The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 67, July 1963 - April, 1964 Page: 36
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Southwestern Historical Quarterly
slowly with his infantry toward Natchitoches, but sent his cavalry
under Brigadier General Alfred Mouton and Colonel Tom Green
west to Niblett's Bluff on the Sabine for food and forage."
Banks, having accomplished the main purpose of his cam-
paign by dispersing Taylor's army, evacuated Alexandria on
May 13, turned east with the main body of his army, crossed
the Mississippi on the 23rd, and invested Port Hudson. The
Federals sent their long wagon train and plunder down the
Teche to Berwick Bay guarded by a detachment of six regiments.
This nondescript column stretched for eight miles and included
5,000 Negroes, 2,000 horses, and 1,5oo beeves, an enticing target,
indeed, for the Confederate cavalry.'" By May 28, however, the
Federals had safely crossed Berwick Bay before Mouton's and Tom
Green's cavalry could overtake them.
General Taylor, having been reinforced by additional troops
from Texas and expecting other reinforcements, determined on
a campaign to capture Berwick Bay, overrun the Bayou Lafourche
country, establish his batteries on the west bank of the Missis-
sippi, and threaten New Orleans which was weakly garrisoned.
He reasoned that with sufficient troops such a movement against
New Orleans would force Banks to raise the siege of Port Hudson
in order to protect his base."'
Because of the insistence of the Richmond authorities that
something be done west of the Mississippi to relieve Grant's
pressure on Vicksburg, however, Kirby Smith found it impos-
sible to send Major General John G. Walker's Texas infantry
division to reinforce Taylor. Instead, these troops were diverted
to the Mississippi above Vicksburg where on June 7 they made
a futile attack on Grant's supply lines at Young's Point and
Milliken's Bend. This operation, mounted with too few men,
came too late."
Taylor, with an army of not more than 5,000, determined to
divide his forces. He sent Colonel James P. Major with three
regiments of Texas cavalry across the Atchafalaya, down the west
side of the Mississippi to Donaldsonville, thence down Bayou
"1Taylor, Destruction and Reconstruction, 135.
"sIrwin, Nineteenth Army Corps, 156.
"Taylor, Destruction and Reconstruction, 138.
20Ibid., 139.
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 67, July 1963 - April, 1964, periodical, 1964; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101197/m1/56/?rotate=90: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.