Memoir 1, Page 50, Battle of Port Hudson

"Let the battles of Port Hudson tell it."

The Battle of Port Hudson (May 22-July 9, 1863) was one of the longest sieges of the war and the last effort made by the Union to reclaim the Mississippi River. On May 27, 1863, following a naval bombardment of the Confederate works, Union General Nathaniel Banks ordered a direct infantry assault. Following a fierce defense in which the Union advance was completely halted, brigade commander General William Dwight ordered the African American 1st and 3rd Louisiana Native Guards into battle. The regiment advanced fearlessly, retreating only in the face of complete annihilation and the death of their commander, Captain Andre Cailloux, a free black resident of New Orleans. Like the attacks on Fort Wagner in North Carolina, this assault was crucial in undermining and reshaping Northern distrust in African American soldiers.