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for three guns.
In 1862-63, but one, a rifled 32-pounder, had been mounted.
It had other batteries, all of which fronted the river, making Port Hudson a place of remarkable strength.
Indeed, it was generally thought, by reason of its situation and compactness, that as a work of defense it was capable of better resistance than the stronger but more scattered fortifications of Vicksburg.
Guns, depressed, formed a formidable barrier to assault from the river front.
Of light batteries there were four; one of them, Captain Fenner's Louisiana battery, being complimented by the chief of ordnance ‘as being the most efficient battery of the Port.’
As a rule, all the batteries needed horses.
With both armies in Louisiana and outside the city, horses were valuable from their scarceness.
Considerable correspondence passed between Pemberton at Vicksburg and Gardner at Port Hudson.
Gardner needed reinforcements to be ready for his ordeal.
Pemberton, always man greedy, retorted by borrowing 4,000 troops for the defense of Vicksburg.1 Awhile after he admitted that the odds were largely against Gardner, frankly adding, ‘I am too much pressed on all sides to spare you troops.’
In the meantime, a trial was preparing for the batteries of Port Hudson which would test both them and the men behind them.
Banks was always active in pushing forward the claims of his department to close alliance with the fleet.
Butler had profited by Farragut's courage in dashing past the batteries of Forts Jackson and St. Philip.
Why should
1 In response to one of Pemberton's calls for reinforcements Buford's brigade was sent from Port Hudson, including the Twelfth Louisiana, Col. T. M. Scott, and Companies A and C, Pointe Coupee artillery, Capt. Alcide Bouanchaud. This was the nucleus of the brigade subsequently distinguished as Scott's brigade, from Resaca to Franklin. They served under Loring in Mississippi, participated in the battle of Baker's Creek, and had crossed that stream to follow Pemberton into Vicksburg when recalled by Loring to accompany him in a night march that ended in junction with J. E. Johnston at Jackson. At Baker's Creek the Twelfth was distinguished in repelling the assaults of the enemy which threatened the capture of the artillery, losing 5 killed and 34 wounded.
Atlanta, Ga. 1899.
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