their breastworks and opened fire with musketry.
The ditches already spoken of hindered the progress of the Union
artillery, yet not seriously, while they afforded an excellent
protection for the supports of the batteries and enabled the lines
of infantry to rest at intervals: no small gain, for the sun grew
very hot, and the march over the heavy windrows and across the deep
ditches was exhausting.

The Confederate gunboat _Diana_ took position well in front of the
works, so as to command completely the right flank of Emory and
Weitzel as they approached by a fire that, had it not been checked,
must have enfiladed the whole line. Just as this fire was beginning
to be disturbing it was silenced by a fortunate shot from one of
the two 30-pounder Parrott guns, served by the 1st Indiana, posted
in rear of Weitzel's left and trained upon the _Diana_, under the
personal supervision of Arnold. The third shot from this battery,
aimed at the flash of the _Diana_'s guns, exploded in her engine
room; then above the trees, whose leafage full and low hid the
vessel, was seen a flash like a puff of vapor; a rousing cheer was
heard from the sharpshooters of the 4th Wisconsin and 8th New
Hampshire, who had been told off to keep down the fire of the
gunboat; and the _Diana_ was seen to pass up the bayou and out of
the fight.

All risk of an enfilade file being thus removed, the whole Union
line quickly closed with the Confederates, and the engagement became
general with artillery and musketry. On both sides of the bayou
the firing was brisk, at times even severe. Save where the view
was broken here and there by the trees or became lightly clouded
by the smoke of battle, the whole field lay in plain sight. As
the course of the Teche in ascending turned toward the left, Gooding,
on the east bank, had the wheeling flank, while Weitzel formed the
pivot.

Gooding went forward in gallant style, his men quickening their
pace at times to a run, in order to keep the alignment with the
main body on the west bank. Perceiving on his extreme right, toward
the lake, a fine grove or copse, Gooding threw out Sharpe with the
156th New York to examine the wood with a view of attempting to
turn the left flank of the Confederate lines. These, as it proved,
did not extend beyond the grove, but there ended in an unfinished
redoubt. Indeed, nearly the whole of the Confederate works on the
east side of the bayou, although laid out long since, had