CONNECTICUT TWENTY-FOURTH REGIMENT C. V. INFANTRY. (Nine Months.)

WRITTEN BY LIEUTENANT AUGUSTUS H. CONKLIN, LATE OF COMPANY K, TWENTY-FOURTH CONNECTICUT VOLUNTEERS. THE Twenty-fourth Regiment Connecticut Volunteers was organized in September, 1862. Six companies of this regiment were recruited in Middlesex County, and the four others from Hartford, New Haven, and Fairfield Counties. It rendezvoused at Middletown, Colonel E. W. N. Starr Post Commander. October 13th Samuel M. Mansfield, First Lieutenant in the regular army, and a son of Major-General J. K. F. Mansfield, was appointed to the command The regiment was mustered into the United States service November 18, 1862, and on the same day left Middletown, with six hundred and ninety-eight officers and men, for Camp Buckingham, Centerville, L. I. November 29th the regiment broke camp, and embarked on steamer "New Brunswick," with a company of the Fiftieth Massachusetts, to join General Banks's Expedition. The steamer was overloaded with men and freight, and the regiment suffered much from want of water and ventilation. December 2d the expedition sailed, and on December 3d sealed orders were opened, showing its destination to be Ship Island, Gulf of Mexico. December 5th and 6th, encountering a gale and heavy sea, the regiment was in great peril for twenty-four hours, as the steamer was a small, side-wheel, river boat, with wide, overhanging guards, and wholly unsuitable for a winter voyage at sea. December 9th, touched at Dry Tortugas for coal; December 12th, disembarked at Ship island; December 13th, ordered to New Orleans; December 14th, came to anchor abreast the city; December 16th, received arms and steamed up the river in company with nine transports and four gunboats, under orders to occupy Baton Rouge, La. December 17th, arrived opposite the city. A small body of Confederates was dispersed by shells from the gunboats. The Twenty-fourth Regiment was the second to land, and encamped within the United States Arsenal grounds, remaining here until January 21, 1863, fitting itself for active service by company and battalion drill. January 1st the regiment was brigaded with the Ninth Connecticut and Forty-first and Fifty-second Massachusetts, forming the Second Brigade, Fourth Division, Nineteenth Army Corps, Major-General C. C. Grover Division Commander, Colonel Cahill of the Ninth Connecticut Brigade Commander. January 21, 1863, the regiment moved out to a new camp in a magnolia grove on the old battle-field of August 5, 1862, and the formation of the brigade was changed by putting the Ninety-first New York in the place of the Ninth Connecticut, Colonel Van Zandt of the Ninety-first New York Brigade Commander. March 1st, by order of General Banks, the regiment was consolidated into a battalion of eight companies. While here, on account of sickness of Colonel and Lieutenant-Colonel, Major P. Maher was in command for a time. March 13th the regiment, with its brigade and division, moved in the advance on Port Hudson, the object of which was a diversion in the rear to assist Commodore Farragut to run the river batteries in front. March 15th the division was ordered back toward Baton Rouge, and spent the night in a swamp, drenched with rain, with water ankle-deep, and sleeping on stumps and rails--one of the hardest experiences during its term of service. March 16th, camped on the banks of the Mississippi River. March 17th, in company with two other regiments, went on a cotton expedition toward Port Hudson, securing one hundred bales of cotton . March 20th the regiment was ordered back to Baton Rouge, and reached old camp ground at 6 P. M., blistered and weary. March 26th the formation of the Second Brigade was changed by the Twelfth Maine taking the place of the Ninety-first New York, Colonel Kimball of the Twelfth Maine commanding. March 28th, embarking on steamer "Morning Light," with the Fourth Division, went down the river and landed at Donaldsonville. March 31st, started on the march down Bayou La Fourche, passing through Napoleonville, Labadieville, and Thibodeaux, arriving at Terre Bonne April 2d. On the 4th, went to Bayou Boeuf by railroad. April 9th the division marched to Brashear City, a hot and dusty ten-mile march. April 11th the regiment embarked on board transport "St. Mary," Grover's Division having been ordered up the Grand Lake to cut off the retreat of the Confederates under command of General "Dick" Taylor, who were fortified at Camp Bisland--Generals Emory's and Weitzel's Divisions to make the attack in front. April 13th, landed at Hutchin's Point, marched two miles, and bivouacked on Madame Porter's plantation, the Twenty-fourth being sent out on picket in sight of the enemy. April 14th the Third Brigade advanced and soon found the Confederates in force in the woods, and the battle of Irish Bend was fought, in which between three and four hundred men were killed and wounded. The Second Brigade was held in reserve in line of battle. The object which the Fourth Division was expected to