Report of Capt. Dudley C. Wyman, Eleventh Wisconsin Infantry.
BRASHEAR CITY, September 9, 1864.
SIR: I have the honor to report the following as the result of the
expedition which left here Wednesday evening:
I took my command on board the gun-boat 41 at sundown and
proceeded to Grand Lake, where the command was transferred to 49.
We remained at anchor until daylight, when we weighed anchor and
proceeded to Pigeon Bayou. Our entrance was effected easily,
considering the snags and the narrowness of the channel. Our progress
was slow, as the boat was unwieldy and the bayou narrow and far from
being straight. We proceeded with caution, and after several hours’
labor arrived at the mouth of Grand River. On rounding a bend in the
bayou a boat with four men in it was discovered crossing the bayou; one
of the men was swimming a horse. I instantly ordered my men on the
lookout to fire, and passed the word to the captain of the boat to man
the guns. At the first shot from the bow guns the men in the boat
jumped overboard, swam to the shore, and took to the woods. Our boat
landed as soon as possible, and my force being small it was deemed
prudent not to pursue. On landing, pickets were stationed and a detail
sent to take on board the horses left by the rebels. They were mostly
U. S. horses, supposed to have been captured by them at Napoleonville.
We succeeded in bringing them on board, twenty in all, with equipments
for ten. We captured one man, J. B. Brogdon, Fourth Louisiana Cavalry,
from whom we learned that the party who escaped consisted of a
sergeant and fifteen men, and were on their way to join their regiment
at Franklin. I also took on board two hogsheads of sugar and three
barrels of molasses; also eight guns. We afterward proceeded up to Mr.
Micheltre’s plantation, where I found a man, named S. J. Fount, having
the appearance of a smuggler, and as he could give no account of
himself I had him arrested and taken on board. Finding the snags
numerous and the depth of the water insufficient for the boat, we
succeeded with some trouble in turning and started immediately for
Grand Lake. Our progress was slow for reasons given, and after several
hours’ hard work, breaking through what seemed to be forests, we
reached the mouth of the bayou at 7 o’clock minus some of our upper
works. In attempting to run out in the darkness the boat got aground,
and after fruitless efforts to get off we were forced to remain all night.
In the morning the 41 was seen coming out of the Atchafalaya, and we
signaled to her. She assisted us out of the Lake we met the 43, and in
company with her we went to Brashear. After landing I marched the
command to quarters.
I have the honor to be, yours, &c.,
DUDLEY C. WYMAN,
Capt. Company G, Eleventh Wisconsin Infantry.
Col. HARRIS.
Source: Official Records
PAGE 749-83 LOUISIANA AND THE TRANS-MISSISSIPPI. [CHAP. LIII.
[Series I. Vol. 41. Part I, Reports. Serial No. 83.]
