An immense number of contrabands, of all ages, sizes, and colors, came in with Gen. Smith, laden down with bundles, hastily packed up as they deserted the plantation, and left old massa and missus to hoe their own corn and bake their own hoecakes. Some were mounted on mules, and some had rigged up old mule-carts, and filled them with bags of clothes, iron pots, and babies. An artist would have found many subjects worthy of his pencil in the quaint procession; and one group impressed itself very vividly upon the mind of the present writer. A woman, with an immense bundle on her head, was leading a mule by a rope-halter, walking with as stately a tread as did ever Cleopatra. Astride of the mule were two little children, the foremost one holding on to a large bundle, the other clasping her companion’s waist. The children were neatly dressed, the long fringe on their straw hats partially shading their faces, while their eyes were steadily fixed on their mother; and the complexion of the whole party told of other than African blood.
The appearance of these contrabands reminded the spectator of the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt; for, like the ancient fugitives from slavery, these modern ones had evidently borrowed largely from their masters and mistresses, and many a gay parasol and lace mantle spoke of the mansion rather than the cabin. They were illy prepared, however, with such loads, to accompany a retreating army, closely pursued by its foes; and, either by the advice or command of some wise officer, a sifting of their effects took place at the crossing, and a portion of their burdens was left behind. The Western boys rigged themselves in the cast-off bonnets and gowns, and the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Corps looked like a masquerading party as they filed across the pontoon.
For some unexplained reason, the Thirty Eighth was detained to support a battery, until the whole army had crossed the river, and the pontoon was taken up, when the battery moved on, and the regiment followed. Everything now in the rear was rebel; and the unfortunate soldier who fell out had a fair chance of seeing Galveston via Shreveport. The enemy followed, and had constant skirmishes with the cavalry; but the infantry was not again engaged; and, after three days hard marching, partly through the pine woods, the regiment entered Alexandria on the afternoon of the 26th, and went into camp near the place from which it had started fourteen days previously, finding a large mail awaiting it, much to its gratification.
CHAPTER XIII.
The Fleet in Danger—Red River Dammed—Foraging Expedition—Departure from Alexandria—Captured Mails—Battle of Mansura Plains—Scarcity of Water—On the Old Road—Reach the Atchafalaya—Engagement in the Rear.
ALTHOUGH the army had thus reached Alexandria in safety, the fleet was still above the rapids, and there appeared to be no prospect of the river rising. The enemy were busily at work on the lower part of the river, throwing up earthworks; and in a short time all communication was cut off, and several transports captured, one of which contained a large mail sent from Alexandria upon the arrival of the army at that place.
But there were men in the Nineteenth Corps to whom obstacles only brought increased energy; and the bold project of damming the Red River, and thereby raising the water to a sufficient height to float the iron-clads over the rapids, was undertaken by Lieut.-Col. Bailey of the Fourth Wisconsin Cavalry. Gen. Banks provided a great number of negroes for this purpose; and assistance was rendered by details from the several divisions of the army, which, in the meanwhile, was engaged in throwing up an additional line of breastworks around Alexandria.
The fatigue duty was very hard at this time; for, in addition to the work of intrenching, the infantry had to unload the greater portion of the transports, not only of the rations for its own use, but also of the oats and corn for the cavalry, working night as well as day, carrying heavy burdens up the steep banks of the levee, which were made slippery by the frequent rains. While the infantry was thus at work, the cavalry was no less actively engaged in reconnoissances; and scarcely a day passed in which wounded men were not brought into the town.