accomplish failed. General "Dick" Taylor slipped by with his forces, and April 15th the pursuit of him toward the Red River began. Passing through Martinsville, New Iberia, and Vermillionville, the division reached Opelousas April 20th. At New Iberia a detachment of seventy-five men from the Twenty-fourth Regiment was sent to assist in the destruction of the Confederate salt-works on Petite Anse Island. April 26th, broke camp and marched to Barre's Landing. May 5th the march toward the Red River was resumed. After reaching a point within fifteen miles of Alexandria, a return march was made to the Atchafalaya River, which was crossed at Simmsport May 17th. May 21st, embarked on transport, and landed at Bayou Sara, on the Mississippi River, at midnight of the same day. May 22d and 23d, marched to the rear of Port Hudson. May 24th the regiment was in the advance as skirmishers, driving the enemy from their rifle-pits, and holding its position at the edge of the woods, within 400 yards of the Confederate earthworks, until relieved the next morning, one man being killed and three wounded. May 25th five companies engaged in skirmishing; two men killed. May 26th four companies were detailed as sharpshooters. May 27th sharpshooters were called in and the regiment moved with its division to support General Weitzel's storming column. May 31st it was detailed to support batteries on the right. June 1st the Twenty-fourth was before Port Hudson, with the reserve of the right wing, until the morning of the 14th, the day of the second assault, in which the regiment played a conspicuous part. The duty assigned it was for the men to sling their rifles, and each man to carry two thirty-pound gunny-bags of cotton, with which to fill the ditch, making a bridge for the charging column to pass over, and to advance with the charge. The murderous fire from the enemy's works caused a failure of the part assigned the advanced regiments, which had been detailed as sharpshooters and bearers of hand grenades; but under a galling direct and cross-fire "the Twenty-fourth Regiment thrust their cotton-bags before them and rushed on to the crest of a little hill within fifty yards of the enemy's works, piled up their cotton-bags, forming a temporary breastwork, and held it; and of all the regiments that advanced across the plateau in the morning, the Twenty-fourth was the only one able to maintain its position." The construction of this light breastwork was the means of saving the lives of many of the retreating soldiers of the advance regiments, who found shelter behind its line. Seven men of the Twenty-fourth were killed and several wounded. "Under the cover of darkness an earthwork was thrown up. So quietly was it done that General Grover thought the rebels had erected a new redoubt, and ordered a battery to shell it out, but fortunately the mistake was discovered." This line, which was a valuable strategic point for further operations, and from which a zig-zag approach was dug close up to the enemy's ditch, and a mine forty-two feet long tunneled under the enemy's works, was held by the regiment until the surrender, July 8th, a period of twenty-five days. This service was very severe upon the men, living in burrows and exposed to the broiling heat of a Louisiana midsummer sun, and so few in numbers (less than one hundred men, on account of casualties and sickness) that one-half of the regiment was on duty each twenty-four hours, and was constantly under fire. "After the surrender the Twenty-fourth was complimented by the First Mississippi Confederate Regiment for its coolness and perseverance"; also by General Banks, who ordered "Port Hudson" inscribed upon its colors. July 11th the regiment left the earthwork it had so faithfully defended, and embarked on board steamer, reaching Donaldsonville at 9 P. M. of the same day. July 12th and 13th it was on picket. The Confederate forces under General "Dick" Taylor were close up to the town, and a sharp fight took place on the 13th. July 29th the regiment took transport for Carrollton, and on August 6th it sailed for Ship Island, where it remained doing regular camp and picket duty until September 9th. Several deaths occurred here, and the health of the men was greatly impaired on account of the heat, poor water, and lack of vegetable food. September 9th the regiment took transport for New Orleans, and camped in Cotton Press. September 15th it sailed for New York on steamer "Continental," arriving September 24th. September 23d, embarked on steamer "Granite State," for Middletown, Conn., arriving there early on the 24th, and disembarked amid the firing of cannon and the ringing of bells. After a bountiful collation the regiment was dismissed, the men going to their homes. October 2d it was mustered out, date of discharge being made September 30, 1863. The whole time of service was nearly thirteen months. ENGAGEMENTS. Irish Bend, La., Apr. 14, 1863. Siege of Port Hudson, La., May 23 to July 11, 1863.

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