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Coordinates: 31°11′02″N 92°03′16″W / 31.18380°N 92.05436°W / 31.18380; -92.05436
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{{Short description|1864 battle of the American Civil War}}
{{Use American English|date=May 2024}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox military conflict
{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict = Battle of Fort De Russy
| conflict = Battle of Fort DeRussy
| partof = [[American Civil War]]
| partof = the [[American Civil War]]
⚫
| image =
| caption =
| date = {{Start date|1864|3|14}}
| date = {{Start date|1864|3|14}}
| place = [[Fort DeRussy (Louisiana)|Fort DeRussy, Louisiana]]
| place = [[Fort DeRussy (Louisiana)|Fort DeRussy, Louisiana]]
| coordinates ={{Coord|31.18380|-92.05436|format=dms|region:US-LA_type:event}}
| coordinates ={{Coord|31.18380|-92.05436|format=dms|region:US-LA_type:event|display=inline,title}}
⚫
| map_type = Louisiana
⚫
| map_relief =
| map_size = 300
| map_marksize =
⚫
| map_caption =
⚫
| map_label =
| casus =
| territory =
| result = [[Union (American Civil War)|Union]] victory
| result = [[Union (American Civil War)|Union]] victory
|combatant1= {{flagicon|USA|1863}} [[United States]]
| combatant1 = {{flag|United States|1863}} ([[Union (American Civil War)|Union]])
|combatant2= {{flagicon|CSA|1863}} [[Confederate States]]
| combatant2 = {{flag|Confederate States|1863}}
| commander1 = [[Andrew J. Smith|A.J. Smith]] <br/> [[Joseph Mower]]
| commander1 = {{flagicon|United States|1863}} [[Andrew J. Smith|A.J. Smith]] <br/> {{flagicon|United States|1863}} [[Joseph Mower]]
| commander2 = William Byrd<ref name=TSHA/>
| commander2 = {{flagicon|CSA|army}} William Byrd{{sfn|Cutrer|1994}}
| strength1 = 10,000 men
| strength1 = 10,000 men
| strength2 = 350 men
| strength2 = 350 men
| casualties1 = 48 killed and wounded <br/> 2 missing
| casualties1 = 48 killed and wounded <br/> 2 missing
| casualties2 = 2 killed <br/> 5 wounded <br/> 317 captured,
| casualties2 = 2 killed <br/> 5 wounded <br/> 317 captured,
⚫
| map_type = Louisiana
⚫
| map_relief = y
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| map_size = 290
⚫
| map_caption = Location in Louisiana
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| map_label = Fort DeRussy
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| campaignbox = {{Campaignbox Red River Campaign}}
}}
}}
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{{Campaignbox Red River Campaign}}


The '''Battle of Fort De Russy''', Louisiana, was the first engagement in the [[Red River Campaign]] of March–May 1864 in the [[American Civil War]].
The '''Battle of Fort DeRussy''' was the first engagement in the [[Red River Campaign]] of March–May 1864 in the [[American Civil War]].


The Union [[Army of the Gulf]] under [[Nathaniel P. Banks|General Banks]] aimed to capture [[Shreveport, Louisiana|Shreveport]], state capital and headquarters of the Confederate command, west of the Mississippi. The operation was spearheaded by General [[Andrew Jackson Smith|A.J. Smith]] and Brigadier General [[Joseph A. Mower|Joseph Mower]], who surprised and captured Fort de Russy on March 14, taking over 300 prisoners and the enemy’s only heavy guns. The Confederates, under General [[Richard Taylor (general)|Richard Taylor]], were forced to retreat, leaving south and central Louisiana to the Union forces.
The Union [[Army of the Gulf]] under [[Nathaniel P. Banks|General Banks]] aimed to capture [[Shreveport, Louisiana|Shreveport]], state capital and headquarters of the Confederate command, west of the Mississippi. The operation was spearheaded by General [[Andrew Jackson Smith|A.J. Smith]] and Brigadier General [[Joseph A. Mower|Joseph Mower]], who surprised and captured Fort DeRussy on March 14, taking over 300 prisoners and the enemy's only heavy guns. The Confederates, under General [[Richard Taylor (Confederate general)|Richard Taylor]], were forced to retreat, leaving south and central Louisiana to the Union forces.


