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The history of 162nd New York Volunteer Infantry

The various reconnoissances having developed a great disparity in the numbers of the opposing forces- not less than 50,000 Rebel soldiers being in and about Port Hudson, while Gen. Banks army was less than 30,000, all told, and Farragut having executed his famous attempt to run the batteries - it was determined to postpone, for the time, further demonstrations against the formidable defenses of the place. The Army was, accordingly, withdrawn. April 1st, the 162d left Baton Rouge for Algiers, by the steamer St. Maurice, where it arrived on the following day, and remained until the 8th, when, with the army, it was transferred by the New Orleans,Opelousas and Great Western Railroad, to Brashear City, the terminus of the road. On the morning of the 9th,the 162d crossed to Berwick City, opposite Brashear City.

Here was organized the well known Tech Expedition. April 11th, the Army, Gen. Weitzel's Brigade leading, moved on Fort Bisland, 15 miles above Berwick City. Fort Bisland is a line of breastworks thrown up between Bayou Teche and a swamp, about half a mile distant; protected by a ditch, 15 feet wide, which made scaling difficult.

On Sunday, April 12th, the 162d was deployed as skirmishers along the edge of the woods on the left. It advanced in this manner several miles, through corn and canefields, or over ploughed ground, most fatiguing to the men, who carried heavy knapsacks, not having yet learned how expedient it was to carry on such service only overcoats and blankets.Line of battle was formed several times, in expectation of attack from the wood. Finally, all the Brigades were formed in line of battle- each extending over half a mile of ground- Weitzel's Brigade in the advance, Paine's 2d, Ingraham's 3d, and Gooding's 4th, About 4 P.M. the action fairly commenced, the batteries being in position on each flank of the first 3 Brigades, After an Artillery duel of a couple of hours' duration, firing nearly ceased, At 7 P.M. the 162d was ordered to support Mack's Battery (the 18th N.Y.), in a grove on the edge of the Bayou, as it was apprehended that the Diana, a gunboat captured from us, might come down the Bayou and annoy us during the night. She had, in fact, done a principal part of the fighting on the Rebel side during the afternoon. Piles had been driven across the Bayou by the Rebels, to prevent our gunboats coming to us.  The Rebel sharp-shooters had occupied, and still continued to occupy a number of negro cabins and other outbuildings, this side of their fortifications.  The Diana, from half a mile up the Bayou, kept up a desultory firing through the night.  In the mean time, Gen. Grover had crossed the Teche and gone up on the other side, intending to recross at some convenient point above, and march down.  Mistaking the road, he did not cross just where he had contemplated, and was, moreover, somewhat delayed, and found himself constrained to fight a severe battle at Irish Bend, a little above Franklin.  At daybreak the action was resumed by the Artillery.  During the morning the sharp-shooters of the enemy were dislodged, by the demolition of the buildings that had sheltered them.  About 3 P.M. the Infantry commenced firing, and made an unsuccessful assault.  At 6 P.M. the 162d was detached from the Brigade, and ordered to report to Gen. Weitzel at the extreme front.  Lt. Col. Blanchard, who commanded, directed Adjutant Leonard to report to Gen. Weitzel and receive his orders which were,  to deploy four companies as pickets, along the edge of the woods, and the remaining six companies to be held in reserve; establishing themselves on the left of the first line of battle.  The enemy threw a few shells, to oppose the regiment in taking its position.  During the night the enemy made a hurried retreat, abandoning provisions, and nearly every thing besides.  The camps were left standing, and some of the officers' quarters, built of cane, were quite commodious, and exhibited decided pretensions to elegance in construction.  Between Gen. Banks' close pursuit of the enemy and Gen. Grover's convenient position at Franklin, about 2,000 prisoners fell into our hands.  Halting for the night at Franklin, where four companies of the regiment were detailed for provost duty in the town, preparations were made for a vigorous pursuit of the enemy.  At this place Col. Ingraham was obliged to turn back, on account of severe and increasing illness.  He had been compelled to travel in an ambulance the day previous. 

Just above Fort Bisland the Diana was found, totally destroyed, and further up, the Hart was discovered in a similar condition - the Queen of the West was captured.

Texans, and troops raised in Western Louisiana, constituted the Rebel army doing duty in this part of the State.  The prisoners exhibited a most hostile and revengeful disposition.  So many sullen and vindictive countenances have rarely been seen together.  There was much ill-feeling apparent between the Texans and Louisiana troops; the Texans not relishing fighting for the Louisianians. There were a number of half-blood Indians among the Texans.

The Brigade at this time was reduced to two regiments - the 110th and 162d N. Y., Col. Sage commanding, - the 4th Mass. and 16th N. H. having been left to garrison Brashear City.

Adjutant Leonard picked up in one of the abandoned quarters an order, signed by the Rebel Chief of Artillery, in which, after expressing regret for the defective character of the shells, he directed that perfect ones only should be used at short range.  This may, to a degree, account for the small loss sustained by our troops - very few of the shells thrown by the enemy exploded.

At 4 A. M. of the 16th, the Army was again in motion, and about mid-day reached New Iberia, picking up on the way about 300 prisoners.  After halting for an hour, the Infantry pushed on, the Cavalry in the mean time having had a skirmish in front, losing three or four, the enemy ten or twelve.  At the cross-roads, one of which led to the Salt Works, and the other to Opelousas, and on which the skirmish occurred, the 162d was ordered to report to Gen. Grover, who took the road to Opelousas and marched to Vermilion Bayou, Gen. Emory taking the other in order to destroy the Salt Works, 7 miles from New Iberia.  At Vermilion Bayou the bridge was found burning, and the enemy was shelled across the bayou.  Two days and one night sufficed to rebuild the bridge, and on the 23d the troops entered Opelousas.