everal days elapsed before a little steamer from the upper Teche
could be brought down to assist. It must be remembered that neither
artillery nor wagons accompanied Major's march from the Fordoche.

On the 24th General Green, with Major's men and such of his own as had
crossed their horses, marched for Donaldsonville, sixty-five miles, and
General Mouton, with two regiments of infantry, took rail to Thibodeaux
and sent pickets down the line to Bayou Des Allemands, twenty-five miles
from New Orleans. Our third regiment of infantry remained at the bay,
where Major Brent was at work mounting the captured guns on the southern
end of the island and on the western shore opposite. Gunboats could stop
the crossing, and entrance from the Gulf was open. While we might drive
off "tin-clads" the enemy had boats capable of resisting field guns, and
it is remarkable that, from the 23d of June to the 22d of July, he made
no attempt to disturb us at Berwick's Bay.

General Green reached the vicinity of Donaldsonville on the 27th, and
found an earthwork at the junction of the Lafourche and Mississippi.
This work, called Fort Butler, had a ditch on three sides, and the river
face was covered by gunboats in the stream. The garrison was reported to
be from two to three hundred negro troops. After some correspondence
with Mouton, Green determined to assault the place, and drew around it
five hundred of his men in the night of the 27th. Two hours before dawn
of the 28th Colonel Joseph Phillipps led his regiment, two hundred
strong, to the attack. Darkness and ignorance of the ground caused much
blundering. The levee above the fort was mistaken for the parapet, and
some loss was sustained from the fire of gunboats. Changing direction,
Phillipps came upon the ditch, unknown to him as to Green, who had been
deceived by false information. The ditch passed, Phillipps mounted the
parapet and fell dead as he reached the top. An equally brave man, Major
Ridley, worthy of his leader, followed, and, calling on his men to come,
jumped into the work. Frightened by his appearance, the enemy abandoned
the parapet; but finding that Ridley was alone, returned and captured
him. A dozen men would have carried the place; but the ditch afforded
protection from fire, and the men, disheartened by Phillipps's death,
could not be induced to leave it. Indeed, the largest part of our loss,
ninety-seven, was made up of these men, who remained in the ditch until
dayli