on of the
17th to cover Weitzel's withdrawal, and then dropped down to the
mouth of Red River and the head of the Atchafalaya. The Confederates
slowly followed Weitzel at some distance, observing his movements,
and, on the morning of the 20th, attacked his pickets. Then Bean,
who commanded Weitzel's advanced guard, consisting of his own 4th
Wisconsin, mounted, the 12th Connecticut, and all the cavalry,
threw off the attack and pursued the Confederates nearly to
Cheneyville, where Barrett, advancing too boldly after the main
body had halted, was cut off, with a detachment of seventeen of
his troop, and, finding himself surrounded, was forced to surrender.
Barrett himself and several of his men afterwards succeeded in
making their escape. The attacking party of the Confederates
consisted of Lane's regiment, fresh from Texas, Waller's battalion,
and a part of Sibley's brigade, with a battery of artillery.

On the morning of the 22d, Weitzel, having completed the object
of his halt at Murdock's plantation, marched at a stretch the
thirty-four miles to Simmesport without further molestation, and
arriving there on the morning of the 23d, at once began the crossing.

Chickering marched from Barre's Landing on the morning of the 21st
of May. His force consisted of his own regiment, the 41st
Massachusetts, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Sargent and mounted
on prairie horses, the 52d Massachusetts, the 22d Maine, the
26th Maine, the 90th New York, the 114th New York, under
Lieutenant-Colonel Per Lee, Company E of the 13th Connecticut, and
Snow's section of Nims's battery.

The 90th New York, Colonel Joseph S. Morgan, was among the older
regiments in the Department of the Gulf, having been mustered into
the service in December, 1861. In January, 1862, it went to Florida
with Brannan, on his appointment to command the Department of Key
West; and in June, 1862, it formed the garrison of Fort Jefferson
on the Dry Tortugas and of Key West; in November it was relieved
by the 47th Pennsylvania, and joined Seymour's brigade on Port
Royal Island, South Carolina. In March, 1863, it was back at Key
West. There both regiments remained together until May. Meanwhile
the district, then commanded by Woodbury, had been transferred from
the Department of the South to the Department of the Gulf by orders
from the War Office dated the 16th of March. These Banks received
on the 10th of April, just before leaving Brashear, and as soon as