Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 14.djvu/331

 Fortification and Siege of Port Hudson. 325

Beall's centre along the Plains' s store road, until the head of the column had emerged from the woods, when they were deployed into line to the right and left, through the abattis formed in front of* our works. Their right extended to the Jackson road and left almost to the deep ravines, flanking Slaughter's field, their centre being on the Clinton road. With a whoop and a yell, they came charging across the felled timber, stumps, logs, briers and vines in front of our works, until close range, where the storm of bullets, cannister and grape with which they met proving irresistible, they were driven back, leaving large numbers of killed and wounded on the field. At four different portions of our lines had the enemy thus attempted to carry our works, and signally failed at each. Except upon Steed- man's right, our loss among the infantry amounted to almost nothing. In proportion to their numbers, our artillery suffered much more severely, particularly the officers, scarcely one of whom escaped un- hurt. Many of our guns had been dismounted, and in some instances total wrecks were made of them. Nearly all the pieces stationed upon the Commissary Hill, to guard the approaches to the mill be- tween the left wing and centre, were dismounted or otherwise dis- abled. Against this point the enemy had established two batteries of 20 and 30-pounder Parrott guns, and their concentrated fire, to- gether with the sharpshooters, who had gradually worked themselves forward through the felled timber, told fearfully upon our light guns. Here Captains Bradford and Sparkman, commanding light batteries, were both wounded, the latter mortally.

At ten o'clock next morning, a flag of truce came in from Generdl Banks, asking for an armistice till 2 P. M. to bury his dead. This was acceded to by General Gardner, and the time was subsequently extended to 7 P. M.

On Thursday morning, the 28th of May, a formal flag having been presented by General Banks and accepted by General Gardner, a cessation of hostilities was agreed upon until 7 o'clock, beginning at 12 M.

During this time the Infirmary Corps of each army was permitted to remove their dead or wounded from the field.

Two thirds of the loss sustained during the siege of Port Hudson by the left wing occurred on this day. The casualties were almost entirely confined to the Tenth Arkansas, Colonel Witt - eighty (80) killed, wounded, and missing; Fifteenth Arkansas, Colonel Ben. Johnson — seventy (70) ; First Alabama, Lieutenant Colonel Locke — seventy-five (75). Total, two hundred and twenty- five (225). The

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