Click 👉Today in History (general history) Oct. 27.
On This Day in Confederate History, Oct. 27.
Col. Franklin H. Clack, 33rd La. Inf.
(Special Collections, Washington & Lee University)
1862: The Battle of Georgia Landing, La. took place along Bayou Lafourche when Maj. Gen. B enjamin "Beast" Butler sent Brig. Gen. Godfrey Weitzel with 4,000 bluecoats to clear the Confederates out of the district. Brig. Gen. Alfred Mouton with about 1,300 Confederates, including conscripts and militia, to defend the bayou. Weitzel's had with him the 12th Conn. Inf., 13th Conn. Inf., 1st La. Cav. (Union), 8th N.H. Inf., and 75th N.Y. Inf. Mouton had the Shiloh veterans of the 18th La. Inf., the Crescent Regiment, the newly organized 33rd La. Inf., commanded by Shiloh veteran Col. Franklin H. Clack, the 2nd La. Cav., the Terrebonne State Militia, Semmes Battery, and Ralston's Battery. Here is Mouton's report on the battle: "I have the honor of submitting the following report of the movements preceding and following the engagement of the 27th October 1862, and details relative thereto. Late on the 25th of October, 1862, I received information that the gunboats and transports of the enemy were moving up the river slowly and cautiously and that in all likelihood they would soon be at Donaldsonville. They arrived there on the evening of the 25th and commenced landing troops, completing the landing on the 26th. Immediately I moved to Donaldsonville and found that our troops at that point had fallen back, under the command of Colonel [W. G.] Vincent [2nd La. Cav.], to the Racconici, in the parish of Assumption, about 12 miles from Donaldsonville. Colonel Vincent informed me that from all the information he had obtained the enemy numbered from 2,500 to 3,000 infantry, 250 cavalrymen, and two batteries of field artillery. To oppose this force, which was mainly on the left descending bank of La Fourche, Colonel Vincent had only 600 infantry and about 250 cavalrymen, with Semmes’ field battery. The disparity was so great that I deemed it my duty to recede until the re-enforcements I had ordered up arrived, and accordingly fell back to the plantation of Mr. Winn, 2 miles above Labadieville, where the Eighteenth and Crescent Regiments and Ralston’s battery reached me at about 2 p.m., coming in from Berwick Bay and Bayou Boeuf, where they were stationed. I had also ordered the Terre Bonne regiment militia forward, and they arrived at about 8 a. m. On the 27th Faries’ battery was ordered up, but it reached me only on the morning of the 28th. The columns of the enemy were advancing on both banks in about equal force, and in consequence, to prevent being outflanked, it became necessary to hold positions on both sides of the bayou. The Eighteenth and Crescent, supported by Ralston’s battery, were placed on the right descending bank, and the Terre Bonne regiment moved over to the left bank.
"The enemy moved down about equally strong on both banks, his force being from 1,500 to 1,800 on each side. The column on the right bank pressed on more speedily than that on the left and approached our line of battle at about 9 a.m. near the road leading into the settlement called Texas, in Assumption. Our forces, though much inferior in numbers, resisted their onward march and effectually succeeded in checking them, until, unfortunately, Ralston’s battery was so severely injured by the enemies, and their ammunition giving out, they were compelled to fall back, which was done in some confusion, owing to the loss of their commander. I then took position about a mile and a half below, at Labadieville, at about 4 p.m., and awaited the advance of the enemy. This retrograde movement was rendered the more necessary from the fact that the enemy was crossing troops on the pontoon bridge to the right bank and there, massing forces. Immediately I also threw across part of the infantry stationed on the left; and at the close of the day the force of the enemy numbered about 2,000 infantry, 100 cavalry, and a battery, while my own barely reached 1,000, including infantry, cavalry, and artillery."
Maj. Gen. Charles Field
1864: The Second Battle of Fair Oaks and Darbytown Road, Va. took place this day. Maj. Gen. Benjamin F. "Beast" Butler commanded two corps, the X and XVIII, in the battle. Lt. Gen. James Longstreet commanded for the Confederates but only had to use Maj. Gen. Charles W. Field's Division to easily repulse the Federal attack. Federal casualties totaled 1,603 and the Confederates lost only 100 in all categories.
Here's an excerpt from General Longstreet's report on that action: "Hardly had Field located himself when an attack in very heavy force was attempted on his front over the open ground on each side of the Williamsburg Road. This was repulsed with ease and small loss to ourselves but with heavy loss to the enemy in killed, wounded, and prisoners. Major Johnson’s artillery assisted materially in this success. No other effort was made by the enemy at this point, and only heavy artillery fire kept up for about an hour. In the meanwhile, [Brig. Gen. Martin W.] Gary had moved a part of the way over to the Nine-Mile Road when he sent word to me that no enemy had appeared on that road, and that his scouts reported none as being about. He was then ordered to return and attack the force in front of Field on the flank. While in the execution of these orders, he received information that the enemy was attacking the small force picketing the Nine-Mile Road, and he withdrew his command to their assistance. Moving with promptness he arrived only in time to see his small squadron driven out of the salient at that part of the line by the heavy ordnance of the enemy’s skirmishers, supported by a large force in the line of battle and about 100 yards from the works. A piece of artillery had been captured. Immediately forming his lines at right angles with the works, Gary charged down them, taking the enemy in flank, routing them, and recapturing the piece of artillery. This was accomplished with such rapidity that our loss was but slight."
Confederate General Birthdays, Oct. 27.
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