Today in History:

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

Page 230 W. FLA., S. ALA., S. MISS., LA., TEX., N. MEX. Chapter XXXVIII.

Report of Casualties in the First and Second Cavalry Brigade.

Command. Killed. Wounded. Missing. Aggregate.

4th Texas 2 23 3 28

Cavalry..

5th Texas 12 38 49 99

Cavalry..

7th Texas 6 35 34 75

Cavalry..

Phillips' 19 18 21 58

regiment..

Stone's 1 ........... ........... 1

regiment..

Lane's ........... ........... ........... ..........

regiment..

Total.. 40 114 107 261

THOMAS GREEN,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.


HEADQUARTERS GREEN'S BRIGADE,
Assumption Church, on La Fourche, July 14, 1863.

MAJOR: After the assault on Fort Butler of the 28th ultimo, three regiments of my brigade-the Fourth, Fifth, and Seventh Texas Cavalry-were occupied in watching the movements of the enemy at Donaldsonville, while the cavalry brigade of Colonel [James P.] Major was ordered to the Mississippi River, between the Vacherie road, leading from Thibodeaux, and the Barteau road, leading from Assumption Several batteries were sent to the river with Colonel Major, numbering in guns about eighteen or twenty, which kept up an almost continuous fire on the enemy's gunboats and transports by day and by night from the levee of the river. Several of the enemy's boats were crippled-some badly. This interruption of the navigation of the river caused great uneasiness on the part of the enemy, and on July 11 at least ten transports came down from Port Hudson to Donaldsonville, crowded with troops.

On the 12th, several others boats came down with troops. In view of this threatened advance in force on us by the enemy, I ordered Colonel Major's brigade and artillery to withdraw from the river to the La Fourche, for the purpose of concentrating on each side of the bayou as near as possible to the enemy, which order met with your approbation. Major's brigade, consisting of [W. P.] Lane's, [B. W.] Stone's, [George W.] Baylor's, and [Joseph] Phillips, regiments, not over 800 effective men present, with two sections of [T. A.] Faries' battery, were placed on the right ascending bank of La Fourche, and three regiments of my brigade ([W. P.] Hardeman's commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel [G. J.] Hampton; [A. P.] Bagby's, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel [P. T.] Herbert, and [H. A.] McPhaill's, being the Fourth, Fifth, and Seventh Texas Cavalry, one section of [Thomas] Gonzales' battery, under Lieutenant [Henry] Angle, not over 750 effective men) were posted on the left ascending bank, opposite the brigade of Colonel Major. There had been warm skirmishing for several days near Donaldsonville between our troops on the Upper La Fourche and the enemy on both sides of the bayou.

On the morning of July 13, the enemy advanced down the bayou on both sides toward Thibodeaux in large numbers, their principal force being on the right descending bank. About 9 o'clock in the morning,


Page 230 W. FLA., S. ALA., S. MISS., LA., TEX., N. MEX. Chapter XXXVIII.