The Maine bugle ... campaign; 1-5 Jan. 1894-Oct. 1898 - Maine.gov

HISTORY OF THE TWELFTH MAINE INFANTRY. 173
the easy navigation of the narrow and winding Tangipahoa,
failed in each of the succeeding nights to reach her destination
on that river in season to admit of our gaining Ponchatouhi be-
fore daylight. I resolved therefore to go with that steamer to
Manchac bridge, and did so on the morning of the fifteenth.
From that point Captain Winter was sent with his company
southward, to make the destruction of the railroad on Manchac
Island more complete, which duty he thoroughly performed.
Captain Pickering's company was left to guard the steamer, and
the companies of Captains Thornton and Farrington began a
forced march of ten miles upon Ponchatoula. A locomotive
one mile below the village gave notice of our approach, which
could not be concealed, and ran northward, giving the alarm at
the village, and thence to Camp Moore, for reinforcements. We
met, on entering Ponchatoula a discharge of canister at seventy
yards from a light battery, in charging which Captain Thornton
fell severely wounded. His company, then under Lieutenant
Hight, reinforced Captain Farrington's first platoon, that had
gained a position on the enemy's right, to which Lieutenant
Coan, with the second platoon of that company, took a position,
under partial cover, on the left of the enemy's line. P^rom these
positions our men poured in so deliberate and destructive a fire
that the enemy was driven from the field, the artillery galloping
away, followed by the infantry, on a road through the forest, in
a north-westerly direction. We then set fire to a train of up-
wards of twenty cars, laden with cotton, sugar, molasses, etc.,
took the papers from the post and telegraph offices ( destroying
the apparatus of the latter,) and General Jeff. Thompson's
sword, spurs, bridle, etc., from his quarters in the hotel. The
sword was presented to him by so-called " Memphis patriots."
A written document was obtained, which showed the rebel
force at that point to consist of three hundred troops of the
Tenth Arkansas Regiment, one company of Home Guards, and
one company of artillery, with six pieces. I had, however, received
reliable information that the enemy's force was a week
previous only two hundred infantry and no artillery. The re-