. The army in the civil . unction with Augurs division,which meanwhile had moved up from Joaton Eouge, in pur-suance of orders to that effect. It has already been narrated in the first chapter how theConfederates came to select Port Hudson for a fortifiedpoint, after their unsuccessful attack upon Baton Eouge inAugust, 1862. Slave labor was then abundant and time wasnot pressing, as they were not molested for several that interval they constructed a series of works aroundPort Hudson of remarkable strength, the parapets havingan average thickness of 20 feet, and the depth of the
. The army in the civil . unction with Augurs division,which meanwhile had moved up from Joaton Eouge, in pur-suance of orders to that effect. It has already been narrated in the first chapter how theConfederates came to select Port Hudson for a fortifiedpoint, after their unsuccessful attack upon Baton Eouge inAugust, 1862. Slave labor was then abundant and time wasnot pressing, as they were not molested for several that interval they constructed a series of works aroundPort Hudson of remarkable strength, the parapets havingan average thickness of 20 feet, and the depth of the ditchbelow the top of the parapet being not less than 15 consisted of a series of batteries, in all mounting20 siege guns, along the bluff at an elevation of about80 feet above the river. The land defences consisted of a10* 226 THE MISSISSIPPI. continuous line of parapet of strong profile, beginning at apoint known as Bosss Landing, about one mile below Poi-tHudson, thence running eastwardly through a slightly broken. Port Hudson. country for about a mile, gradually coming into a broadplain, dotted here and there with clumps of trees; thencathe line turned to the northward, following a general direc-tion parallel to the river, and finally turning westward PORT HUDSON. 227 tlirough a rough, country much cut up by ravines, and meet-ing the river bank at the mouth of Thompsons Creek, abouthalf a mile north of Port Hudson. Near Bosss landing onthe river bank the line began in an enclosed bastion work;at the southeast salient of the line was another work; athird was situated at the forks of the roads leading to BatonEouge and Bayou Sara, and there was a fourth facingThompsons Creek. The entire length of the line was be-tween three and four miles; it was of strong profile through-out, was defended by about 30 pieces of field artillery, andthe ground in rear of it afforded admirable facilities forprompt movement of troops from one point to another. Beall construc
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