d
advanced down the Lafourche. Ordering up the infantry, I joined Green,
but did not interfere with his dispositions, which were excellent. His
force, fourteen hundred, including a battery, was dismounted and in
line. As I reached the field the enemy came in sight, and Green led on
his charge so vigorously as to drive the Federals into Donaldsonville,
capturing two hundred prisoners, many small arms, and two guns, one of
which was the field gun lost at Bisland. The affair was finished too
speedily to require the assistance of the infantry.

Undisturbed, we removed not only all stores from Berwick's, but many
supplies from the abundant Lafourche country, including a large herd of
cattle driven from the prairies of Opelousas by the Federals some weeks
before. On the 21st of July, we ran the engines and carriages on the
railway into the bay, threw in the heavy guns, and moved up the Teche,
leaving pickets opposite Berwick's. Twenty-four hours thereafter the
enemy's scouts reached the bay. The timidity manifested after the action
of the 13th may be ascribed to the fertile imagination of the Federal
commander, General Banks, which multiplied my force of less than three
thousand of all arms into nine or twelve thousand.

In the "Report on the Conduct of the War," vol. ii., pages 313 and 314,
General Banks states:

"Orders had been sent to Brashear City [Berwick's] to remove all stores,
but to hold the position, with the aid of gunboats, to the last. The
enemy succeeded in crossing Grand Lake by means of rafts, and surprised
and captured the garrison, consisting of _about three hundred men_. The
enemy, greatly strengthened in numbers, then attacked the works at
Donaldsonville, on the Mississippi, which were defended by a garrison of
two hundred and twenty-five men, including convalescents, commanded by
Major J.D. Bullen, 28th Maine volunteers. The attack was made on the
morning of the 28th of June, and lasted until daylight. The garrison
made a splendid defense, killing and wounding more than their own
number, and capturing as many officers and nearly as many men as their
garrison numbered. The enemy's troops were under the command of General
Green of Texas, and consisted of the Louisiana troops under General
Taylor and five thousand Texas cavalry, making a force of nine to twelve
thousand in that vicinity.

"The troops engaged in these different operations left but _four hundred
men for the defense of New Orleans_. Upon t