Today in History:

148 Series I Volume XXVI-I Serial 41 - Port Hudson Part I

Page 148 W. FLA., S. ALA., S. MISS., LA., TEX., N. MEX. Chapter XXXVIII.


HEADQUARTERS BEALL'S BRIGADE,
Port Hudson, La., June 17, 1863.

GENERAL: The dead, 160, and 1 wounded man have been delivered. There are signs of many having been buried by the enemy.

General Paine was wounded in three places-in the leg, side, and shoulder-and lay all the day of the fight near our breastworks, he will lose a leg. There are hundreds of guns near the breastworks, also any number of hand-grenades.

I am, general, respectfully, &c.,

W. N. R. BEALL,

Brigadier-General.

Major-General GARDNER,

Commanding.


HEADQUARTERS BEALL'S BRIGADE,
[Port Hudson], July 7, 1863.

GENERAL: The works of the enemy opposite the First Mississippi are very strong and extensive and enable him to throw a force in our ditch without our being able to use sharpshooters on them. These facts w ill, I think, enable him to throw a force of men inside of our works without our being able to drive him back, unless heavy re-enforcements are brought from other points of the line.

To do this will be to leave said points unguarded, and to permit the enemy to come over there also.

There is more discontent among the men within the last few days than I have discovered before, and I very much fear that the officers are at the bottom of it.

If you have any directions to give me in reference to use of the troops in case the enemy get over the works, I should like to have them, as I do not think that his attack will be delayed much longer, as his works are very formidable, and, to appearances, nearly completed.

But one company of the Tenth Arkansas has reported-the others refuse, so I am told.

I am, general, very respectfully, &c.,

W. N. R. BEALL,

Brigadier-General.

Major-General GARDNER.


Numbers 37. Reports of Captain John R. Fellows, Assistant Inspector-General, C. S. Army, of skirmish at Thompson's Creek, and assault on the works at Port Hudson.


HEADQUARTERS BEALL'S BRIGADE,
May 25, 1863.

GENERAL: I have the honor to state that this afternoon a body of cavalry of the enemy appeared in the open field to the left of Troth's Mills, and were fired upon by the guns on Colonel [W. R.] Miles' line. The shots evidently did execution and caused a very rapid retreat of the enemy. About an hour after they disappeared, a small party, bearing a white flag, came in the lower part of the field. Colonel Miles sent a flag to meet them, but before it had advanced far, the Federals and


Page 148 W. FLA., S. ALA., S. MISS., LA., TEX., N. MEX. Chapter XXXVIII.