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In the mean time,
Taylor, still westward of the
Atchafalaya, became quite active.
His most efficient leader,
General Green, was particularly so, and made occasional raids toward the
Mississippi.
“Bushwhackers,” as armed residents of the country were called, were continually annoying vessels at sharp turns in the river, in the vicinity of
Port Hudson, and
General Herron was sent to Morgansia to suppress these gangs of annoyers.
An out-post was established several miles in the interior, held by the Nineteenth Iowa and Twenty-sixth Indiana, with two guns, under
Colonel Lake, supported by one hundred and fifty cavalry under
Colonel Montgomery.
The whole number of men at the post was less than one thousand.
These were surprised on a dark night by
General Green, who stealthily crossed a bayou,
surrounded the camp, and captured the guns and a large portion of the infantry.
Lake and about four hundred of his men became prisoners.
Fifty-four were killed and wounded.
The cavalry escaped with a loss of five men.
A month later the Unionists of that region suffered another disaster.
In order to mask his expedition against
Texas by sea,
Banks ordered
General C. C. Washburne to advance from
Brashear upon
Opelousas, to give the impression that a march upon
Alexandria or
Shreveport was begun.
Washburne reached
Opelousas without resistance, but when, in obedience to orders, he commenced falling back,
Taylor and
Green pursued him closely.
Finally, they swept
stealthily, swiftly, and unexpectedly, out of a thick wood, and fell upon
Washburne's right, held by
General Burbridge.
So little was an attack suspected, that the Twenty-third Wisconsin were engaged in voting for State officers.
1 Before the men could seize their arms and form for battle they were terribly smitten.
The regiment was quickly reduced from two hundred and twenty-six men to ninety-eight, most of them made prisoners.
The right, on which the weight of the attack fell, was broken, and the utter ruin of the whole force seemed at one time certain.
General McGinnis brought up some troops, and these, and a few others, with
Nims's battery, saved the day. The Confederates were driven to the shelter of the woods, and
Washburne pursued his way to
Brashear with his shattered force.
2
In the mean time
Banks's expedition, consisting of six thousand troops and some war-vessels, had sailed
from New Orleans, directly for the
Rio Grande.
It was accompanied by that officer in person, but was immediately commanded by
General Napoleon J. T. Dana.
On the 2d of November the troops debarked at
Brazos Santiago, drove a small cavalry force stationed there, and followed them to
Brownsville, thirty miles up the river, which
Banks's advance entered on the 6th.
Point Isabel was taken possession of on the 8th; and as soon as possible
Banks, who made his Headquarters at
Brownsville, sent as many troops as he could spare, up the coast, to seize and occupy the water passes between the
Rio Grande and
Galveston.
By the aid of steamers obtained on the
Rio Grande, troops were transported to
Mustang Island, off Corpus
