Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 14.djvu/342

 38*1 Southern Historical Society Papers.

and full news from the outer world for the garrison, the latter being immedialelv published in newspaper form and circulated among our men. Captain Pruyn was one of those who had been sent out with dispatches by General Gardner during the siege, and the only one of them who returned.

He had floated down the river supported by a dozen canteens well corked and tied together to form a life preserver, with his dispatches secured in an India rubber army pillow. As he passed the Richmond, the current carried him uncomfortably close to her, and he distinctly- heard a voice, probably that of the officer of the watch to one of the sailors, exclaim : " Look out sharp for that object and see what it is."

In returning, Captain Pruyn took a somewhat similar route. After getting into Pointe Coupee he made his way through the enemy's position on the river opposite Port Hudson, crawling on his hands and knees nearly a quarter of a mile through an open space, where he saw them all around him, and then taking to the water he swam across and was picked up in front of one of our batteries.

HOT WORK AT THE POINT.

The marine batter}'^ having been finished, the enemy started to dig a ditch straight up to our bluff on the extreme right, by running it along the river bank. This was discovered as early as the 22d, but the enemy did not make much progress, although from our position we could not materially interrupt them in the prosecution of their work. At four o'clock on the afternoon of the 26th of June, a ter- rific fire was concentrated on this point, which was kept up until dark, the fleet taking a prominent part

The Richmond came up and poured in her broadsides two or three times, but did not maintain her position. During the firing our flag was shot down four times, the stafl" being shattered to pieces every time, and the bunting torn to shreds. Each time it was raised by Lieutenant Schirmer, of de Gournay's artillery, who was himself killed at the last attempt to replace it.

AT BATTERY ELEVEN.

The enemy now paid their special attention to our lower point where stood Battery 11, which could hardly be termed a " citadel," as it was an ordinary breastwork and enclosure of earth. From the 25th to 30th the concentration of fire on this place was fearful,