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Port Hudson

1911 Encyclopedia Britannica

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A village in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, U.S.A., .on the left bank of the Mississippi, about 135 m. above New Orleans. At the sharp turn of the Mississippi here the Confederates in 1862 built on the commanding bluffs powerful batteries covering a stretch of about 3 m., their strongest fortifications along the Mississippi between New Orleans and Vicksburg. On the night of the 14th of March 1863 Admiral Farragut, with seven vessels, attempted to run past the batteries, commanded by Brigadier-General William M. Gardner, but four of his vessels were disabled and forced to turn back, one, the "Mississippi" was destroyed, and only two, the "Hartford" and the "Albatross" got past. General N. P. Banks's land attack, on the 27th of May, was unsuccessful, the Union loss, nearly 2000, being six times that of the Confederates. A second attack on the 14th of June, entailed a further Union loss of about 1800 men. But on the 9th of July, two days after the news of the surrender of Vicksburg, after a siege of 45 days, General Gardner surrendered the position to General Banks with about 6400 men, 50 guns, 5000 small arms and ammunition, and two river steamers. The Union losses during the siege were probably more than 4000; the Confederate losses about Boo. The capture of Vicksburg and Port Hudson secured to the Union the control of the Mississippi.