attention of the enemy and serve to
relieve the pressure in Weitzel's front.

Grover was thus left with five regiments to support the left centre,
to reinforce either the right or left, and to support the right
flank of the reserve artillery, or to force his way into the works,
as occasion might require.

Augur, holding the centre, with Dudley's brigade forming his right
and Chapin his left, and Sherman, at the extreme left, separated
from Augur by a thick wood, were to begin the attack during the
cannonade by advancing their skirmishers to kill the enemy's
cannoneers and to cover the assault. They were to place their
troops in position to take instant advantage of any favorable
opportunity, and, if possible, to force the enemy's works at the
earliest moment.

Each division commander was to provide his own means for passing
the ditch. These, for the most part, consisted of cotton bags,
fascines, and planks borne by detachments of men, furnished by
detail or by volunteering.

It will be observed that no time was fixed for the assault of either
column nor any provision made to render the several attacks
simultaneous. Moreover, although the order wound up with the
emphatic declaration that "Port Hudson must be taken to-morrow,"
an impression prevailed in the minds of at least two of the division
commanders that there were still to be reconnoissances by the
engineers, and that upon the results of these would depend the
selection of the points of attack.

There were no roads along the front or rear of the investing army,
and the only means by which communication was maintained between
the left, the centre, and the right was either by wide detours or
through dense and unknown woods and thickets. It was impossible
to see the troops in front or rear or on either flank. On no part
of the line was either division in sight of the other.

The forest approached within 250 yards at the nearest point on
Weitzel's front, within 450 yards on Grover's, within 500 yards on
Augur's, and within 1,200 yards on Sherman's front. The field to
be passed over was partly the cleared land of the plantations,
crossed by fences and hedges, but in many places, especially on
Augur's approach, the timber had been recently felled, and, lying
thick upon the ground, made a truly formidable obstacle.

The morning of the 27th of May broke bright and beautiful. As the
early twilight began to open out along the entire front the artillery
beg