e. The attacking force had flanked
the works and was pouring in a deadly, enfilading musketry fire. The
defenders fell back out of the way of the gunboat's shells, but finally
went forward again with what was left of their 150 white allies, and
drove the enemy before them and out of the captured works. One division
of the enemy's troops hesitated to leave a redoubt, when a company of
brave black men dashed forward at double-quick time and engaged them.
The enemy stood his ground, and soon the rattling bayonets rang out amid
the thunders of the gunboats and the shouts of enraged men; but they
were finally driven out, and their ranks thinned by the "Choctaw" as
they went over the works. The news reached General Grant and he
immediately dispatched General Mower's brigade with orders to re-enforce
Dennis and drive the confederates beyond the Tensas river.

A battle can be best described by one who observed it. Captain Miller,
who not only was an eye-witness, but participated in the Milliken's Bend
fight, writes as follows:

"We were attacked here on June 7, about three o'clock in the
morning, by a brigade of Texas troops, about two thousand
five hundred in number. We had about six hundred men to
withstand them, five hundred of them negroes. I commanded
Company I, Ninth Louisiana. We went into the fight with
thirty-three men. I had sixteen killed, eleven badly
wounded, and four slightly. I was wounded slightly on the
head, near the right eye, with a bayonet, and had a bayonet
run through my right hand, near the forefinger; that will
account for this miserable style of penmanship.

"Our regiments had about three hundred men in the fight. We
had one colonel wounded, four captains wounded, two first
and two second lieutenants killed, five lieutenants wounded,
and three white orderlies killed, and one wounded in the
hand, and two fingers taken off. The list of killed and
wounded officers comprised nearly all the officers present
with the regiment, a majority of the rest being absent
recruiting."

[Illustration: BATTLE OF MILLIKEN'S BEND]

"We had about fifty men killed in the regiment and eighty
wounded; so you can judge of what part of the fight my
company sustained. I never felt more grieved and sick at
heart, than when I saw how my brave soldiers had been
slaughtered,--one with six wounds, all the rest wit