The Red River Campaign, a significant Union Army-Navy operation of the American Civil War, unfolded from March 2 to May 20, 1864. This ambitious Union initiative, often referred to as the Red River Expedition, saw a series of fierce engagements fought along the Red River in Louisiana, ultimately becoming a testament to Confederate resilience. Approximately 30,000 Union troops, led by Major General Nathaniel P. Banks, confronted Confederate forces under General Richard Taylor, whose strength fluctuated between 6,000 and 15,000.
The strategic objective of the Red River Campaign was multifaceted: to encircle the main Confederate armies by capturing Shreveport, the capital of Confederate Louisiana and a vital military-industrial hub. Shreveport housed armories, foundries, and a naval shipyard, making its control critical. President Abraham Lincoln also envisioned the campaign as a potential gateway for a larger invasion of Texas, aiming to disrupt Confederate supply lines and exert Union control over the Trans-Mississippi Department. However, what ensued was a Union failure, plagued by poor planning and significant mismanagement, ultimately preventing the full accomplishment of any of its primary objectives.
Confederate General Richard Taylor, despite being significantly outnumbered, successfully defended the Red River Valley, turning the campaign into one of the last decisive Confederate victories of the war. The campaign’s disastrous outcome raised serious concerns in Washington, leading to a congressional investigation. Union General Nathaniel Banks faced humiliation, spending the remainder of the war in New Orleans or Washington, often testifying before Congress. Conversely, Confederate General Richard Taylor was promoted to lieutenant general, receiving command east of the Mississippi River, a clear indicator of his strategic prowess during the campaign.
Key Battles of the Red River Campaign
Fort DeRussy – March 14, 1864
The Red River Campaign commenced with a multi-purpose expedition into Rebel General E. Kirby Smith’s Trans-Mississippi Department, aiming for Shreveport. Major General Nathaniel P. Banks and Rear Admiral David D. Porter jointly commanded the combined Union force. Porter’s fleet and Brigadier General A.J. Smith’s detachments from the XVI and XVII Army Corps of the Army of the Tennessee began their advance up the Red River on March 12, 1864. After overcoming various Confederate obstructions in the river, the primary impediment was the formidable Fort DeRussy. This earthen fortification, featuring a partly iron-plated battery, was designed to resist Union ironclads. Brigadier General A.J. Smith’s command disembarked at Simsport and advanced towards the fort. On the morning of March 14, after dispersing a Confederate brigade, Smith’s forces assaulted the fort. Around 6:30 pm, a charge led by Mower’s division, XVI Army Corps, successfully scaled the parapet, forcing the 350-man Confederate garrison to surrender within 20 minutes. Fort DeRussy, previously considered impregnable, had fallen, opening the Red River to Alexandria for Union forces.
Mansfield (Sabine Crossroads) – April 8, 1864
As Major General Nathaniel P. Banks’s Red River Expedition advanced some 150 miles up the Red River, Major General Richard Taylor, without direct orders from his superior General E. Kirby Smith, decided to halt the Union drive. He established a strong defensive position near Mansfield, specifically at Sabine Crossroads, a crucial communications hub in De Soto Parish, Louisiana. On April 8, Banks’s forces approached, pushing back Confederate cavalry. Throughout the morning, Federal troops probed the Rebel lines. In the late afternoon, despite being outnumbered, Taylor launched a determined attack on both Union flanks, successfully routing two of Banks’s divisions. Approximately three miles from the initial contact, a third Union division finally managed to halt Taylor’s advance after more than an hour of intense fighting. That night, Taylor’s attempts to turn Banks’s right flank proved unsuccessful. Banks initiated a retreat but re-engaged Taylor the following day at Pleasant Hill. The Battle of Mansfield proved to be the decisive engagement of the Red River Campaign, directly influencing Banks’s decision to withdraw towards Alexandria. This Confederate victory resulted in 694 Union casualties, while Confederate losses amounted to 2,423.
Pleasant Hill – April 9, 1864
Following their victory at Mansfield, Major General Richard Taylor’s reinforced Confederate forces pursued Major General Nathaniel P. Banks’s retreating Union army to Pleasant Hill. Taylor, confident after Mansfield, believed an audacious and well-coordinated assault could completely destroy the Union force, despite still being outnumbered. After a brief rest, the Confederates attacked at 5:00 pm. Taylor’s plan involved a frontal assault combined with a flanking maneuver on the Union left and a cavalry movement around the right to cut off escape routes. Brigadier General Thomas J. Churchill’s attack on the Union left succeeded in scattering the enemy troops. However, as Churchill’s men advanced to attack the Union center from the rear, Union forces discerned the danger and struck Churchill’s right flank, forcing a retreat. Although Banks achieved a tactical victory at Pleasant Hill, he continued his retreat, determined to extract his army from West Louisiana before suffering further casualties. The combined impact of the Battles of Mansfield and Pleasant Hill ultimately compelled Banks to abandon his objective of capturing Shreveport.
