When I saw that Luther Thompson's brother had died in the Civil War, in Baton Rouge, LA no less, I had to learn more. Most New Englanders tend to that important battles were fought so far south in the War Between the States. The Siege of Port Hudson occurred between May and July 1863 and was basically a battle to win control of the Mississippi River.
This is an exceptional map offered by the Library of Congress. Open it up in another window to follow along with Albert's journey. In addition, I have a Google map available with most of the locations posted in order.
Like many of Connecticut's men, Albert Thompson mustered on November 11, 1862. Like Arthur Talcott, Albert joined up after President Lincoln asked for 100,000 volunteers to fight in the war. He had just celebrated his 19th birthday. Albert and his compatriots gathered at the what is now the Old State House in Hartford. Samuel K. Ellis of Company G wrote of his experience 50 years after the fact, remembering that they arrived on September 8th to find not tents, but barracks that "resembled the cow sheds..." They remained here until mid-November when they boarded a steamer and headed down the Connecticut River to Long Island. The accommodations on L.I. were worse, with their tents pitched and real shelter to be found. Ellis wrote, "the life of a soldier is tedious and wearisome."
On November 14, the 25th boarded a ship and began their journey south. Their orders were to put in a Ship Island off the coast of Louisiana near the mouth of the Mississippi River. They arrived on December 14. Ellis wrote "We arrived at Ship Island at noon and found about the most God forsaken miserable hole, man ever got into. The sand was ankle deep everywhere."
They continued up the Mississippi to New Orleans where they "got our fill of oranges and victuals" and finally ended up at Camp Parapet. Life in the Louisiana camp was full of drilling and inspections, and the weather made unexpected changes daily. Ellis wrote, “Following every rain-storm it cleared intensely cold for several days; then it became hot again; next we had another storm to subdue the intense heat. I don’t think these sudden changed agreed with the men, for we can a large number on the sick list.” On a visit to the hospital, he saw “the thin and wasted sufferers…many of them stricken down in their strength by swamp fever.”
It seems that the 25th did some waiting around and training (and getting sick) from December until March 10, 1863. At that time, they were sent in advance of a major column of soldiers to build earthworks and a bridge across the Bayou Sara (see top left of LOC map). During their time here, the men were part of a failed attempt to distract the Confederate garrison for long enough to allow several Union ships to pass unmolested. The land assault never occurred and only two ships were able to pass. The men of the 25th sat by and witnessed the burning of the 22-year-old Confederate frigate Mississippi.
Once the main column of soldiers arrived, the 25th headed south to Baton Rouge where they set up at the aptly named Camp Misery. This break was short, and they soon marched amid frequent skirmishes to their first real battle- The Battle of Irish Bend (or the Battle of Nerson's Woods or the Battle of Franklin). Here, on April 14, the regiment had 96 casualties out of the 350 that were involved. Ellis wrote, “Our regiment suffered severely. For about two hours we were under a hot fire entirely unsupported. We went into the fight with 380 men and lost 83 killed and wounded and 14 missing.”
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| From Harper's Weekly |
After this fierce battle, the 25th marched on for several days through rain, swampland, and mud, skirmishing with the Confederates on occasion. By the time they were given orders to “advance as skirmishers” on May 23rd, the men were worn out. They had to break a path through thorns, fields, water, vines, and bushes, and according to Ellis, “many a strong man gave out with fatigue and exhaustion.” The siege on Port Hudson had begun.
If you take a look at the Google map, you can see that Port Hudson is a highly advantageous location for an army. It was at a sharp and narrow bend in the river and the Confederate army was situated on a strong rise- the perfect defensible position.
Over the next weeks, worn out and almost constantly on the front lines, the 25th lost many men. The regiment had been in a nearly constant battle for over a month, and wouldn’t get a break anytime soon. On May 27th, a coordinated effort by General Banks and his army was meant to break through Confederate defenses and take Port Hudson once and for all. This attack is summed up by Ellis.
The valley was thick with felled trees, and heavy underbrush, while thick and black rolled the battle-smoke. There was a hill on our left, strongly entrenched and from here loomed a big gun… It was here that we had a taste of real war in all its horrors. It was a sort of floating panorama that passed before me, a hideous dream. There was a roaring and crashing of artillery, bursting shells and the rattle of muskets… there were men dropping here and there…
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| From Harper's Weekly |
Due to unreliable leaders and an uncoordinated army, nearly 1,600 men were wounded and over 300 were killed. The failed attack was a huge blow to Union morale.
A similarly unsuccessful attack took place on June 14, wherein nearly 2,000 more men were wounded or killed. Most likely, this is the battle in which Albert Thompson was injured. The assault was a mess of confusion, with soldiers ordered forward, ordered back, and ordered to halt. Men were struck with sunstroke which killed several of them. Others were struck and “after the whizzing of the bullets… had died away, all was still but the groans that could be heard upon the bloody battlefield.” Men who were wounded or ill were brought nearby hospitals and field hospitals. Schools and colleges that had closed due to the war were popular locations. Like most victims of the Civil War, more soldiers died from disease and exposure during the Siege of Port Hudson than from battle wounds.
Albert Thompson died on June 19, 1863. No information about how he died was found. Sadly, Albert’s family most likely found out about his death nearly six months later. The Hartford Courant and Hartford Weekly Times printed dozens of obituaries and memorials from Port Hudson in their January 1864 issues.
The 48 day Siege of Port Hudson finally ended on July 9, 1862 when the Confederates finally ran out of supplies. The Mississippi River was open to the Union. This massive siege changed the course of the war.
Sources:
http://www.archive.org/stream/enlistmentcasual00horarich#page/732/mode/1up
https://www.loc.gov/resource/gvhs01.vhs00139/
https://www.nps.gov/nr/twhp/wwwlps/lessons/71hudson/71hudson.htm
http://www.historicmapworks.com/Map/US/65350/Port+Hudson+1863c+Siege+Map+10x12/Port+Hudson+1863+Siege+Map/Louisiana/
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