. The naval history of the Civil War . course was tocontinue and do the best that could bedone. The Confederates, having been notifiedthat a movement would soon be made upRed River, had used all their energies inpreparing to repel the invaders. Someeight miles below Fort De Russy thev com-menced a series of works near the Bend ofthe Rappiones. commanding a difficult passof the river, and placed formidable obstruc-tions to prevent the passage of the gun-boats. therefore, that it was best to land thetroops: so the Admiral turned off into theAtcbafalaya River with the BentonLexington, Chillicothe
. The naval history of the Civil War . course was tocontinue and do the best that could bedone. The Confederates, having been notifiedthat a movement would soon be made upRed River, had used all their energies inpreparing to repel the invaders. Someeight miles below Fort De Russy thev com-menced a series of works near the Bend ofthe Rappiones. commanding a difficult passof the river, and placed formidable obstruc-tions to prevent the passage of the gun-boats. therefore, that it was best to land thetroops: so the Admiral turned off into theAtcbafalaya River with the BentonLexington, Chillicothe, LouisvilleMound City, Carondelet, OuichitaPittsburg, and Gazelle, followed bythe troops in transports; while the rest ofthe gun-boats pushed on up Red River,withinstructions to remove the obstructions, butnot to attack Fort De Russy until the flag-ships arrival, or until General Smithstroops came in sight. The enemy had at this place some 5,000men, and the only chance of capturingthem was by a combined movement of theArmy and THE FLEET OP GUN-BOATS, UNDER REAR-ADMIRAL PORTER, STARTING OUT, POLLOWED BY THEARMY TRANSPORTS, HAVING ON BOARD 10,000 SOLDIERS, UNDER GEN. A. J. SMITH, MAY 12, 1864. (FROM AN ORIGINAL PEN-AND-INK DRAWING BY REAR-ADMIRAL H. WALKE.) These obstructions consisted of a line ofheavy piles driven deep into the muddy bot-tom, and extending quite across the riversupported by a second tier of shorter onesbelow, on which rested braces and tiesfrom the upper line. Immediately belowthe piles, a raft of heavy timber, well se-cured, extended across the river, a portionof the logs resting on the bottom. Finally,a forest of trees had been cut from thebanks and floated down upon the piles, mak-ing an apparently impassable obstruction. When the Admiral found the character ofthese obstructions, he feared that theywould delay the vessels so long that theenemy would escape from Fort De Russyand destroy all their stores and munitionsof war. General Smith and he agreed
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