, and the 162d New York. Directly before them,
on the other side of the fence, was an open field inclining toward
the front in a gentle slope, and traversed at the foot by a second
and stouter fence, beyond which a sandy knoll arose, covered with
trees, bushes, and fallen timber. On the crest the enemy stood,
Bee having changed front to the left and rear as soon as he made
out the movement of Birge.

Stopping but to throw down the fence, at the word Fessenden's whole
line ran across the field to the foot of the hill. There the
brigade quickly re-formed for the ascent, and then, with Fessenden
at the head, charged stiffly up the difficult slope straight in
the teeth of the hot fire of Bee's dismounted troopers. Many fell,
among them Fessenden with a bad hurt, the 165th New York found
itself hindered by the marsh, but gallantly led on by Hubbard, by
Conrady, and by Blanchard the 30th Maine, the 173d New York, and
the 162d New York won the crest and opened fire on the retreating
foe. Once more halting to re-form his lines, Birge swept on, gained
the farther hill without much trouble, and moving to the left
uncovered the crossing. Birge's loss in this engagement was about
200, of whom 153 were in Fessenden's brigade, and of these 86 in
the 30th Maine. In leading the charge across the open ground
Fessenden was severely wounded in the leg, and the command of his
brigade fell to Lieutenant-Colonel Blanchard.

As soon as Emory, on the north bank of Cane River, heard the noise
of the battle on the opposite heights, he posted five guns under
Closson (two of Hinkle's twenty-pounder Parrotts, one gun of Nields'
1st Delaware, one of Hebard's 1st Vermont, and one of the 25th New
York battery), to silence the Confederate artillery on their right,
in front of the crossing, well supported by the 116th New York,
and deployed his skirmishers as if for an assault. Tempted by the
exposed position of these guns, Bee sent a detachment across the
river to capture them, but Love easily threw off the attack; and,
seeing this, Chrysler, whose regiment, the 2d New York Veteran
Cavalry, was dismounted in skirmishing order on the left, at once
led his men in pursuit and seized the crossing.

Bee retreated rapidly to Beasley's, thirty miles away to the
southward on the Fort Jesup road, without making any further effort
to stay or trouble the retreat of Banks.

Word coming from Davis that he had been unable to find a crossing
below, Emor