Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 33.djvu/88

 84 Southern Historical Society Papers.

strong demonstration against Port Hudson. Admiral Farragut, with his fleet, ascended the river, keeping in touch with the land forces, and proceeded to run the Port Hudson batteries. I now quote from " Harper's History of the War: " "Farragut had to pass a line of batteries commencing below the town and extending along the bluff about three miles and a half. In the afternoon the mortars and two of the gunboats opened on the batteries. The Hartford, with the admiral on board, took the lead, with the gunboat Albatross lashed to her side. The Rich- mond and Genesee followed; the Monongahela with the Kineo came next, and the Mississippi brought up the rear. (Admiral Dewey, then a lieutenant, was on board of the Mississippi.) The mortars still bombarding the batteries, Admiral Farragut' s ship passed without difficulty. The Richmond received a shot through her steam drum and dropped out of fire, with three of her crew killed and seven wounded. The Monongahela also dropped down the river and anchored. The Kineo, receiving a shot through her rudder post, followed their example. So accurate was the fire from the Confederate batteries that the destruction of the whole fleet was imminent. The Mississippi grounded, the officers and crew abandon- ing her, escaping to the shore opposite Port Hudson. The vessel soon drifted down the river and finally exploded."

At that time Colonel Frank Powers assumed command of all the cavalry in that department, which consisted of Aiken's Ninth Ten- nessee Battalion, 350 men ; Stockdale's Mississippi Battalion, 250 men ; Gage's Louisiana Battalion, 250 men, and the Eleventh and Seven- teenth Arkansas Mounted Infantry (consolidated), commanded by Colonel Griffith, numbering about 500 men, and Garland's Battalion, a total of 1,350 men at that time promiscuously armed (except the mounted infantry) with shotguns, Belgian rifles, etc. This small force contested Banks' advance as best it could, succeeding, how- ever, in preventing parties from leaving the main column and from committing depredations on citizens on the line of march. General Banks, after making this demonstration, in connection with Farra- gut' s fleet, returned to Baton Rouge and transferred his command to Brashear City, with the avowed purpose of reclaiming the Teche country from Confederate control. Port Hudson was thus tempo- rarily relieved.

It was at this crisis that