PORT

See also:

• HUDSON
• HUDSON, GEORGE (180o-1871)
• HUDSON, HENRY
• HUDSON, JOHN (1662–1719)

HUDSON  , a village in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, U.S.A., on the left bank of the Mississippi, about 135 M. above New Orleans . At the sharp turn of the Mississippi here the Confederates in 1862 built on the commanding bluffs powerful batteries covering a stretch of about 3 m., their strongest fortifications along the Mississippi between New Orleans and Vicksburg . On the night of the 14th of March 1863 Admiral Farragut, with seven vessels, attempted to run past the batteries, commanded by Brigadier-General William M . Gardner, but four of his vessels were disabled and forced to turn back, one, the " Mississippi " was destroyed, and only two, the " Hartford " and the " Albatross " got past . General N . P . Banks's land attack, on the 27th of May, was unsuccessful, the Union loss, nearly 2000, being six times that of the Confederates . A second attack on the 14th of June, entailed a further Union loss of about 1800 men . But on the 9th of July, two days after the news of the surrender of Vicksburg, after a siege of 45 days, General Gardner surrendered the position to General Banks with about 6400 men, 50 guns, 5000 small arms and ammunition, and two river steamers . The Union losses during the siege were probably more than 4000; the Confederate losses about 800 . The capture of Vicksburg and Port Hudson secured to the Union the control of the Mississippi .