Civil War Baton Rouge, Port Hudson and Bayou Sara: Capturing the Mississippi

by Dennis J. Dufrene

Overview

When Louisiana seceded from the Union on January 26, 1861, no one doubted that a battle to control the Mississippi River was imminent. Throughout the war, the Federals pushed their way up the river. Every port and city seemed to fall against the force of the Union navy. ¬The capital was forced to retreat from Baton Rouge to Shreveport. Many of the smaller towns, like Bayou Sara and Donaldsonville, were nearly shelled completely off the map. It was not until the Union reached Port Hudson that the Confederates had a fighting chance to keep control of the mighty Mississippi. ¬They fought long and hard, undersupplied and undermanned, but ultimately the Union prevailed. With interest in the Civil War at an all-time high, please consider a review or a feature story with Dennis J. Dufrene.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781609493516
Publisher:	History Press, The
Publication date:	03/11/2012
Series:	Civil War Series
Pages:	128
Sales rank:	1,123,069
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

For nearly a decade, Dennis John Dufrene has worked in the field of history. While earning a bachelor of arts degree in the field of history from Nicholls State University, Dennis completed a plantation internship at Laura Valley Plantation. This internship allowed him to perfect his researching skills and learn the importance of preserving and maintaining collections of historic artifacts. After graduation, Dennis married his wife, Tweety, and the couple moved to St. Francisville, Louisiana. It was during this time that Dennis was hired as an interpretive ranger at Audubon State Historic Site, also known as Oakley Plantation. Dennis began to write numerous history-based articles and press releases, give lectures, create exhibits, etc. Many of his articles were published, and he was even credited as a source in the book A Summer of Birds by Danny Heitman. Dennis served as senior writer for a historical conspiracy website known as Top Secret Writers and jumped at the chance to write his first book on the Civil War from a local perspective. For nearly a year, he conducted research and met with local experts to compile his latest work. It was during this time that he learned about the intricate role that the Civil War played on shaping the Baton Rouge area.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements 39

Introduction 11

1 Louisiana Secedes 15

2 The Union Plan for the Mississippi River 19

3 The Union Blockade 26

4 The Battle of Head of Passes 29

5 Forts Jackson and St. Philip 32

6 The Fall of New Orleans and the Scuttling of the USS Barataria 36

7 Baton Rouge's First Brush with Blue and Troops on the Move 41

8 Skirmish on the Amite River and First Battle of Donaldsonville 46

9 The Rebels Plan to Take Back Baton Rouge and the Federals Dig in Their Heels 49

10 Breckinridge's March 56

11 The Confederates Open the Ball in Baton Rouge 59

12 The Fall of the CSS Arkansas 62

13 Bayou Sara 65

14 The USS Essex Arrives at Port Hudson 70

15 The Battle of Labadieville 72

16 A Union Soldier's Masonic Burial in Bayou Sara 76

17 Siege of Port Hudson 79

18 The Battle of Plains Store 84

19 The Battle at Jackson Crossroads 94

20 The Second Battle of Donaldsonville 97

21 The Skirmish at Springfield Landing 102

22 The Confederate Surrender of Port Hudson 105

23 The Battle of Kock's Plantation 109

24 The Corps D'Afrique and the Battle at Centenary College 111

25 Spring 1863 114

26 The Yankees Go West 117

Conclusion 119

Bibliography 121

Index 125

About the Author 127