"Remonstrances were to no
avail. I was informed that all the Confederate authorities in the east were urgent
for some effort on our part in behalf of Vicksburg, and that public opinion would condemn
us if we did not try to do something." Taylor insisted "that to go
two hundred miles and more away from the proper theatre of action in search of an
indefinite something is hard; but orders are orders."
In accordance with his orders, Taylor reluctantly directed the Texans to
Richmond, Louisiana. Taylor himself went on ahead of the Texans and reached Richmond at
dusk on June 5. He immediately set about gathering information concerning the enemy
dispositions and troop strengths at Milliken's Bend and Young's Point. Much of the data
gained by Taylor was provided by Lt. Col. Isaac F. Harrison of the 15th Louisiana Cavalry Battalion. Some of it was correct,
and some was not. Harrison, for example, underestimated enemy troop strength at both
points; and faulty intelligence played a key role in the Confederate plan of action.
The Texans tramped into Richmond at 10:00 a.m. on June 6, where they
cooked rations and rested for several hours. Walker was informed of the enemy's
dispositions and briefed on the plan of action. Taylor's plan called for Walker's Division
to launch simultaneous assaults on the enemy at Milliken's Bend and Young's Point, while a
combat patrol led by Col. Frank Bartlett of the
13th Louisiana Cavalry Battalion attacked the Federal enclave at Lake Providence.
On June 6, as the Confederates planned for action, the Federals at
Milliken's Bend made a reconnaissance in the direction of Richmond. The Federals had been
monitoring the increased Confederate activity and feared an attack on Milliken's Bend was
imminent. Consequently, Brig. Gen. Elias S. Dennis,
commander of the District of Northeast Louisiana, ordered Col. Hermann Lieb to make a
reconnaissance toward Richmond.
Lieb was a feisty soldier. Born in Switzerland, he emigrated to the United
States and settled in Illinois. At the outbreak of the war, he enlisted for ninety days as
a private in Company B of the 8th Illinois Infantry.
Upon reorganization of the regiment as a three-year unit in July of '61, Lieb was elected
captain and the following year was promoted to major. He saw action at Fort Donelson and
at Shiloh. During the Louisiana operations, he was colonel of the 9th Louisiana Infantry (African Descent) and commanded
the post at Milliken's Bend.
At 2:00 a.m., on June 6, Lieb moved out with his own regiment and several
companies of the 10th Illinois Cavalry. His force pushed to within three miles of Richmond
when they made contact with Confederates. After driving in the pickets, Lieb became
apprehensive and decided to return to Milliken's Bend. When half-way to the post, Lieb's
men were surprised to see the Illinois troopers dashing up in their rear, hotly pursued by
Confederate cavalry. Reacting quickly, Colonel Lieb deployed his regiment into line. A
single volley sufficed to drive off the Confederates.
Convinced that his post was in danger, Lieb requested reinforcements. In
response to the colonel's urgent request, the 23d Iowa
(a white regiment) was hurried from Young's Point to Milliken's Bend; and the ironclad Choctaw
was sent by Admiral Porter to provide additional
support. That night, the Federals fortified their camp by constructing abatis and
barricades of cotton bales. His confidence bolstered by these preparations, Lieb had his
men under arms at 3:00 a.m. on June 7.
The Confederate plan of action called for a night march. The Texans left
Richmond at 6:00 p.m., on June 6, in hopes of arriving at the enemy camps at sunrise. One
Texan recorded the march with these words:
In sections four abreast, and close order, the troops took up the line of
march, in anticipation of meeting almost certain death, but with undaunted, unquailing
spirits. In breathless silence, with the high glittering stars looking down upon them,
through dark and deep defiles marched the dense array of men, moving steadily forward; not
a whisper was heard--no sound of clanking saber, or rattle of canteen and cup.
At Oak Grove plantation the road forked, the left fork led to Milliken's
Bend, the right to Young's Point. Walker sent McCulloch's Brigade toward Milliken's Bend
and Hawes' Brigade toward Young's Point, while he remained at Oak Grove with Col. Horace
Randal's Brigade.
