The Struggle for Port Hudson (Civil War, Louisiana, Military). Lawrence Lee Hewitt Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College
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Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses Graduate School 1984 "They Fought Splendidly!": the Struggle for Port Hudson (Civil War, Louisiana, Military). Lawrence Lee Hewitt Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses Recommended Citation Hewitt, Lawrence Lee, ""They ouF ght Splendidly!": the Struggle for Port Hudson (Civil War, Louisiana, Military)." (1984). LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses. 4017. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses/4017 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. 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UniversiW M ic ro ilm s International 300 N. Zeeb Road AnnArbor, Ml 48106 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 8515141 Hewitt, Lawrence Lee "THEY FOUGHT SPLENDIDLY!": THE STRUGGLE FOR PORT HUDSON The Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical Col. Ph.D. 1984 University Microfilms Internetion&l 300N.ZeebRoad, Ann Arbor, Ml 48106 Copyright 1985 by Hewitt, Lawrence Lee All Rights Reserved Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. PLEASE NOTE: In all cases this material has been filmed in the best possible way from the available copy. Problems encountered with this document have been identified here with a check mark V 1. 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Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. "THEY FOUGHT SPLENDIDLY!": THE STRUGGLE FOR PORT HUDSON A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in The Department of History by Lawrence Lee Hewitt B.A., University of Kentucky, 1974 A.A., Jefferson Community College, 1975 M.A., Louisiana State University, 1977 December 1984 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. © 1985 LAWRENCE LEE HEWITT All Rights Reserved Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. f-or J. Larry Crain, who determined the subject, and Carol J . Greenfield, who restored my determination to finish. 11 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I wish to express my sincere appreciation to Dr. William J. Cooper, Jr., tor encouraging my research ana directing the completion of this dissertation. I also wish to thank the memders of the faculty committee, Dr. John u. Loos, Dr. Charles W. Royster, Dr. Gary A. Crump, Dr. James J. Bolner and Dr. Pierre E. Conner, Jr., tor reading the dissertation and ottering their criticisms and suggestions. 1 also wish to acknowledge the assistance and cooperation of the State of Louisiana Office of State Parks, Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, ana especially Dr. Arthur W. Bergeron, Jr., Me. Evelyn W. McDaniel, Kenneth M. Carrier, Randall G. Trahan, Wylie J. Harvey, Ms. DePorah K. Woodiei and Dr. John A. Wiest. During the course of my research 1 received assistance from many persons and incurred numerous odligâtions. I here record my graditude to Ms. Olar F . bell and M. Stone Miller, Jr., ot the Louisiana State University library staff, and Ms. Frances Valescu, of the Arkansas History Commission library staff, for rendering exceptional assistance beyond the norm; to William D. Moore, Jr., Sidney L. "Cotton" McCallum, Ronald L. McCallum, Maurice Garb, Edward M. Boagni III, David R. Perdue, Charles N. Elliott, John R. bangs, 111 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Frederick W. Graul, Dr. E. Russ Williams, William A. Spedale, Sidney 0. F'rugia, Fred G. Benton, Jr., Ray W. Burgess, Philip B. Eckert, John E. Dutton, Charles E. Hinton, John L. Hetlin, Jr., Thomas MacDonald and Ed Chesnutt for sharing their knowledge as well as material from their personal collections; and to Ms. Carolyn E. Lochhead, an expert editor who, out of friendship and lave, diligently labored over every page. i also wish to acknowledge the significant influence the late T. Harry Williams, the late Holman Hamilton, Dr. Charles P. Roland and Charles K. Messmer had on my academic career. Above all, however, I must acknowledge the unfaltering support and encouragement provided by my parents, grandparents, a special aunt and uncle, and my former wife, Shirley. Their devotion, love and understanding enabled me to pursue my goal. 1 V Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNÜWLEDGEMEN1S ............................ ill LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS ..................................... vx ABSTRAC T .................................... vi i INTRODUCTION .......................................... ix CHAPTER I. "I want Baton Rouge and Port Hudson...." . 1 II. "Everything is fair, they say, in love and w a r . " ............................... 11 III. “Spades are trumps'...." .......... 51 IV. "The time has come, there can be no more delay." ..... 97 V. "...there is no use in trying to dodge God Almighty." ................ ....... 121 VI. “...the object of the expedition is accomplished." ................................ 166 VII. "The enemy are coming, but mark you, many a one will get to hell before he ooes to Port Hudson. " ....... ...... 202 VIII. "The valley of the shadow of death. " .. 225 IX. “We are poorly led and uselessly slaughtered, and the brains are all wichin and not 'before Port Hudson. " . 253 X. "They fought splendidly!" .......... ..... 285 BIBLIOGRAPHY ................................................ 295 VITA ......................................................... 316 V Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY ................... ...... 4 from Bsttles and Leaders of the Civi1 War PORI HUDSON S ENVIRONS.................................. by the author