d so long as she remained in
sight. Hospitable little maiden of Grand Coteau, may you never have
graver fault to confess than the innocent caress you bestowed on the
stranger!

It was to this earthly paradise, and upon this simple race, that the war
came, like the tree of the knowledge of evil to our early parents.

Some weeks before I reached my new field, General Van Dorn, who
commanded the Confederate forces east of the Mississippi, had
successfully resisted a bombardment of Vicksburg by Federal gunboats,
during which the Confederate ram Arkansas, descending the Yazoo River,
passed through the enemy's fleet, inflicting some damage and causing
much alarm, and anchored under the guns of Vicksburg. To follow up this
success, Van Dorn sent General Breckenridge with a division against
Baton Rouge, the highest point on the river above New Orleans then held
by the Federals, and the Arkansas was to descend to cooeperate in the
attack. Breckenridge reached Baton Rouge at the appointed time,
assaulted, and was repulsed after a severe action; but the Arkansas,
disabled by an accident to her machinery, was delayed, and, learning of
Breckenridge's failure, her commander ran her ashore on the west bank of
the river a few miles above Baton Rouge, and destroyed her.
Strengthening their garrison in this town, the Federals employed many
steamers on the river between it and New Orleans, a hundred and twenty
miles, armed vessels of Farragut's fleet guarding the stream. From time
to time parties of infantry were landed to plunder and worry the
peaceful inhabitants, though after the fall of New Orleans no
Confederate forces had been on that part of the river, and no resistance
was made by the people.

Two days were passed at Opelousas in consultation with Governor Moore,
who transferred to me several small bodies of State troops which he had
organized. Alexandria on the Red River, some seventy-five miles north of
Opelousas, was the geographical center of the State and of steam
navigation, and the proper place for the headquarters of the district.
To escape the intense heat, I rode the distance in a night, and remained
some days at Alexandria, engaged in the organization of necessary staff
departments and in providing means of communication with different parts
of the State. Great distances and the want of railway and telegraph
lines made this last a heavy burden. Without trained officers, my
presence was required at every threatened po