zel, while
Weitzel, who had studied to the last point every detail of the
topography and of the plan, stayed behind as the third in command
of the column destined to butt its nose against the breastworks of
Bisland and wait for the real work to be done a day's march on
their farther side.

Grover has been often criticised and much misunderstood for alleged
over-caution and for taking the wrong direction after quitting the
borders of the lake. Both criticisms are unjust. Generals, like
other men, act according to their temperaments. In the whole war
no braver man than Grover ever rode at the head of a division, nor
any more zealous, more alert, more untiring in his duty. No troops
of his ever went into battle but he was with them. But he was by
nature cautious, and the adventure was essentially one that called
for boldness. Moreover, he was by nature conscientious. That his
orders, based as they were on misinformation of a date much later
than Weitzel's intelligence, required him to land at Irish Bend
instead of at Indian Bend, as first arranged, and to march on
Franklin instead of toward the Cypremort, was not his affair.
Surely no soldier is to be blamed, least of all in combined and
complex operations, for choosing to obey the clearly expressed
orders of those set over him, rather than to follow the illusory
inspirations of the will-o'-the-wisp commonly mistaken for genius.

As for the orders themselves, they were correct upon the information
at hand when they were given and the state of affairs then existing.
To land at Madame Porter's and to seize the roads at Franklin was
better than to go farther afield to gain the same end; for the
distance was less, and while on the march Grover was enabled to
offer his front instead of his flank to the enemy. But the
information proved inexact; when Madame Porter's road was tried it
was found impassable, and with this and the unforeseen delays it
happened that the orders became inapplicable.

(1) According to the regimental history (MS.), 4 officers and 22
men killed; 5 officers and 76 men wounded; 11 men missing; in all,
118: of the wounded, 2 officers and 10 men mortally.

CHAPTER XII.
OPELOUSAS.

Cooke, after detaching the _Clifton_ to go up the Teche after the
_Diana_, as already related, remained at anchor in Grand Lake
opposite Grover's landing-place and awaited developments. He had
not long to wait. The first news of Banks's movement across Berwick
B