Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 14.djvu/318

 ol2 Southern Historical bociety Papers.

quarter, and the order came to evacuate Port Hudson and send its garrison to the assistance of Jackson and Vicksburg. Rust's and Buford's brigades were sent off on the 4th of May, Gregg's followed on the 5th, and Maxey's brigade took up its line of march on the 8th. Miles's Legion was the next to follow.

The only troops remaining were Beall's brigade and the heavy ar- tillery. These movements were not made without information quickly reaching the enemy, and, in the hope of capturing our rear-guard, or at least of preventing the destruction of our works and heavy guns, a rapid advance on the place was commenced. General Gardner had not got beyond Clinton, Louisiana, when he learned tnat General Augur had left Baton Rouge with his division to attack Port Hudson, and that General Banks, instantly abandoning his Louisiana campaign, was approaching the Mississippi river at Bayou Sara by forced marches, dispatched to Colonel Miles to return at once with his Legion ; and preparations were made to withstand a siege Some provisions were obtained from the opposite side of the river, and, in presence of the fleet above and below us, three hundred head of beef, four hun- dred head of sheep, and four hundred bushels of corn crossed the river to Port Hudson up to the night of the 21st May, when the place was finally closed on all sides. The Eleventh Arkansas regiment, Colonel J. L. Logan, were mounted to act as cavalry, and serve out- side in harassing the rear of an investing force.

THE MORTAR BOATS OPEN FIRE.

On the morning of the 8th May their mortar boats were brought up to a position on the left bank, about four and a half miles below the town of Port Hudson, and at 2 o'clock in the afternoon they opened fire for the purpose of getting the range of the river batteries, so as to bombard them durmg the night. These batteries were eleven in all, numbered from right to left. The shells fell principally around Batteiies 10 and 11, which were Lieutenant McDowell's bat- tery of one 32-pounder and Lieutenant Kearney's Parrott gun. The longest range mortars threw some shells up to Lieutenant Rodri- guez's battery Cg) of one 8-inch howitzer, and a few fell as high up as Captain Coffin's battery (8) of two rifled 24-pounders.

During the two hours' practice of the mortar boats no damage was done to us.

At eleven o'clock that night the mortar fleet commenced the bom- bardment, which it kept up until the i8th of June.