Fort Bisland, Bethel Place
Civil War Louisiana


American Civil War
April 12-13, 1863

In April 1863, Major General Nathaniel P. Banks launched an expedition up Bayou Teche in western Louisiana aimed at Alexandria.

On April 9, two divisions crossed Berwick Bay from Brashear City to the west side at Berwick.

On the 12th, a third division went up the Atchafalaya River to land in the rear of Franklin intending to intercept a Rebel retreat from Fort Bisland or turn the enemy's position. Major General Richard Taylor sent Colonel Tom Green's regiment to the front to ascertain the enemy's strength and retard his advance.

On the 11th, the Yankees began their advance in earnest.

Late on the 12th, Union troops arrived outside the defenses in battle line. An artillery barrage ensued from both sides until dark when the Yankees, many of whom were hit by Rebel cannon fire, fell back and camped for the night.

About 9:00 am on the 13th, the Union forces again advanced on Fort Bisland. Combat did not begin until after 11:00 am and continued until dusk. In addition to Rebel forces in the earthworks, the gunboat Diana, now in Confederate hands, shelled the Yankees. U.S. gunboats joined the fray in late afternoon. The fighting ceased after this.

Later that night, Taylor learned that the Yankee division that went up the Atchafalaya and landed in his rear was now in a position to cut off a Confederate retreat. Taylor began evacuating supplies, men, and weapons, leaving a small force to retard any enemy movement. The next morning, the Yankees found the fort abandoned.

Fort Bisland was the only fortification that could have impeded this Union offensive, and it had fallen.

Result(s): Union victory

Location: St. Mary Parish

Campaign: Operations in West Louisiana (1863)

Date(s): April 12-13, 1863

Principal Commanders: Major General Nathaniel P. Banks [US]; Major General Richard Taylor [CS]

Forces Engaged: Banks's Department of the Gulf, XIX Army Corps [US]; District of Western Louisiana [CS]

Estimated Casualties: Total 684 (US 234; CS 450)

Red River Campaign
Red River Campaign
Politics and Cotton in the Civil War

Fought on the Red River throughout Central and Northwestern Louisiana, this campaign is a study in how partisan politics, economic need and personal profit determined military policy and operations in Louisiana and Arkansas during the spring of 1864.

Kindle Available
Curiosities

Civil War Curiosities: Strange Stories, Oddities, Events, and Coincidences
This work was fascinating to read and was neither over dramatic or under written. The stories were lively and interesting and the additon of old photos and draqwings helped fill out the book.
Map of the Seat of Civil War In America, c.1862
Map of the Seat of Civil War In America
c.1862 Stretched Canvas Print

32 in. x 44 in. $299.99
Buy at AllPosters.com

Civil War soldier toys 102 pieces
Civil War Soldier 102 Piece Playset
 
  • 25 Union and 25 Confederate Soldier Figures, 18 Horses, 10 Cannon
  • 2 Covered Wagons, 2 Tents, 2 Canoes, 2 Flags, 16 Fences
  • Size: Figures Stand up to 2-1/8 inches tall
  • Scale: 1/32nd, Wagons and Horses slightly smaller
 
Louisiana State Battle Map
State Battle Maps
Confederate President Jefferson Davis
Civil War Summary
Civil War Submarines
Civil War Cooking
Kids Zone Gettysburg
Campaigns of the Civil War
American Civil War Exhibits
Civil War Timeline
Women in the War
Civil War Replica Musket
Civil War Musket
Wood & Steel Frontier Rifle Designed After The Original Rifle


Civil War Revolver Pistol
Civil War Model 1851 Naval Pistol

American Civil War Book Titles

Irish Rebels, Confederate Tigers: A History Of The 6th Louisiana Volunteers
A predominately Irish brigade from New Orleans. This regiment fought in Virginia during the entire Civil War, since New Orleans was captured so early in the war and the 6th Louisiana virtually became orphans in regards to State support.
Night the war was lost
The Night the War Was Lost
With the fall of the critical city of New Orleans in spring 1862 the South lost the Civil War, although fighting would continue for three more years. On the Mississippi River, below New Orleans, in the predawn of April 24, 1862, David Farragut with fourteen gunboats ran past two forts to capture the South's principal seaport.

