrown up were the smallest and weakest allowed in engineering, made in the roughest manner, and reveted with fence rails.

A small force of negroes was kept at work on the line in a desul- tory manner for several months, and then the soldiers were called to help. When General Banks threatened an attack, about the loth of March, the work was still unfinished. Some little activity now be- came manifest, so that when the siege really commenced, in May, the line had reached the broken ground to the north, at the Clinton road.

THE ESSEX.

Soon after the occupation of Port Hudson the gloomy looking Essex floated down opposite to us, and went up the river again.

The water batteries were then in process of excavation.

The Essex next got ready to go down, and taking the Anglo- American on her starboard side, ran past at four o'clock in the morning. Besides a few field pieces, we opened on her with two 42-pounders and a 20 pounder Parrott which had just arrived, though without expectation of injuring the ironclad. She replied to our fire, killing one of our horses, and our guns ceased firing as she passed out of their respective range.

THE RIVER BATTERIES.

During the fall and winter, heavy guns for the river defence occa- sionally arrived, and they were severally placed in position. A three pit battery was constructed at the water's edge, and two other bat- teries dug at a height of from fifty to sixty feet, being below the top of the biufi".

General Gardner took command on the 27th of December, and immediately ordered changes, particularly as regarded subjects of engineering skill. The whole system of the river defence was altered so as to cluster the heaviest guns together, and bring them all within a more contracted scope, which enabled them to deliver a more con- centrated fire, as well as to support each other with more effect. Evidences of awakened energy were seen on every side, and the spirit of the troops never was at a higher pitch.

A week before General Gardner came to Port Hudson, Banks's