==Background==
== Background ==
[[File:Fort_DeRussy_Battlefield_Louisiana.jpg|305px|thumb|left|Map of Fort DeRussy Battlefield core and study areas by the [[American Battlefield Protection Program]].]]
The Union launched a multi-purpose expedition into Confederate Gen. [[Edmund Kirby Smith|E. Kirby Smith's]] [[Trans-Mississippi Department]], headquartered in Shreveport, Louisiana, in early 1864. Maj. Gen. [[Nathaniel P. Banks]] and Rear Adm. [[David Dixon Porter|David D. Porter]] jointly commanded the combined force. Porter's fleet and Brig. Gen. A.J. Smith's XVI and XVII Army Corps detachments of the [[Army of the Tennessee]] set out on March 12, 1864, up the Red River, the most direct route to Shreveport. Banks with the XIII and XIX Army Corps advanced by way of Berwick Bay and Bayou Teche. After removing various obstructions that the Rebels had placed in the river, the major impediment to the Union expedition was the formidable Fort DeRussy, an earthen fortification with a partly iron-plated battery designed to resist the fire of Union ironclads that might come up river. Union Brig. Gen. A.J. Smith's command had embarked on transports at [[Vicksburg, Mississippi|Vicksburg]] and then disembarked at [[Simmesport, Louisiana|Simmesport]], on the 12th, about thirty miles from Fort DeRussy. Smith sent out some troops on the morning of the 13th to determine if any enemy was in their path. This force dispersed and chased an enemy brigade, after which, Smith set his men in motion up the Fort DeRussy road. They did not proceed far before night.
The Union launched a multi-purpose expedition into Confederate Gen. [[Edmund Kirby Smith|E. Kirby Smith's]] [[Trans-Mississippi Department]], headquartered in Shreveport, Louisiana, in early 1864. Maj. Gen. [[Nathaniel P. Banks]] and Rear Adm. [[David Dixon Porter|David D. Porter]] jointly commanded the combined force. Porter's fleet and Brig. Gen. A.J. Smith's XVI and XVII Army Corps detachments of the [[Army of the Tennessee]] set out on March 12, 1864, up the Red River, the most direct route to Shreveport. Banks with the XIII and XIX Army Corps advanced by way of Berwick Bay and Bayou Teche. After removing various obstructions that the Rebels had placed in the river, the major impediment to the Union expedition was the formidable Fort DeRussy, an earthen fortification with a partly iron-plated battery designed to resist the fire of Union ironclads that might come up river. Union Brig. Gen. A.J. Smith's command had embarked on transports at [[Vicksburg, Mississippi|Vicksburg]] and then disembarked at [[Simmesport, Louisiana|Simmesport]], on the 12th, about thirty miles from Fort DeRussy. Smith sent out some troops on the morning of the 13th to determine if any enemy was in their path. This force dispersed and chased an enemy brigade, after which, Smith set his men in motion up the Fort DeRussy road. They did not proceed far before night.


==Battle==
== Battle ==
[[File:Fort_DeRussy_Battlefield_Louisiana.jpg|305px|thumb|right|Map of Fort DeRussy Battlefield core and study areas by the [[American Battlefield Protection Program]].]]
[[File:Fort DeRussy, LA.jpg|thumb|left|Fort DeRussy after its capture]]
Early the next morning, March 14, they continued the march, discovering that a Confederate division threatened their advance. Mindful of this threat, Smith had to place part of his command in a position to intercept these Confederate forces if they attacked. Upon arriving at the fort, the enemy garrison of 350 men opened fire. Smith decided to use Mower's division, XVI Army Corps, to take the fort and set about positioning it for the attack. Around 6:30 pm, Smith ordered a charge on the fort and about twenty minutes later, Mower's men scaled the parapet, causing the enemy to surrender.
Early the next morning, March 14, they continued the march, discovering that a Confederate division threatened their advance. Mindful of this threat, Smith had to place part of his command in a position to intercept these Confederate forces if they attacked. Upon arriving at the fort, the enemy garrison of 350 men opened fire. Smith decided to use Mower's division, XVI Army Corps, to take the fort and set about positioning it for the attack. Around 6:30 pm, Smith ordered a charge on the fort and about twenty minutes later, Mower's men scaled the parapet, causing the enemy to surrender.


[[File:Fort DeRussy, LA.jpg|thumb|left|A drawing of Fort De Russy after its capture]]
Fort DeRussy, which some had said was impregnable, had fallen and the Red River to Alexandria was open.
Fort DeRussy, which some had said was impregnable, had fallen and the Red River to Alexandria was open.


