r. Augur covered the front of the position taken up by the
enemy after the battle of Plains Store. On the same day, the 22d,
Sherman came up the river, landed at Springfield, and went into
position on the Bayou Sara road on Augur's left. Thus at night on
the 22d the garrison of Port Hudson was practically hemmed in.

On the 18th, Banks had ordered Augur to march with his whole
disposable force to the rear of Port Hudson to prevent the escape
of the garrison. As early as the 13th of May, while yet the plan
of campaign was in suspense, Augur had sent Grierson with the
cavalry and Dudley with his brigade to Merritt's plantation, near
the junction of the Springfield Landing and Bayou Sara roads, to
threaten the enemy and discover his movements. Dudley then took
post near White's Bayou, a branch of the Comite, and remained in
observation, covering the road to Clinton and the fork that leads
to Jackson. On the 20th of May Augur moved the remainder of his
force up to Dudley, in order to be ready to cover T. W. Sherman's
landing at Springfield, as well as to meet the advance of the main
column under Banks from Bayou Sara, now likely to occur at any
moment. With Augur now were Dudley, Chapin, Grierson, Godfrey's
squadron composed of troops C and E of the Louisiana cavalry, two
sections of Rawles's battery, Holcomb's battery, and one section
of Mack's commanded by Sergeant A. W. McCollin. At six o'clock on
the morning of the 21st of May Augur marched toward the crossing
of the Plains Store and Bayou Sara roads to seize the enemy's line
of retreat and to open the way for Banks. When Grierson came to
the edge of the wood that forms the southern boundary of the plain,
his advance fell in with a detachment of the garrison under Colonel
S. P. Powers of the 14th Arkansas regiment, and a brisk skirmish
followed. The same afternoon Gardner sent out Miles, with his
battalion, about 400 strong, and Boone's battery, to feel Augur's
advance and perhaps to drive it away. This brought on the action
known as the battle of Plains Store. Unfortunately, no complete
reports of the affair were made and the regimental narratives are
meagre.

In the heavy forest that then masked the crossroads and formed the
western border of the plain, Miles met Augur moving into position;
Dudley, on the right of the road that leads from Plains Store to
Port Hudson, supporting Holcomb's guns, and Chapin on the left
supporting Rawles's guns. For about