's brigade of
Texans, and the batteries of Nettles, West, McMahan, and Moseley,
struck the river at Blair's Landing almost simultaneously with the
arrival of the fleet. Here, about four o'clock in the afternoon,
in the bend between the high banks, Green caught the rear of the
transport fleet at a disadvantage. Making the most of his opportunity,
he attacked with vigor. Instantly Kilby Smith and Porter responded
and a sharp fight followed, but by sunset they succeeded, without
great loss, in driving off their assailants. Indeed the total
casualties in Kilby Smith's division above Grand Ecore were but
19, and Porter mentions only one. Chief among the Confederate
killed was the brave, impetuous, and indomitable Green.

About noon on the 13th, several of the boats being aground in
mid-stream, they were attacked by Liddell, strongly posted on the
high bluff known as Bouledeau Point. However, all passed by without
loss or serious injury, and on the morning of the 14th, the fleet
reached the bar at Campti, where A. J. Smith was met marching up
the left bank of the river to its relief. But, although Campti is
barely twenty miles above, so crooked and shallow was the river
that it was midnight on the 15th before the last of the fleet lay
in safety at Grand Ecore.

Below Grand Ecore there was a bad bar. As the river continued to
fall, the larger gunboats were sent down as fast as possible to
Alexandria, whither Porter followed them on the 16th, leaving the
_Osage_ and _Lexington_ at Grand Ecore, and the big _Eastport_
eight miles below, where, on the 15th, she had been sunk to her
gun-deck either by a torpedo or by a snag. The admiral brought up
his pump boats and after removing the guns got the _Eastport_ afloat
on the 21st.

As Banks realized that his campaign was ruined, he grew earnest in
trying to meet Grant's expectations and orders, requiring him to
be on the Mississippi by the first of May. For ten days he had
been waiting at Grand Ecore, only to see the last of the fleet pass
down in safety. Meanwhile he had entrenched his position, thrown
a pontoon bridge across the river, placed a strong detachment from
Smith's command on the north bank, and sent urgent orders to
Alexandria, to New Orleans, and to Texas for reinforcements. Birge,
with his own brigade and the 38th Massachusetts and 128th New York
of Sharpe's brigade, embarked at Alexandria on the 12th of April,
and joined Emory on the 13th. Nickerson's