Today in History:

891 Series I Volume XLI-I Serial 83 - Price's Missouri Expedition Part I

Page 891 Chapter LIII. EXPEDITION TO BELLE RIVER, LA.

This is the regiment that left this post for Saint Charles on the morning of October 22. General Dennis directs me to say the wounded officer and men will be sent to Vicksburg on to-morrow morning on steamer Havana.

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

LEW. DORLAN,

Lieutenant and Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.

Major S. C. FARRINGTON,

Acting Assistant Adjutant-General, Nineteenth Army Corps.

OCTOBER 22-24, 1864.-Expedition from Brashear City to Belle River, La.

REPORTS.


Numbers 1.- Brigadier General Robert A. Cameron, U. S. Army, commanding District of La Fourche.


Numbers 2.- Captain Luther T. Park, Eleventh Wisconsin Infantry.


Numbers 1. Report of Brigadier General Robert A. Cameron, U. S. Army, commanding District of La Fourche.

DISTRICT OF LA FOUCHE,

Thibodeaux, La., October 27, 1864.

CAPTAIN: Inclosed you will find three reports, being one from the commanding officer of each detached expedition sent out in pursuit of Whittaker's gang of guerrillas, who made the late raid on Bayou La Fourche. Captain Wyman's report is very meager in regard to the enemy, but my scout, Decker, whom I sent with that branch of the expedition, tells me that the party consisted of 120 men under the command of Captain King, the senior officer, and Captain Whittaker, the guerrilla; that they came from the camp of the Fourth Louisiana Cavalry on the Teche in twelve boats up to Grand River, down Grand River to Bay Natchez, where they landed, and from that place made their raid. They mounted themselves on stolen horses and mules, and returning, crossed their animals at Bay Natchez. They then divided, a party going up Grand River with the animals toward the park; the remaining went up Grand River, down Little Bayou Pigeon, and up the Cross Bayou into Murphy's Lake, thus a avoiding one gun-boat coming up. Had the gun-boat not gotten aground at the bar we should probably have cut off and captured some sixty of them. Mr. Brown, whom I ordered arrested, believing him, from various stories I have heard, to have assisted these raiders, complains that Captains Wyman robbed him of his watch and over $50 in gold and sliver. I shall consequently detain here for the present, until I can investigate the charge. I am satisfied that the best, if not the only certain way of preventing these raids will be to have a battalion of cavalry stationed at Plaquemine, and a telegraph line run from that place to Donaldsonville. I do not see then how they could escape us.

The next hard work I shall do will be to find out where they hide these boats and destroy them.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

R. A. CAMERON,

Brigadier-General of Volunteers, Commanding District.

Captain FREDERIC SPEED,

Assistant Adjutant-General, Defense of New Orleans.


Page 891 Chapter LIII. EXPEDITION TO BELLE RIVER, LA.