Adam Badeau, Military history of Ulysses S. Grant from April 1861 to April 1865. Volume 1

[276] bottom nearly a mile in width, and surrounded by a stagnant bayou, two or three feet deep and nearly twenty feet across. At the narrowest part of this bend, and immediately inside of the bayou, the rebels had constructed a strong line of infantry parapet, and, at intervals, dispositions were made for artillery. The line was about a mile in length, abutting north on the river, and south on a cypress-brake that extends to the bank of the river below. The bayou was parallel to the works, making a natural wet ditch of a formidable character; the trees and brush growing in its bed had been felled, and left to obstruct the national advance; while the intrenchments behind were commanded by the bluffs on the right bank of the river; the open space between, however, afforded no cover for the rebels, if once driven from the trenches. This tete-de-pont was defended by twenty pieces of artillery, and a garrison of four thousand men—as many as could be advantageously used on the line. The main rebel army had already crossed on boats and bridges, but Pemberton said: ‘I determined not to abandon so strong a front while there was a hope of Loring's arrival.’¹

The exterior of the bridge-head was situated in the bottom land, with open fields in front, except on the extreme left of the enemy, where a thick copse reached from the road to the river. Carr's division occupied the right in investing the place, and Lawler's brigade had the right of the division. Osterhaus was on Carr's left, extending to the river below. Mc-Pherson remained in rear and in column, on the road,