Smith's Union troops captured 2 9-inch [[Dahlgren gun]]s, 1 rifled [[32-pounder gun]], 1 32-pounder smoothbore gun, 2 32-pounder [[carronade]]s, 2 [[24-pounder long gun]]s, and 2 [[M1841 6-pounder field gun#"Iron Age"|iron 6-pounder gun]]s.{{sfn|Official Records|1891}}
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==Battlefield Preservation==


⚫
== Battlefield Preservation ==
The [[Civil War Trust]] (a division of the [[American Battlefield Trust]]) and its partners have acquired and preserved 73 acres of the Fort DeRussy Battlefield.<ref>[https://www.battlefields.org/preserve/saved-land] [[American Battlefield Trust]] "Saved Land" webpage. Accessed May 22, 2018.</ref>
The [[Civil War Trust]] (a division of the [[American Battlefield Trust]]) and its partners have acquired and preserved 73 acres of the Fort DeRussy Battlefield.{{sfn|ABT|2021}}


==See also==
== References ==
=== Citations ===
* [[Fort DeRussy (Louisiana)|Fort DeRussy]]
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}


=== Bibliography ===
==References==
*{{cite web|last=ABT |title=Fort DeRussy, March 14, 1864 |year=2021 |publisher=[[American Battlefield Trust]] |access-date=November 27, 2022 |url=https://www.battlefields.org/learn/maps/fort-derussy-mar-14-1864 }}
{{NPS.Gov|sourceURL=[http://www.nps.gov/history/hps/abpp/battles/la017.htm]}}
⚫
*{{cite web|last=Cutrer |first=Thomas |title=Byrd, William |year=1994 |url=https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/byrd-william |publisher=Texas State Historical Association |access-date=20 May 2016}}
{{Reflist|refs=
*{{cite web |last=[[Official Records of the American Civil War|Official Records]] |title=A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies: Volume XXXIV Part I |publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office |location=Washington, D.C. |year=1891 |page=578 |access-date=November 27, 2022 |url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924077700288&view=1up&seq=600 }}
⚫
<ref name="TSHA">{{cite web|last1=Cutrer|first1=Thomas|title=Byrd, William|url=https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fby03|publisher=Texas State Historical Association|accessdate=20 May 2016}}</ref>
}}


==Further reading==
== Further reading ==
{{Div col|colwidth=30em}}
⚫
* Wardlaw, Trevor P. “Sires and Sons: The Story of Hubbard’s Regiment.” CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2015. {{ISBN|978-1511963732}}
* {{cite book |last=Clay |first=Steven E. |editor-last=Hogg |editor-first=Michael L. |year=2022 |title=Staff Ride Handbook for the Red River Campaign, 7 March-19 May 1864 |url=https://www.armyupress.army.mil/Portals/7/Research%20and%20Books/2023/SRHB_Red_River_WEB_READY.pdf |others=Graphics by Robin D. Kern |location=Fort Leavenworth, KS |publisher=Combat Studies Institute Press |isbn=9781940804781 |lccn=2022036037 |oclc=1341268269 |ol=40130965M}}
⚫
* Wardlaw, Trevor P. “Sires and Sons: The Story of Hubbard's Regiment.” CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2015. {{ISBN|978-1511963732}}
{{Div col end}}


==External links==
==External links==
*[http://www.fortderussy.org/ Friends of Fort DeRussy]
*[http://www.fortderussy.org/ Friends of Fort DeRussy]
*[http://www.civilwaralbum.com/louisiana/derussy.htm Site photographs] CivilWarAlbum.com


{{Louisiana in the Civil War}}
<!-- {{coord|31.18380|N|92.05436|W|display=title}} -->
{{Portal bar|American Civil War|Louisiana}}
{{authority control}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Fort DeRussy, Battle Of}}
⚫
[[Category:Red River Campaign|Fort De Russy]]
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[[Category:Union victories of the American Civil War|Fort de Russy]]
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[[Category:Battles of the Trans-Mississippi Theater of the American Civil War|Fort de Russy]]
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[[Category:Battles of the American Civil War in Louisiana|Fort De Russy]]
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[[Category:Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana]]
[[Category:1864 in Louisiana]]
[[Category:1864 in Louisiana]]
⚫
[[Category:Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana]]
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[[Category:Battles of the American Civil War in Louisiana]]
⚫
[[Category:Battles of the Trans-Mississippi Theater of the American Civil War]]
⚫
[[Category:Red River campaign]]
⚫
[[Category:Union victories of the American Civil War]]

