304

On the 6th the section was ordered to return to Rolling Fork, and upon its
arrival Lieutenant Ritter was complimented by General Ferguson and Lieutenant
Wood on his management of his guns. On the 14th both sections of artillery and
Major Bridges' battalion of cavalry were ordered to Greenville, and on the 16th
proceeded to their old camp at Fish Lake.

The morning of May 18, 1863, dawned with splendid promise. The sun rose
bright and clear, laughing away the mist and heavy fog that had hid the face of
the Father of Waters, and stirring to activity the Federals and Confederates
pitted against each other along his whole course. The Confederates encamped at
Fish Lake were still jubilant over their recent success with the Minnesota, and
the captured stores enabled them to indulge in luxuries to which they had long
been strangers. Grouped picturesquely about their fires, they drank their morning
coffee with all the gusto due the genuine berry. Chatting, laughing over the
details of their recent exploit, some sitting, and some half-reclining on their elbows,
under their bivouac shelters, they slipped the aromatic beverage in complete
enjoyment. If their inner man was well-to-do, their outer man had no less reason
to be felicitated on his surroundings. Their camp was snugly inclosed on all sides
by a deep and primitive forest of cottonwood, magnolia and live oak.

The Marylanders of Major Bridges' command were surrendering themselves
to the charms of this fomantic situation, when an order was received which made
them oblivious of it all. The news had just come in through scouts that lined the
river for miles above that a number of transports laden with reinforcements for
Grant's army at Vicksburg were coming down, and would reach Carter's Bend
that morning. Immediately all was life and bustling activity, and the soldier's
peculiar feeling of quiet delight at the approach of danger took the place of the
more amiable sentimentality of a few moments before.

Major Bridges' force consisted of one section of artillery under command of
Lieutenant Anderson, another under Lieutenant Ritter, each with about twenty-five
men, and a small squadron of Texas Rangers, the whole command numbering
about two hundred and fifty men.

Getting his command speedily in motion, he proceeded rapidly up the Green-
ville road, eight miles, to a point above Carter's Bend. The Mississippi here makes
a detour of fifteen miles, and then, returning upon itself, forms a peninsula, the
neck of which is but one mile across. It was thought best to take this position
above rather than the one below the Bend, as in case of success there would be
an opportunity to fire a second time below at the vessels that had been disabled
in the first attack.

The four pieces of artillery were placed on the river bank unprotected, but
masked by the thick brush that grew along the water's edge. The dismounted
cavalry, acting as sharpshooters and supporting the Maryland section, were