“In connection with the relieving of the companies of the Ninth Connecticut Volunteers, I am sorry to be obliged to report the ill-will manifested by many of them at their removal from the lake.
“At Lakeport they broke up and destroyed all the bunks in the building they occupied as quarters and sold all the boards they could remove from the building. Several of them were badly intoxicated, and one drew a knife and another a club on one of the members of Company F for refusing to allow them to pull out the faucets of the water tanks and waste all the water at the quarters.
“At the Lake-end of Bayou St. John the Government schooner Hortense was lying, and the crew of that boat managed, before my men took possession of her, to damage her in several ways. Twelve lights of glass were broken of the cabin windows, and the cabin furniture considerably damaged. They sold the hawser, also the launch, or tender, of the schooner, and many of the cooking utensils were thrown overboard and lost. The water cask and a few of the ropes have been recovered from parties who bought them, but the launch and other things, which they sold, we have not found as yet.
“I would respectfully submit this report as a simple statement of facts which have come under my observation since relieving the companies named.
“I have the honor to remain,
“Your most obedient servant, “J. STEDMAN, “Lieutenant-Colonel commanding.
“To Lieutenant George E. Davis, A. A. A. General,
“Second Brigade, Second Division, New Orleans.”
The boat of the Hortense was found May 2d at Hickok’s Landing in the possession of a coffee house proprietor. There was some correspondence with the brigade commander about this affair, but it was allowed to blow over, and no steps were taken to punish the ringleaders. The Connecticut men were very angry, because taken from a post where they enjoyed themselves to the neglect of duty.
Captain Cogswell soon found there was business to occupy his attention. Within two hours after his arrival a man representing himself as J. D. O’Connell, special detective in Government employ, with a companion, requested assistance in a case they were engaged in working up. Not producing any proof, as requested, that they were in the Government service, a special messenger was sent to the provost-marshal of New Orleans, who returned with the information O’Connell was “all right.” While not fully satisfied in his own mind, the captain concluded to join in the game, intending to arrest them if they did not prove “all right.”
The case was one in which a party of Confederates wished to get across the lake. A sail-boat was furnished by Captain Cogswell with one man disguised as a fisherman, who was to have the boat ready at a certain lonely spot on the road leading to Bayou St. John where it ran close to the water. The party of Confederates were to be ready to cross on the eighth, but did not make the attempt until the night of the tenth. Requesting assistance from the lieutenant-colonel, eight men from Company B, under Lieutenant Tinkham, were sent to Lakeport on the eighth.