Latest revision as of 12:01, 30 May 2024

Battle of Fort DeRussy
Part of the American Civil War
DateMarch 14, 1864 (1864-03-14)
Location
Fort DeRussy, Louisiana
31°11′02″N 92°03′16″W / 31.18380°N 92.05436°W / 31.18380; -92.05436
Result Union victory
Belligerents
 United States (Union)  Confederate States
Commanders and leaders
United States A.J. Smith
United States Joseph Mower		 Confederate States of America William Byrd[1]
Strength
10,000 men 350 men
Casualties and losses
48 killed and wounded
2 missing		 2 killed
5 wounded
317 captured,
Fort DeRussy is located in Louisiana
Fort DeRussy
Fort DeRussy
class=notpageimage|
Location in Louisiana

The Battle of Fort DeRussy was the first engagement in the Red River Campaign of March–May 1864 in the American Civil War.

The Union Army of the Gulf under General Banks aimed to capture Shreveport, state capital and headquarters of the Confederate command, west of the Mississippi. The operation was spearheaded by General A.J. Smith and Brigadier General Joseph Mower, who surprised and captured Fort DeRussy on March 14, taking over 300 prisoners and the enemy's only heavy guns. The Confederates, under General Richard Taylor, were forced to retreat, leaving south and central Louisiana to the Union forces.

Background

[edit]
Map of Fort DeRussy Battlefield core and study areas by the American Battlefield Protection Program.

The Union launched a multi-purpose expedition into Confederate Gen. E. Kirby Smith's Trans-Mississippi Department, headquartered in Shreveport, Louisiana, in early 1864. Maj. Gen. Nathaniel P. Banks and Rear Adm. David D. Porter jointly commanded the combined force. Porter's fleet and Brig. Gen. A.J. Smith's XVI and XVII Army Corps detachments of the Army of the Tennessee set out on March 12, 1864, up the Red River, the most direct route to Shreveport. Banks with the XIII and XIX Army Corps advanced by way of Berwick Bay and Bayou Teche. After removing various obstructions that the Rebels had placed in the river, the major impediment to the Union expedition was the formidable Fort DeRussy, an earthen fortification with a partly iron-plated battery designed to resist the fire of Union ironclads that might come up river. Union Brig. Gen. A.J. Smith's command had embarked on transports at Vicksburg and then disembarked at Simmesport, on the 12th, about thirty miles from Fort DeRussy. Smith sent out some troops on the morning of the 13th to determine if any enemy was in their path. This force dispersed and chased an enemy brigade, after which, Smith set his men in motion up the Fort DeRussy road. They did not proceed far before night.

Battle

[edit]
Fort DeRussy after its capture

Early the next morning, March 14, they continued the march, discovering that a Confederate division threatened their advance. Mindful of this threat, Smith had to place part of his command in a position to intercept these Confederate forces if they attacked. Upon arriving at the fort, the enemy garrison of 350 men opened fire. Smith decided to use Mower's division, XVI Army Corps, to take the fort and set about positioning it for the attack. Around 6:30 pm, Smith ordered a charge on the fort and about twenty minutes later, Mower's men scaled the parapet, causing the enemy to surrender.

Fort DeRussy, which some had said was impregnable, had fallen and the Red River to Alexandria was open.

Smith's Union troops captured 2 9-inch Dahlgren guns, 1 rifled 32-pounder gun, 1 32-pounder smoothbore gun, 2 32-pounder carronades, 2 24-pounder long guns, and 2 iron 6-pounder guns.[2]

Battlefield Preservation

[edit]

The Civil War Trust (a division of the American Battlefield Trust) and its partners have acquired and preserved 73 acres of the Fort DeRussy Battlefield.[3]

References

[edit]

Citations

[edit]
  1. ^ Cutrer 1994.
  2. ^ Official Records 1891.
  3. ^ ABT 2021.

Bibliography

[edit]
  • ABT (2021). "Fort DeRussy, March 14, 1864". American Battlefield Trust. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
  • Cutrer, Thomas (1994). "Byrd, William". Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved May 20, 2016.
  • Official Records (1891). "A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies: Volume XXXIV Part I". Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 578. Retrieved November 27, 2022.

Further reading

[edit]
[edit]
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