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{{short description|Battle of the American Civil War}}
{{Infobox Military Conflict▼
| conflict = Battle of Fort Bisland
| image =
| caption =
| partof = the [[American Civil War]]
| date =
| place = [[St. Mary Parish, Louisiana]]
| result = [[United States of America|Union]] victory<ref
| combatant1 = {{flagicon|USA|
| combatant2 = {{flagicon|CSA|
| commander1 = [[Nathaniel P. Banks]]
| commander2 = [[Richard Taylor (Confederate general)|Richard Taylor]]
| units1 = [[Department of the Gulf]]
| units2 = [[Army of Western Louisiana]]
| casualties1 = 234
| casualties2 = 450
}}
{{Campaignbox Operations in West Louisiana}}
The '''Battle of Fort Bisland''' was fought in the [[American Civil War]] between [[Union army|Union]] [[Major General]] [[Nathaniel P. Banks]] against [[Confederate States Army|Confederate]] [[Major General]] [[Richard Taylor (Confederate general)|Richard Taylor]] during Banks' operations against the [[Bayou Teche]] region in southern [[Louisiana]].
==Prelude==
When Banks was made commander of the [[XIX Corps (ACW)|XIX Army Corps]], [[Department of the Gulf]], on December 16, 1862, he was ordered to coordinate an attack against the [[Confederate States Army|Confederate]] bastion of [[Siege of Port Hudson|Port Hudson]] while General [[Ulysses S. Grant]] moved against [[Siege of Vicksburg|Vicksburg]]. Banks made preparations for this campaign, but he knew the difficulties he would face on the march there. First, the area from [[New Orleans, Louisiana|New Orleans]], was marshy, full of swamps, and disease would be rampant. There was also another obstacle in Bank's path — General [[Richard Taylor (Confederate general)|Richard Taylor]]'s small [[Army of Western Louisiana]].
Banks formulated a plan that would take the XIX Corps to [[Alexandria, Louisiana|Alexandria]], securing the Bayou Teche region that was laden with natural forage and unused supplies. He would establish supply depots along the way and then would move from Alexandria against Port Hudson. However, the quick movement he hoped for was slowed by Taylor's small army in a series of attacks, beginning with Fort Bisland, located in [[St. Mary Parish, Louisiana]].
==Battle==
[[File:Fort_Bisland_Battlefield_Louisiana.jpg|305px|thumb|right|Map of Fort Bisland Battlefield core and study areas by the [[American Battlefield Protection Program]].]]
When Banks departed New Orleans, he planned to capture Taylor's army in its entirety. On April 9, two [[division (military)|divisions]] from the XIX Corps crossed Berwick Bay from Brashear City (present day [[Morgan City, Louisiana]]) to the west side at Berwick. On April 11, Banks began his advance in earnest. Taylor was well aware of Banks' advance because of successful scouting by his [[cavalry]] under Brig. Gen. [[Thomas Green (general)|
On April 12, Banks sent a third division, under [[Brigadier General|Brig. Gen.]] [[Cuvier Grover]], up the [[Atchafalaya River]] to land in the rear of Franklin, intending to intercept a Confederate retreat from Fort Bisland or turn the enemy's position. General Taylor sent some of Green's cavalry to the front to ascertain the enemy's strength and slow his advance. He also sent troops under Brig. Gen. [[Alfred Mouton]] to impede the advance of Grover's division. Late in the day, Union troops of Brig. Gen. [[William H. Emory]]'s division arrived and formed a battle line outside the Fort Bisland's defenses. An artillery barrage ensued from both sides until dark when the Federal troops fell back to camp for the night.
About 9:00
Combat did not begin until after 11:00
By early evening, fire had halted. Later that night, Taylor learned that the Union 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 slow any enemy movement. The next morning, Banks and his men found the fort abandoned.
