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of saving the men of the Forty-second thus cut off, and being informed by Commander Law that the gunboats would proceed to sea immediately, Adjutant Davis remained with the fleet, and proceeded to New Orleans to report to Major-General Banks the results of the unfortunate expedition.
When Colonel Burrill offered his sword to the officer designated by General Magruder to receive the surrender, he was desired to keep it, in respect to his brave and able defence of his position against such an overwhelming force; and, on being informed that the little band that stood before them were all the troops there, the rebels could scarcely believe it, and were surprised they had held their position so well and so long.
In respect for their courage and bravery, it was ordered, that all private property of privates, as well as officers, should be respected; a fact rarely equalled in the history of the war. The prisoners were then sent to Houston, where they arrived Jan. 20, 1863 and remained until the 22d, when all the enlisted men that were able left Houston, marched across the country, and were paroled and sent down the Red River and the Mississippi to the Union lines.
Repeated efforts were made, after their arrival at ‘Camp Farr,’ to effect their exchange, but with no avail; and they were obliged to remain inactive till the expiration of their term of service.
On the 13th of January, 1863, the remaining seven companies, under Lieutenant-Colonel Stedman, by order of Major-General Jenks, were attached to the Second Brigade, commanded by Colonel Farr of the Twenty-sixth Massachusetts Volunteers, of the Second Division, commanded by Brigadier-General Sherman, of the Nineteenth Corps.
On the 15th of January, by orders from headquarters Defences of New Orleans, two companies were detached, and ordered to report to Major Houston, chief engineer of the Department of the Gulf.
Ordered to ‘Camp Parapet,’ under command of Captain Leonard, who was ordered to lay out and build a bastioned redoubt, to form a portion of the ‘Defences of New Orleans.’
Under the immediate direction of Lieutenant Long, of the United States Engineer Corps, this work began Jan. 30, employing large numbers of contrabands, and continued
1868. E. P. DUtton and Co. Boston,.
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