Battle of Fort Bisland
| Battle of Fort Bisland | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the American Civil War | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
| United States of America | Confederate States of America | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Nathaniel P. Banks | Richard Taylor | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| Banks' Department of the Gulf, XIX Army Corps | Army of Western Louisiana | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 234 (estimated) | 450 (estimated) | ||||||
The Battle of Fort Bisland was fought between Union Major General Nathaniel P. Banks against Confederate Major General Richard Taylor during Banks' operations against the Bayou Teche region in southern Louisiana.
Prelude
When Banks was made commander of the XIX Army Corps, Department of the Gulf, on December 16 1862, he was ordered to coordinate an attack against the Confederate bastion of Port Hudson while General Ulysses S. Grant moved against Vicksburg. Banks' made the preparations to begin but he knew the difficulties he would face on the march there. First, the area from New Orleans, Louisiana is marshy, full of swamps, and disease would be rampant. There was also another obstacle in Bank's path and that was General Richard Taylor's small Army of Western Louisiana.
The battle plan that Banks formulated would take his XIX Army Corps to Alexandria, Louisiana, securing the Bayou Teche region that was laden with natural forage and unused supplies, establing certain supply depots along the way, and securing his left flank. He would then move from Alexandria against Port Hudson.
However, the quick movement he hoped for would be slowed due to Taylor's small army. The first of the attacks that slowed Banks' movements occured at the Confederate installation Fort Bisland, located in St. Mary Parish, Louisiana.
Battle
When Banks departed New Orleans, he planned to capture Taylor's army in it's entirety. He wanted to rid himself of Taylor's pesky little force but that would prove easier said than done. On April 9, two divisions from Banks' XIX Corps crossed Berwick Bay from Brashear City (present day Morgan City, Louisiana)to the west side at Berwick. On the 11th, Banks' began his advance in earnest. Taylor was well aware of Banks' advance due the performance of his cavalry under Confederate General. Green shadowed Banks' army and reported back to Taylor every detail of the maneuvers of the Union army. On the April 12, a third division, under brigadier general Cuvier Grover, of Banks' Corps went 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. Richard Taylor sent some of General Thomas Green's cavalry to the front to ascertain the enemy's strength and slow his advance. He also sent General Alfred Mouton along with some of his men to impede the advance of Grover's divison. Late on the 12th, Union troops arrived outside the defenses in battle line. An artillery barrage ensued from both sides until dark when the Federal troops , many of whom were hit by Rebel cannon fire, fell back and camped for the night. About 9:00 am on April 13, the Union forces again advanced on Fort Bisland. Combat did not begin until after 11:00 am and continued until dusk. In addition to Confederate forces in the earthworks, the gunboat Diana, now in Confederate hands, shelled the Union troops. U.S. gunboats joined the fray in late afternoon. The fighting ceased after this.
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.
Aftermath
Fort Bisland was the only fortification that could have impeded this Union offensive, and it had fallen. Banks comtinued his march up Bayou Teche after this initial battle onward to his ultimate objective of Alexandria, Louisiana.
Though Fort Bisland had fallen, there was still more than Taylor and his army planned to do to slow down Banks. The next battle between the two would come a few days later at the battle of Irish Bend.
References
- Ayres, Thomas., Dark and Bloody Ground : The Battle of Mansfield and the Forgotten Civil War in Louisiana, Cooper Square Press, 2001.
- 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.