uffering, and urgent means had to be taken to supply the
deficiency.

Reconnoissances, conducted by Lieutenant Harwood, in the course of
which the enemy's cavalry was seen but not engaged, showed the
roads from the Atchafalaya to Waterloo to be practicable for all
arms. A detachment of cavalry sent out on the 18th to ascertain
whether the Confederates had any force on the west bank of the
Mississippi, encountered near Waterloo about 120 men of the 1st
Alabama regiment, under Lieutenant-Colonel Locke, who had been sent
over the day before from Port Hudson in skiffs to prevent any
communication between the upper and the lower fleets. A skirmish
followed, with slight loss on either side.

First placing Emory in command of the defences of New Orleans, and
ordering Sherman to take Dow and Nickerson and join Augur before
Port Hudson, Banks left the city on the 20th of May, rejoined his
headquarters on the 21st, and at once set his troops in motion
toward Bayou Sara. At half-past eight o'clock on the morning of
the 21st of May, Paine broke up his bivouac on the Atchafalaya and
marched to Morganza, after detaching the 131st New York and the 173d
New York with a section of artillery to guard the ammunition train.
Grover followed by water as fast as the steamboats could be provided.
At two o'clock on the morning of the 22d of May, Banks and Grover,
with the advance of Grover's division, landed at Bayou Sara without
meeting any opposition from the enemy, who, up to this time, seems
not to have suspected the movement. The other troops followed as
rapidly as the means of transport permitted. Grover's division
was sent ashore, followed by two brigades of Paine's division from
Morganza. The wagon train went on down the road to the landing
directly opposite Bayou Sara, under the escort of the 110th New
York, and the 162d New York, with one section of Carruth's battery,
all under the command of Benedict.

Soon after the landing at Bayou Sara, a party of cavalry rode in,
bringing the news of Augur's battle of the 21st. Hearing that
Augur was at that moment engaged with the enemy, Banks pressed
forward his troops. In a violent storm of wind and rain Grover
pushed on until he met Augur's outlying detachments. Then, finding
all quiet, he went into bivouac near Thompson's Creek, north-west
of Port Hudson. Paine followed, and rested on the Perkins plantation,
a mile in the rear of Grover. Banks made his headquarters with
Grove