By 1863, the Confederacy only controlled the part of the Mississippi River from Vicksburg, Mississippi, to Port Hudson, Louisiana. In cooperation with General Grant who was going against Vicksburg, Union Major General Nathaniel P. Banks' army moved against the Port Hudson.
Like Vicksburg, Port Hudson was located on high bluffs that gave the Confederates command of the river.
On May 11, 1863, Banks found that Confederates from Port Hudson had been sent to reinforce Vicksburg and decided the time was right to attack the town. By May 21st, Banks and his 30,000 troops surrounded Port Hudson, outnumbering the Confederates four to one.
Francis E. Warren's 49th Massachusetts was with Banks at this time. Banks, however, delayed attacking until May 27 giving the Confederates under Major Gen. Franklin Gardner time to prepare his defenses. A series of uncoordinated and unsuccessful attacks took place on May 27. This is where Warren was wounded.
The 49th Massachusetts was called to furnish a few men from each company to perform the dangerous mission of preceding the main force and putting down fascines (bundles of sticks, twigs and other items) to fill in a ditch in front of the Confederate fortifications so that infantry might pass over it.
Corporal Warren was one of those volunteers. The colonel and every officer in this what was to become known as the "Forlorn Hope" was killed and three-fourths of the men killed or wounded. One of the wounded was Francis E. Warren.
--Old Secesh
