he night a steamboat passed the Bend, and Gen. Dennis availed
himself of the opportunity of sending to Admiral Porter for
assistance. The gun-boats, "Choctaw" and "Lexington" were despatched
to Milliken's Bend from Helena. As the "Choctaw" was coming in sight,
at 3 o'clock in the morning, the rebels made their first charge on the
Federal earthworks, filling the air with their vociferous cries: "No
_quarter!_" to Negroes and their officers. The Negro troops had just
been recruited, and hence knew little or nothing of the manual or use
of arms. But the desperation with which they fought has no equal in
the annals of modern wars. The enemy charged the works with desperate
fury, but were checked by a deadly fire deliberately delivered by the
troops within. The enemy fell back and charged the flanks of the Union
columns, and, by an enfilading fire, drove them back toward the river,
where they sought the protection of the gun-boats. The "Choctaw"
opened a broadside upon the exulting foe, and caused him to beat a
hasty retreat. The Negro troops were ordered to charge, and it was
reported by a "Tribune" correspondent that many of the Union troops
were killed before the gun-boats could be signalled to "_cease
firing_." The following description of the battle was given by an
eye-witness of the affair, and a gentleman of exalted character:

"My informant states that a force of about one thousand negroes
and two hundred men of the Twenty-third Iowa, belonging to the
Second brigade, Carr's division (the Twenty-third Iowa had been
up the river with prisoners, and was on its way back to this
place), was surprised in camp by a rebel force of about two
thousand men. The first intimation that the commanding officer
received was from one of the black men, who went into the
colonel's tent and said: 'Massa, the secesh are in camp.' The
colonel ordered him to have the men load their guns at once. He
instantly replied: 'We have done did dat now, massa.' Before the
colonel was ready, the men were in line, ready for action. As
before stated, the rebels drove our force toward the gun-boats,
taking colored men prisoners and murdering them. This so enraged
them that they rallied and charged the enemy more heroically and
desperately than has been recorded during the war. It was a
genuine bayonet charge, a hand-to-hand fight, that has never
occurred to any extent du