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==Opposing Forces==
===Union===▼
▲=== Union ===
'''[[Army of the Gulf]]'''<ref>Dyer, p. 745</ref><ref>Dyre, (pages relevant to individual regiments).</ref><ref>Scott, p. 319</ref> – Major General [[Nathaniel P. Banks]]
**2nd Brigade - Brig. Gen. [[Godfrey Weitzel]]▼
* '''1st Division -'''
**1st Brigade - Col Timothy Ingraham▼
** '''2nd Brigade''' -
*** [[12th Connecticut Infantry Regiment]]
**3rd Brigade - Col Oliver P. Gooding▼
*** [[75th New York Infantry Regiment|75th New York Infantry Regiment (2nd Auburn Regiment)]]
*** [[114th New York Infantry Regiment|114th New York Infantry Regiment (Albany County Regiment, Seymour Guard)]]
*** [[160th New York Infantry Regiment]]
*** [[8th Vermont Infantry Regiment]]
*** ''Attached to 2nd brigade'' :
**** [[1st U.S. Artillery, Battery A|Battery A, 1st United States Artillery Regiment]]
**** [[6th Massachusetts Battery|6th Massachusetts Light Artillery Battery]]
**** A, B, C, and E Squadrons, [[1st Louisiana Cavalry Regiment (Union)|1st Louisiana Cavalry Regiment]]
* '''3rd Division''' - BG [[William H. Emory]]
*** [[4th Massachusetts Militia Regiment|4th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment]]
*** [[16th New Hampshire Infantry Regiment]] (''garrisoned at Brashear city'')
*** [[110th New York Infantry Regiment]]
*** [[162nd New York Infantry Regiment]]
** '''2nd Brigade''' - Col [[Halbert E. Paine]]
*** [[8th New Hampshire Infantry Regiment]]
*** [[133rd New York Infantry Regiment|133rd New York Infantry Regiment (2nd Regiment, Metropolitan Guard)]]
*** [[173rd New York Infantry Regiment|173rd New York Infantry Regiment (4th National Guard)]]
*** [[4th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment]]
*** [[31st Massachusetts Infantry Regiment]]
*** [[38th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment]]
*** [[53rd Massachusetts Infantry Regiment]]
*** [[156th New York Infantry Regiment|156th New York Infantry Regiment (The Mountain Legion)]]
*** [[175th New York Infantry Regiment]]
** '''Divisional Artillery'''
*** [[1st Maine Light Artillery Battery]]
*** [[1st U.S. Artillery, Battery F|Battery F, 1st United States Artillery Regiment]]
* '''19th Corps Artillery''' - BG [[Richard Arnold (general)|Richard Arnold]]
** [[1st Indiana Heavy Artillery Regiment]]
** [[18th Independent Battery New York Light Artillery]]
===Confederate===
'''District of West Louisiana''' - Major General [[Richard Taylor (Confederate general)|Richard Taylor]]
* '''Mouton's Brigade''' - Brig. Gen. [[Alfred Mouton|Jean Jacques Alfred Alexander Mouton]]▼
** [[18th Louisiana Infantry Regiment]] - Colonel Armand
▲*Mouton's Brigade - Brig. Gen. [[Alfred Mouton|Jean Jacques Alfred Alexander Mouton]]
** [[28th Louisiana Infantry Regiment]] - Colonel [[Henry Gray (politician)|Henry Gray]]
** [[24th Louisiana Infantry Regiment]] (Crescent Regiment) - Colonel Bosworth
*Cavalry - Col [[Thomas Green (general)|Tom Green]]▼
** 10th Louisiana Infantry Bataillon (Yellow Jacket Bataillon) - Lieutenant Colonel Fournet
** 12th Louisiana Infantry Bataillon (Clack's Bataillon / Confederate Guard Response Bataillon)
** [[5th Louisiana Field Battery|Pelican Battery]] - Captain Faries
** [[1st Louisiana Field Battery|Cornay's Battery]] - Lieutenant Gordy
** [[1st Louisiana Regular Battery|Semmes' Battery]] - Lieutenant Barnes
** [[4th Texas Cavalry Regiment]] - Colonel James Reily
** [[7th Texas Cavalry Regiment]] - Colonel [[Arthur P. Bagby Jr.|Arthur Bagby]]
** 13th Texas Cavalry Bataillon (Waller's Bataillon)
** [[Val Verde Texas Battery]] - Captain Sayer
* '''Unattached'''
** [[2nd Louisiana Cavalry Regiment]] - Colonel Vincent
==References==
{{reflist|refs=
}}
==Sources==
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* Parrish, T. Michael, ''Richard Taylor, Soldier Prince of Dixie'', University of North Carolina Press, 1992.
* Taylor, Richard, ''Destruction and Reconstruction : Personal experiences of the late war'', Time-Life Books, 1983.
* {{Cite book|last=Dyer|first=Frederick H.|title=A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion|publisher=Thomas Yoseloff|year=1959|volume=II: Chronological Record of the Campaigns, Battles, Engagements, Actions, Combats, Sieges, Skirmishes, etc., in the United States, 1861 to 1865|location=New York, United States of America|lccn=59-12963}}
* {{Cite book|last=Scott|first=Lieutenant Colonel Robert N.|title=The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies|publisher=Government Printing Office|year=1886|series=I|volume=XV|location=Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America}}
{{Coord|29.7101|-91.351|display=title|region:US-LA_type:event}}
{{Louisiana in the Civil War}}
[[Category:Battles of the Operations in West Louisiana of the American Civil War|Fort Bisland]]▼
{{authority control}}
[[Category:Battles of the Lower Seaboard Theater and Gulf Approach of the American Civil War|Fort Bisland]]
[[Category:Union victories of the American Civil War|Fort Bisland]]
[[Category:
[[Category:St. Mary Parish, Louisiana]]
[[Category:1863 in Louisiana]]
[[Category:April 1863 events]]
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