Mansura
Smith's Place, Marksville
Civil War Louisiana


American Civil War
May 16, 1864

As Major General Nathaniel P. Banks's Red River Expeditionary Force retreated down Red River, Confederate forces under Major General Richard Taylor attempted to slow the Union troops' movements and, if possible, deplete their numbers or, better yet, destroy them.

The Union forces passed Fort DeRussy, reached Marksville, and then continued east. At Mansura, Taylor massed his forces in an open prairie that controlled access to the three roads traversing the area, where he hoped his artillery could cause many casualties.

Early on the morning of May 16, the Union forces approached, and skirmishing quickly ensued. After a four-hour fight (principally an artillery duel), a large Union force massed for a flank attack, inducing the Rebels to fall back. The Union troops marched to Simmsport.

Taylor's force could harass the enemy's retrograde but was unable to halt it.

Result(s): Union victory

Location: Avoyelles Parish

Campaign: Red River Campaign (1864)

Date(s): May 16, 1864

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

Forces Engaged: Banks's Red River Expeditionary Force [US]; District of West Louisiana [CS]

Estimated Casualties: Unknown


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
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 Depicting Plantations on the Mississippi River from Natchez to New Orleans, 1858
Map Depicting Plantations on the Mississippi River
from Natchez to New Orleans, 1858

18 in. x 24 in.
Buy at AllPosters.com
Framed   Mounted
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 Commanders
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
Cavalry Sabre
Cavalry Saber


Civil War Replica Musket
Civil War Musket
Wood & Steel Frontier Rifle Designed After The Original Rifle

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,"
Kindle Available

Mutiny at Fort Jackson: The Untold Story of the Fall of New Orleans
Soldiers primarily recruited from large German and Irish populations. The Confederacy had done nothing to encourage poor white men to feel they had a place of honor in the southern republic. The mutineers actively sought to help the Union cause. Benjamin "Beast" Butler enjoyed the support of many white Unionists in New Orleans

The Capture of New Orleans, 1862
On April 24, 1862, Federal gunboats made their way past two Confederate forts to ascend the Mississippi River, and the Union navy captured New Orleans. A hard look at the selection of military and naval leaders, the use of natural and financial resources, and the performances of all personnel involved. .
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

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.

Brother Against Brother
The American Civil War

Fort Sumter, to the Confederate surrender at Appomattox, Features battle reconstructions and depictions of army life, eyewitness accounts, period photographs and engravings, plus commentary and analyses.

Ride With The Devil
The bloody feud among neighbors in the border state of Missouri. In this war zone the destinies of several young Southern bushwhackers as they experience the violence and the seasons

Shiloh: The War is Civil No More

Gettysburg / Gods and Generals
The tide of the war changes during three fierce days of combat at Gettysburg [Disc 1] the gripping saga of the tactics command errors and sacrifices behind the bloodiest battle ever fought on U.S. soil. Gods and Generals [Disc 2] reveals the spirited allegiances and fierce combat of earlier Civil War struggles
 
THE GREAT COMMANDERS
Ulysses S. Grant

Lee was determined to confront Grant's numerically-superior Union Army in the dense Spotsylvania wilderness. For Lee it was imperative to fight here, his army was massively outnumbered, with 61,000 men to Grant's 101,000

Manassas 1861

Baton Rouge Louisiana City History and current weather



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