Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 14.djvu/320

 314 Southern Historical Society Papers.

get safely away and join Logan, General Gardner sent an order at noon to Colonel W. R. Miles to take four hundred men with a light battery and reconnoitre the enemy. The infantry marched out, sup- ported by Boone's Louisiana battery. Colonel Miles threw out two companies on the right, under Major James T. Coleman, and three companies on the left, under Lieutenant-Colonel F. B. Brand. Major Coleman, with his two companies, commanded respectively by Cap- tains Dejean and J. B. Turner, made a considerable detour through the wood, almost unobserved by the enemy.

There were two pieces of light artillery playing upon us from an open field. Coming out from an apple orchard upon the flank of this section. Major Coleman took the guns, although it was to be done in the face of the whole Federal line, but was immediately driven back by heavier forces, after suffering heavy loss.

For about an hour the fight raged with much spirit. Finding that he was outflanked on both sides and likely to be surrounded. Colonel Miles sent Lieutenant Harmanson with a section to outflank the enemy's left. This order was so well obeyed as to break the movement which was about to encircle our small force, and after hav- ing picked up and sent from the field all of the wounded he had ambulances for. Colonel Miles fell back in good order, meeting on his return General Beall, who had gone out to his support in case he should be hard pressed. Without further exchange of shots our troops all retired within their intrenchments.

On that day Colonel Miles reported a loss of eighty-nine in killed, wounded, and missing. Captain J. B. Turner and Lieutenant Craw- ford, of St. Tammany, and Lieutenant J. B. Wilson, of New Orleans, were killed. Lieutenant Pearson and four men of Abb ay's battery were killed. The gallantry of Major Coleman received deserved praise, as did also the skill and tried courage of Colonel Miles, and the fight was looked upon with extreme satisfaction by all the troops in garrison.

GENERAL GROVER's APPROACH.

On the next day Colonel Wingfield's cavalry commenced skirmish- ing with the advance of Banks's army, which had been rapidly crossing the river, and were moving down upon us from Bayou Sara, only thirteen miles distant. It had generally been supposed that no attack in force would ever be attempted through the swamp above Port Hudson, nor through the heavy timber back of the town, through which ran Sandy Creek. Fortifications had not been erected