Category: Dan O’Connell’s Campaign Series
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The Other Western Siege – Port Hudson Part 8
Irish Bend I As they landed Grover’s forces easily pushed back the 2nd Louisiana Cavalry skirmishers and marched toward Franklin. The possibility of having his escape route close Taylor had no choice but to weaken his already inadequate force. The 4th Texas Cavalry and two 6lb guns from the St. Mary’s Cannoneers covered the nineteen […]
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The Other Western Siege – Port Hudson Part 7
Fort Bisland II The Federal advance continued on the 12th. When Banks learned that Grover was on the move he ordered a harder push against the cavalry skirmishers. Weitzel’s brigade with Ingraham’s (1st) brigade of Emory’s division on his right advanced toward the fort. The lead elements of Weitzel’s brigade arrived before Fort Bisland at […]
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The Other Western Siege – Port Hudson Part 6
Into the Teche With the preliminary operations out of the way Banks set the main thrust of his offensive into motion. Banks was working under an increased sense of urgency because of the expiring enlistments of the bulk of his available troops. The overall objective of the proposed campaign was a drive on Alexandria in […]
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The Other Western Siege – Port Hudson Part 5
Rethinking the Campaign The demonstrated power of the guns at Port Hudson caught the attention of Banks. Following Farragut’s run on the batteries Banks moved his men back to Bayou Monte Sano. The administrative move started in a disorganized fashion when rumors circulated among the first troops to move that the forward units had been […]
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The Other Western Siege – Port Hudson Part 4
Running the Guns – March 14 The Union preparations were complete and the commanders of the individual vessels had their orders and the army had been assembled for their diversionary effort. During the afternoon of the 13th the Essex, Sachem, and six mortar schooners steamed into position near Profit Island. During the night the remainder […]
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The Other Western Siege – Port Hudson Part 3
Cooperation Confusion By mid-March 1863 it was clear that Union forces had the opportunity to achieve one of the strategic stepping stones laid out by the war planners in Washington as a path to eventual victory; control of the Mississippi River. With the Confederate Navy a nonfactor only the land based defenses at Vicksburg and […]
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The Other Western Siege – Port Hudson Part 2
The Union Offensive Operations Begin The 1862 mid-term elections in the North were a disaster for Lincoln’s Republican party. The Republicans lost 23 seats in the House of Representative. The Democrats captured a majority of seats in Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio and made gains in Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. The disaster prompted Indiana Governor Oliver […]