Battle at Fort Bisland
Union General Nathaniel Banks mission was to capture Port Hudson, Louisiana. His army was opposed by Confederates led by Richard Taylor. On the way to Port Hudson via Alexandria, Banks and his army won a victory at the Battle of Fort Bisland.
From a Seneca County, New York newspaper in 1863:
From the 160th Regiment.
The Canandaigua Repository, of this week, publishes a letter from Capt. HENRY MOORE, of the 160th Regiment, dated New Iberia, La., April 26th, 1863. He gives an account of the fighting of the army under Gen. BANKS, from Brashear city to Opelousas, a distance of 110 miles. Capt. MOORE says that during the engagement on Monday afternoon, April 13th, “Co. E lost one of the bravest and best of soldiers, poor Barney McGraw, a piece of shell striking him on the forehead, after which he never uttered a word, but died in a few minutes. He has a brother, a Captain in the 33d N.Y. – Barney was killed just as we had the order to lie down; we were then supporting the 6th Massachusetts Battery.”
Deceased was one of the number recruited in this village last fall, by Lieut. JAMES GRAY.
“one of the bravest and best of soldiers”
Here’s how the 160th’s Lieutenant Colonel summarized the operation around Fort Bisland:
This expedition moved from Brasher City up to the mouth of the Atchafalaya, skirmishing with the enemy in its progress. Here the troops were landed, and moving forward soon found the enemy posted in and around some sugar houses. They were dislodged by our artillery, and retreated in the night with considerable loss.
The brigade pursued for several miles, when the enemy was again found in a strongly fortified and entrenched position. A severe artillery engagement ensued, lasting till far into the night, the enemy shooting pieces of railroad iron, old flat irons, spikes and nails. During the night the rebels again “skedaddled,” leaving us masters of the field. They left a great quantity of stores and ammunition and four cannon, which our forces secured.
Lieut. McDonough thus speaks of a loss in his company:
” I learned that one of the boys of my company, who had marched up with such buoyant spirits in the morning, had ‘fought his last battle.’ He laid on his face, and I supposed he had gone to sleep. But he had been struck by a piece of shell on the head, which killed him instantly. His name is BARNARD MCGRAW, brother of Capt. Patrick McGraw, of Seneca Falls, of the 33d N. Y. V. No better or braver soldier fell that day. He was much beloved and his death will be greatly regretted by all who knew him. May the Lord in his tender mercy comfort his widowed mother in her affliction.”
