One of the greatest Federal military disasters of the war finally ends, leaving bitter resentment in the Red River Valley of Louisiana.
Tag: Army of the Gulf
Nothing but Destruction Awaits
The Federal Red River campaign is fizzling out. Frederick Steele’s Army of Arkansas begins returning to Little Rock, while Federal naval forces on the Red River in Louisiana are in grave danger of being stranded in shallow water.
Red River: Porter in Grave Danger
Confederates continue to harass the Federals retreating down the Red River in Louisiana. David D. Porter’s Federal naval flotilla reaches Alexandria, Louisiana, but it still faces potential destruction as the Red River continues falling.
Red River: Banks Misses His Deadline
The deadline arrives for Nathaniel P. Banks to return Federal troops on loan from William T. Sherman. But the situation becomes complicated because Banks fails to reach Shreveport and the Red River is falling dangerously low.
The Battle of Pleasant Hill
Nathaniel P. Banks’s Federals retreat to Pleasant Hill, where Richard Taylor’s Confederates track them down. Banks decides to make a stand as Taylor seeks to drive him out of western Louisiana.
The Battle of Mansfield
Nathaniel P. Banks’s Federals unexpectedly run into Confederates under Richard Taylor blocking their path to Shreveport, which results in heavy fighting in western Louisiana.