In Camp and Battle With the Washington Artillery of New Orleans
Describes all major actions from the First Battle of Bull Run to the final surrender at Appomatox. A must read for all Civil War buffs. First published in 1885, Reissued in a limited edition that is an exact reproduction of the original, with a few additions
Kindle Available

When the Devil Came Down to Dixie: Ben Butler in New Orleans
Butler headed the federal occupation of New Orleans, where he quickly imposed order on a rebellious city. He also made out like a bandit, diverting an enormous amount of money into his personal coffers. High society scorned him for his infamous "Woman Order,"
Red River Campaign
Red River Campaign
Politics and Cotton in the Civil War

Fought on the Red River throughout Central and Northwestern Louisiana, this campaign is a study in how partisan politics, economic need and personal profit determined military policy and operations in Louisiana and Arkansas during the spring of 1864.
Kindle Available
Lees of Virginia
The Lees of Virginia: Seven Generations of an American Family

There are few American families that feature such a collection of characters, both heroic and ignoble, who have made such a mark on history as the Lees. In The Lees of Virginia, Paul Nagel chronicles seven generations of Lees, covering over two hundred years of accolades and scandals
Tirailleurs
Tirailleurs: A History of The 4th Louisiana and The Acadians of Company H
Soldiers from West Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana. This book follows them through the Civil War and uses diaries, letters, and memoirs to allow the soldiers to tell their own story. From a bloodbath at Shiloh's Hornet's, Nest, to the Battle of Nashville.
Louisianians
Louisianians in the Civil War
The suffering endured by Louisianians during and after the war—hardships more severe than those suffered by the majority of residents in the Confederacy. The wealthiest southern state before the Civil War, Louisiana was the poorest by 1880

Civil War History Documentary DVD Movie Titles
Bad Blood Civil War Misouri and Kansas
Bad Blood: The Border War That Triggered the Civil War
In the years leading up to the Civil War, a bloody conflict between slaveholders and abolitionists focused the nation's eyes on the state of Missouri and the territory of Kansas. Told through the actual words of slave owners, free-staters, border ruffians, and politicians, Bad Blood presents the complex morality, differing values, and life-and-death decisions faced by those who lived on the Missouri-Kansas border

Blue Vs. Gray - Killing Fields
Relive the most vicious fighting of the Civil War, in which General Ulysses S. Grant forcibly reversed the tide of the conflict by paying with the blood of thousands. It was a desperate time for the Union

Civil War Combat: America's Bloodiest Battles
The violent mayhem of the hornet's nest at Shiloh, the valiant charge on the sunken road at Antietam, the carnage in the wheat field at Gettysburg, and the brutal fighting at Cold Harbor
Jefferson Davies DVD Documentary
Jefferson Davis
An American President

One of the most outstanding statesmen of the United States during the first 60 years of the 19th century, he sacrificed everything to defend the South's position regarding the rights of the states and conservative constitutional interpretation. Against staggering odds he led the South and held it together in the bloody Civil War or War Between the States

American Experience
The Massachusetts 54th Colored Infantry

After Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, the governor of Massachusetts was authorized to raise the first northern black regiment,  the Massachusetts 54th colored infantry.

Long Road Back to Kentucky:
The 1862 Confederate Invasion

The often-overlooked Western campaign of the war with a specific emphasis on Kentucky's involvement in the American Civil War.

History's Mysteries: Family Feud:
The Hatfields And McCoys

Millions of dollars worth of timber and coal rich land were at stake, the courts were involved and once the national press got wind of what was happening, the backwoods folk found that their fight was being followed nationwide

The Civil War - A Film by Ken Burns
Here is the saga of celebrated generals and ordinary soldiers, a heroic and transcendent president and a country that had to divide itself in two in order to become one

Baton Rouge Louisiana City History and current weather

Sources:
U.S. National Park Service
U.S. Library of Congress.