McCulloch's Brigade, 1,500--strong, arrived within one and one-half miles
of Milliken's Bend at 2:30 a.m. when it was fired upon by enemy pickets. McCulloch quickly
deployed his brigade into line of battle with Col. Richard Waterhouse's* 19th Texas Infantry on the right, Col. R. T. P. Allen's 17th Texas Infantry in the center, and Lt. Col. E. P.
Gregg's 16th Texas Cavalry (dismounted) on the left.
Col. George Flournoy's 16th Texas Infantry was held in
reserve.
*(Richard Waterhouse was the only colonel then serving in the Texas
Division who would rise up to be named a brigadier general. Born in Rhea County,
Tennessee, on January 12, 1832, he ran away from home to serve in the Mexican War. At the
outbreak of the Civil War he helped raise the 19th Texas and on May 13, 1862, was named
colonel of the regiment. He served in the Trans-Mississippi Department throughout the war
and saw action in both Arkansas and Louisiana. "Assigned to command" as a
brigadier general by Kirby Smith in 1864, Waterhouse was not officially appointed by the
president and confirmed by the Senate until March 1865.)
The Confederate cavalry scouts in front fell back precipitably when fired
upon. In the darkness and confusion, the cavalrymen were then shot at by McCulloch's
skirmishers. Fortunately, no men were injured.
As the Federal pickets began falling back, Lieb placed his men on the
levee behind cotton bales. His units consisted of the 8th,
9th, 11th, and 13th Louisiana Infantry Regiments (African Descent), 1st Mississippi Infantry (African Descent), and the 23d Iowa Infantry totaling 1,061 men. The black troops
were recently recruited, poorly trained, and poorly armed. In many cases, they were also
poorly led. But, they had the advantage of position and were supported by the guns of the
powerful ironclad Choctaw.
McCulloch placed his Texans into line of battle astride the Richmond road
and drove the Federals from hedgerow to hedgerow. One Texans wrote, "It was
impossible for our troops to keep in line of battle, owing to the many hedges we had to
encounter, which it was impossible to pass, except through a few gaps that had been used
as gates or passageways." Once passed the hedgerows, McCulloch reformed his brigade
within twenty-five paces of the main Federal line. Shouting, "No quarter for the
officers, kill the damned abolitionists" the Texans scaled the levee and closed on
the enemy. A withering volley stunned the Southerners, but the poorly trained blacks were
unable to reload their cumbersome weapons before the Texans were upon them. McCulloch
reported, "The line was formed under a heavy fire from the enemy, and the troops
charged the breastworks, carrying it instantly, killing and wounding many of the enemy by
their deadly fire, as well as the bayonet." The brigadier noted, "This charge
was resisted by the negro portion of the enemy's force with considerable obstinacy, while
the white or true Yankee portion ran like whipped curs almost as soon as the charge was
ordered."
Clubbed muskets and bayonets were freely used as the Texans surged over
the cotton-bale barricades atop the levee. Joseph P. Blessington of the 16th Texas
recalled, "The enemy gave away and stampeded pell-mell over the levee, in great
terror and confusion. Our troops followed after them, bayoneting them by hundreds."
Sweeping through the Federal encampment, McCulloch's men raced toward the second levee
next to the river. Their efforts, however, were driven back repeatedly by the rapid fire
of Choctaw's big guns.
Unable to cross the levee, McCulloch's men mopped-up isolated pockets of
resistance and plundered the Federal camp. The brigadier sent an urgent request to Walker
for reinforcements, but before help arrived, McCulloch spotted a second gunboat, Lexington,
coming upriver. Realizing that his troops were no match for gunboats, and without waiting
for Walker's arrival, McCulloch ordered a withdrawal to Oak Grove plantation.
In the engagement at Milliken's Bend, McCulloch's Brigade suffered losses
of 44 killed, 131 wounded, and 10 missing. The Texans, however, inflicted 652 casualties
on the Federals of which number 101 were killed, 285 wounded, and 266 captured or missing.
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