Newspapers: Fort Beauregard: A Romantic History, Part II; LaSalle Parish, La. Submitted by Jack Willis Date: 16 Oct 2004 Source: From the Jena Times - Olla Tullos Signal, Grass Roots and Cockleburrs...Date: 22 Aug 2001 ************************************************ Submitted to the LAGenWeb Archives ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** *********************************************** Fort Beauregard : A Romantic History Part II: Attack In early 1863, Fort Beauregard located on the lofty heights above the Village of Harrison burg, was occupied by a garrison under the able command of a Colonel George W. Logan, and the fort was the major obstacle to Union forces ascending the Ouachita River. Rear Admiral David D. Porter was desirous to capture Columbia and Monroe; both considered valuable "sesesh" supply depots and this was the reasoning behind dispatching Commander S. E. Woodworth, based at Natchez, MS., with three gunboats in an attempt to subdue and capture the garrison and armament atop Fort Beauregard. As Woodworth was in the process of steaming up the Ouachita River, he encountered and started pursuing two Rebel gunboats, but being lighter and faster, the Rebel craft managed to escape him, so when Woodworth reached the mouth of Brushley Bayou, about a mile below Harrisonburg he dropped anchor, and for good reason. Through the lens of his binoculars he observed a battery of three-inch rifles and a howitzer zeroed in on his vessel, while also noting the formidable defenses presented to him. According to traditional accounts, earlier in the war Brigadier General C.J. Polignac had been dispatched to make a survey of the heights above the river to use in the planning of battlement defenses of Harrisonburg. Polignac was no novice as an engineer, and was a personal friend of General P.G.T. Beauregard, for whom the fort was named. Camille Armand Jules Marie, Prince de Polignac was born on February 16,183 at Millemont, Seine-et-Oise, France to a mother who was English and a father who was a prominent member of French society. Polignac attended St. Stanislaus College, later winning a European-wide math competition and happened to be in Central America exploring, and studying fauna and flora when the War broke out, and knowing from early correspondence with General Beauregard that war was imminent, had written offering his services in March before hostilities began on April 12th, 1861.He had to enter the United States by wayof New York and make his way south through enemy lines to enlist in the C.S.A. He served with distinction at the Battles of Shiloh and Corrinth and then served under Bragg in Kentucky. In November of 1863 he was reassigned to duty at Richmond, Virginia, the capitol of the Confederacy, and became a fast friend and confidante of Jefferson Davis, sharing art and literature with his wife Varina, and often met in the War Room for strategy sessions with Davis, Judah P. Benjamin, Samuel Cooper, Stephen Mallory and J.E.B. Stuart. Meanwhile, realizing the futility of attacking the fort head on, Woodworth dispatched Lieutenant William Fowler under a flag of truce to the fort. A Captain Benton and a Lieutenant Blanchard met Lieutenant Fowler. Colonel Logan remained within the confines of the fort in readiness lest there be any "Yankee tricks" involved; but nothing of that nature occurred Lieutenant Fowler arrogantly demanded the immediate surrender of Fort Beauregard and the Town of Harrisonburg, and further avowed that if his demands were not complied with, bombardment would start within one hour. He also suggests evacuating the women and children from the area because nothing would be spared, with Captain Benton replying that Fort Beauregard would be defended at all costs, and that the women and children had already been evacuated. Lieutenant Fowler returned to the Pittsburg, the flagship of the small fleet, where the Lieutenant reported the Rebel reply to Commander Woolworth. About the middle of the morning, precisely one hour later, on May10, 1863 the bombardment began, and continued until sunset on May 11th.1863 with these events occurring exactly one week before the Siege of Vicksburg began. The Pittsburg was the largest of the three gunboats, and this particular ironclad sported light brown striped smokestacks that were 33 feet tall, unlike her two sister ships whose stacks were 28 feet tall. She was a City of Cairo class of fighting ship, 174 feet long, a 51' 2" beam and only drafting six feet of water. The Rebels were not intimidated by the two-day shelling, and the damage done to the fort was negligible and at first, the Confederates attempted to return the Yankee's salvos, but immediately noted that their rounds were falling far short of their objectives so they decided to hold their fire in hopes the gunboats would advance within range of their meager artillery, but Commander Woodworth chose to retire to fight another day. Having failed to either capture Fort Beauregard or bluff Colonel Logan into surrendering, Woodworth withdrew to Natchez to await further orders turning his mission into a total failure; Fort Beauregard remained intact and the two Rebel gunboats, which had started it all, escaped, up the Ouachita River. With the fall of Vicksburg on July 4th, 1863, a jubilant President Abraham Lincoln was quoted, "The Father of Waters goes unvexed to the sea." Five days later the C.S.A.'s 6000-man garrison at Port Hudson struck their colors and Federal advances in the west in1863 sounded the death knell for the Confederacy. By now the North was really getting mobilized for war. The Union forces were now ready to begin pursuing other goals such as capturing the little upstart fort nestled on a hilltop up the Ouachita River. And too, they were ready to assault Columbia and Monroe, where they hoped to find great stores of cotton and munitions enabling them then to be able to deploy troops and equipment to North Louisiana by boat. Pursuant to these objectives, well-rested troops freed up from the siege at Vicksburg had been mobilized at Natchez and on September1st, began marching towards Trinity. General M.M. Crocker planned to use elements of Wisconsin and Ohio mounted infantry, cavalry and artillery in a land attack with Crocker given direct orders to capture the fort, whether by direct assault or siege so by September 7th, Crocker had amassed 15,000 troops consisting of 400 cavalrymen, and a full company of artillerymen with a compliment of field pieces. The Rebels, with a total of 3,000 poorly equipped infantrymen, could do little more than delay the Yankees until Colonel Logan could devise a strategy. Realizing the hopelessness of resisting such a formidable force with only 40 artillerymen, many of which were weakened by malaria and malnutrition, the decision was made to destroy everything in the fort of value, and execute a strategic withdrawal. They abandoned the fort under the cover of darkness, and when the Union forces entered Harrisonburg at 10:30 a.m. on September 4th, they found both the town and fort deserted. Fires in the fort were still burning, but the Rebels had slipped out taking their horses, transportation and provisions with them.This was not yet the end of Fort Beauregard as a Confederate stronghold. Early in 1864 enter Brigadier General C.J. Polignac who had been assigned a brigade of cavalry by Commanding C.S.A. General Richard "Dick" Taylor and ordered to rid the east central Louisiana area of "jayhawkers" and Union sympathizers. Being already familiar with the fort, he utilized it as a base while he sought to carry out his mission engaging in several skirmishes with Union forces in the Trinity area. Thus Fort Beauregard was back in Rebel hands and remained so until the end of the War. Today it is a silent memorial to the heroes in Gray who defended it, and to Generals Beauregard and Polignac. All is quiet on Fort Beauregard today. Tall stately pines, symbols of grace and solemnity, allow the breezes to waft through their branches and create a sad refrain, while below the Ouachita is just another river flowing towards the sea. GR&C[8-21-01](Rev.5-04) JMW