der."

In the evening the generals of division met in council at headquarters.
In anticipation of what was to come, Dudley had already been ordered
to send the 50th Massachusetts, and Charles J. Paine the 48th
Massachusetts, to Dwight; and Dudley himself, with the 161st and
174th New York, was to report to Grover. This left under Augur's
immediate command only five regiments of his division, namely, one,
the 30th Massachusetts, of Dudley's brigade, and four of C. J.
Paine's. Shortly before midnight a general assault was ordered
for the following morning. At a quarter before three Augur was to
open a heavy fire of artillery on his front, following it up half
and hour later by a feigned attack of skirmishers. Dwight was to
take two regiments, and, with a pair of suborned deserters for
guides, was to try and find an entrance on the extreme left of the
works near the river. But the main attack was to be made by Grover
on the priest-cap. Its position is shown on the map at XV. and
XVI., and the approach was to be from the cover of the winding
ravine, near the second position of Duryea's battery, at No. 12.
The artillery cross-fire at this point was to begin at three o'clock,
and was to cease at a signal from Grover. At half-past three the
skirmishers were to attack. The general formation of each of the
two columns of attack had been settled in orders issued from
headquarters on the morning of the 11th. Each column, assumed to
consist of about 2,000 men, was to be preceded and covered by 300
skirmishers; immediately behind the skirmishers were to be seventy
pioneers, carrying thirty-five axes, eighteen shovels, ten pickaxes,
two handsaws, and two hatchets; next was to come the forlorn hope,
or storming party, of 300 men, each carrying a bag stuffed with
cotton; following the stormers, thirty-four men were to carry
the balks and chesses to form a bridge over the ditch, in order
to facilitate the passage of the artillery, as well as of the
men. The main assaulting column was to follow, marching in
lines-of-battle, as far as the nature of the ground would permit,
which, as it happened, was not far. The field-artillery was to go
with the assaulting column, each battery having its own pioneers.
To the cavalry, meanwhile, was assigned the work of picketing and
protecting the rear, as well as of holding the telegraph road
leading out of Port Hudson toward Bayou Sara, by which it was
thought the garrison might attempt to