General Paine was wounded early in the attack, a ball shattering his leg. He was forced to remain on the field for twelve hours under a heavy fire, while hundreds of others were in like condition for twenty-four or thirty-six hours, until under a flag of truce they were brought forward by the enemy, who would not allow the Union troops to come near their fortifications. "It would not be just to allow this record to become history without mentioning the valor displayed by some of the colored troops engaged with us on that occasion. After the assault had failed, and the ground in our front was strewn with our wounded comrades, these colored soldiers could be seen by twos crawling on their knees dragging after them a stretcher and on reaching a wounded soldier would roll him upon the stretcher, then, after a moment's rest, they would arise quickly and make a dash for a shelter from the shower of lead that was sure to fall around them." _E. K. Russell._
On the 16th General Banks issued an order for a thousand stormers, offering medals to the soldiers and promotions to the officers, and preparations were making for a third assault when on July 7 came the news of the surrender of Vicksburg. This put an end to the hopes of the Confederacy, and two days later Port Hudson surrendered, 6408 becoming prisoners of war. In addition to the important post the spoils of victory included two steamers, 51 pieces of artillery, 5000 small arms and a large quantity of ammunition.
Most important of all, the fall of these two strongholds gave free navigation of the Mississippi, or in the words of Lincoln: "The Father of Waters goes unvexed to the sea."
Among other services rendered by Nims' Battery in this siege it is claimed that one of her guns had the honor of firing the last shot at Port Hudson and also receiving the last shot from that same fort. We have already told how it fired the first shot at this place.
We quote from the story as told by C. B. Maxwell.
"During the siege of Port Hudson and on the occasion of one of the many assaults on the fortifications by the Federal army, there was captured a young soldier, of the 165th New York Zouaves. He was a bright, active lad, and while captive had his eyes open to chances, especially to making his escape. Among the things he saw was a mill in the town near the river, wherein they ground all their corn, and as that was all they had to eat it occurred to him that it would be a misfortune to himself as well as to the enemy if by any accident that mill should be destroyed. So he paid closer attention then ever to getting through the lines to reach his regiment, where rations were better both in quality and quantity, and near the end of the siege he was successful. In relating his experience he said of the corn mill: 'If they hadn't had that, I should have been obliged to take my corn on the ear.'