he
leg, captain, and dey want me to go to de hospital, but I guess I
can gib 'em some more yet." I could go on filling your columns
with startling facts of this kind, but I hope I have told enough
to prove that we can hereafter rely upon black arms as well as
white in crushing this internal rebellion. I long ago told you
there was an army of 250,000 men ready to leap forward in defence
of freedom at the first call. You know where to find them and
what they are worth.

"'Although repulsed in an attempt which--situated as things
were--was all but impossible, these regiments, though badly cut
up, are still on hand, and burning with a passion ten times
hotter from their fierce baptism of blood. Who knows, but that it
is a black hand which shall first plant the standard of the
Republic upon the doomed ramparts of Port Hudson?"[101]

The official report of Gen. Banks is given in full. It shows the
disposition of the troops, and applauds the valor of the Colored
regiments.

"HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE GULF, }
"BEFORE PORT HUDSON, May 30, 1863. }

"_Major-General H: W. Halleck, General-in-Chief, Washington._

"GENERAL:--Leaving Sommesport on the Atchafalaya, where my
command was at the date of my last dispatch, I landed at Bayou
Sara at two o'clock on the morning of the 21st.

"A portion of the infantry were transported in steamers, and the
balance of the infantry, artillery, cavalry, and wagon-train
moving down on the west bank of the river, and from this to Bayou
Sara.

"On the 23d a junction was effected with the advance of
Major-General Augur and Brigadier-General Sherman, our line
occupying the Bayou Sara road at a distance five miles from Port
Hudson.

"Major-General Augur had an encounter with a portion of the enemy
on the Bayou Sara road in the direction of Baton Rouge, which
resulted in the repulse of the enemy, with heavy loss.

"On the 25th the enemy was compelled to abandon his first line of
works.

"General Weitzel's brigade, which had covered our rear in the
march from Alexandria, joined us on the 26th, and on the morning
of the 27th a general assault was made upon the fortifications.

"The artillery opened fire between 5 and 6 o'clock, which was
continued with a