My question for Deloges Bluff 4.26.64 and 4.27.64 is as follows-
The morning of 4.26.64 Thomas O. Benton's small artillery force at Deloges Bluff engages Lexington and Osage...I have the details of that battle.
Later that afternoon Floriain Cornay's artilley , at Deloges Bluff, engages New Champion,Cahmpion # 5, Cricket, Juliet, Ft Hindman...this Porters convoy that was sent to salvage Eastport near Montgomery, as they are decending down river . I have the details of this battle also...and I know that Cornay's battey engages some of this force the following (4.27.64) morning...I have the specifics of this battle also.
My questions is-
Did Benton arrive at Deloges Bluff ahead of Cornay and they are fighting at the same spot on the bluff, or, are both Confederate units fighting at different locations on the same bluff ?
Porter ( often stretched the truth, and, often sent in reports that his superiors wanted to hear, as opposed to what really occured) claimed the Confederates had 18 artillery guns ; Gen. Taylor and Gen. Brent claim much less...Judging from the number of hits in a short period of time that was received on there vessels, and the firing rate of an artillery piece of that time, makes me wonder if Benton, Cornay and the possibly other Confederate artillery units were present for the 2 battles dealing with Porters decending fleet...the morning battle with Lexington and Osage appearrs to have Benton's Bell's asrtillery alone.