Comte de Paris, History of the Civil War in America. Vol. 4.
Henry Coppee , LL.D., Ed.

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[573] neighborhood of Yellow Bayou. The next day, Taylor, who had come up with Polignac's infantry, was resolved to make a last effort to give the Federals trouble before they had crossed the Atchafalaya. Toward evening he made a vigorous attack upon A. J. Smith in the position which the latter had taken on Yellow Bayou. The latter, not expecting this attack, had gone to Simsport, and had left the command of his troops to General Mower. A desperate combat was soon begun. In spite of the repeated charges of the Confederates, which General Polignac with rare bravery led in person, the position of the Federals was not seriously disturbed. The assailants, it is true, remained masters of a part of the battlefield, but they were forced to abandon it immediately afterward. Their losses were considerable. They had four hundred and fifty-two men disabled, among whom was Colonel Stone, commander of Polignac's old brigade. The loss of the Federals was two hundred and fifty men. Colonel Lynch, commanding a brigade, a very brave officer, who has since played a part in the schemes of the Fenians, was seriously wounded on this occasion.

On the 19th of May the army began to cross Bailey's bridge, and on the 20th Smith in his turn crossed. The transports then started, and reached Morganzia on the Mississippi, where all of Banks' forces were mustered for the last time. The laborious and unfortunate Red River campaign was at an end.

On the 19th, General Canby, assigned as commander-in-chief of the whole new department of the Trans-Mississippi, had reached Simsport. The authority with which he was invested, and that which his vast experience conferred upon him, were guarantees that henceforth the Federal armies of the Far West were going to be handled with a thoroughness which up to that time had been lacking. But for the moment they were taking a passive part which the great events we shall relate in the following volumes will not permit them to lay aside till the close of the war. On May 22d, Smith took passage on his transports, with all his troops, to report at Vicksburg, where he disembarked on the next day. This tardy arrival did not permit him to take part in the campaign undertaken by Sherman. The latter was thus at a critical moment deprived of the co-operation of an important part of his