Blair’s Landing – April 12-13, 1864
During the ongoing Red River Campaign, Brigadier General Tom Green led his Confederate cavalry to Pleasant Hill Landing on the Red River. On April 12, around 4:00 pm, they discovered grounded and damaged Union transports and U.S. Navy gunboats laden with supplies and armaments. Union Brigadier General Thomas Kilby Smith’s Provisional Division Corps troops and Navy gunboats were providing protection. Green’s forces charged the vessels, but Smith’s men, employing resourceful ingenuity, defended the boats by hiding behind bales of cotton, sacks of oats, and other makeshift obstructions. The combined fire from the Union troops and gunboats repelled the attack, resulting in Green’s death and significant Confederate losses. The Confederates withdrew, and most Union transports continued downriver. On April 13, other boats ran aground at Campti and came under harassing fire from Brigadier General St. John R. Liddell’s Confederate troops. The convoy eventually rendezvoused with Major General Nathaniel Banks’s army at Grand Ecore, providing badly needed supplies.
Monett’s Ferry (Cane River Crossing) – April 23, 1864
Nearing the conclusion of the Red River Expedition, Major General Nathaniel P. Banks’s army evacuated Grand Ecore and retreated towards Alexandria, under constant Confederate pursuit. Banks’s advance party, commanded by Brigadier General William H. Emory, encountered Brigadier General Hamilton P. Bee’s cavalry division near Monett’s Ferry (also known as Cane River Crossing) on the morning of April 23. Bee, tasked with preventing Emory’s crossing, strategically positioned his men to utilize natural features that covered both his flanks. Emory, hesitant to assault such a strong Confederate position directly, initiated a demonstration in front of the lines while two brigades sought an alternative crossing point. One brigade successfully found a ford, crossed the river, and launched an attack on the Confederate flank, forcing Bee to retreat. Banks’s men then laid pontoon bridges, and by the following day, the entire army had crossed the river. The Confederates at Monett’s Ferry ultimately missed a critical opportunity to destroy or capture Banks’s retreating army.
Mansura – May 16, 1864
As Major General Nathaniel P. Banks’s Red River Expeditionary Force continued its retreat down the Red River, Confederate forces under Major General Richard Taylor persistently attempted to slow Union movements, deplete their numbers, or ideally, destroy them entirely. The Union forces bypassed Fort DeRussy, reached Marksville, and pressed eastward. At Mansura, Taylor strategically massed his forces on an open prairie that commanded access to the three roads traversing the area. He hoped his artillery, positioned advantageously, could inflict substantial casualties on the advancing Union troops. Union forces approached early on May 16, initiating skirmishes. After a four-hour engagement, primarily an artillery duel, a large Union force concentrated for a flank attack. This maneuver induced the Rebels to fall back. The Union troops then proceeded to Simmsport. While Taylor’s forces could harass the enemy’s retrograde, they were ultimately unable to halt the Union retreat.
Yellow Bayou – May 18, 1864
During his arduous retreat in the Red River Campaign, following the significant battles of Mansfield and Pleasant Hill, Major General Nathaniel P. Banks finally reached the Atchafalaya River on May 17. Crossing this river would provide a much-needed shield from continuous Confederate harassment, but the army engineers required time to construct a bridge. On May 18, Banks received intelligence that Major General Richard Taylor’s forces were close to Yellow Bayou. He ordered Brigadier General A.J. Smith to intercept them. When Smith was unable to comply, Brigadier General Joseph A. Mower was dispatched to confront Taylor. The Union forces attacked, driving the Rebels back to their main line. However, the Confederates counterattacked, forcing the Federals to yield ground. The Union force eventually repulsed the Confederates, but this see-saw action persisted for several hours until intense ground fires, sparked by the fighting, forced both sides to withdraw. The Battle of Yellow Bayou marked the final engagement of Banks’s ill-fated Red River Expedition, crucially ensuring that the Federals escaped as an army, preserving their fighting capability for future encounters.
Conclusion: The Legacy of the Red River Campaign
The Red River Campaign stands as a complex and often overlooked chapter of the American Civil War, representing a significant strategic failure for the Union, despite occasional tactical victories. The campaign underscored the logistical challenges of warfare in the vast Trans-Mississippi theater and highlighted the profound impact of leadership decisions. Major General Nathaniel P. Banks’s ambitious plan to capture Shreveport and open a path to Texas was ultimately thwarted by a combination of poor inter-service coordination, difficult terrain, and the determined resistance of Confederate forces under General Richard Taylor. Taylor’s leadership, characterized by audacious battlefield decisions and effective defensive strategies, proved instrumental in securing a vital, albeit temporary, Confederate triumph.
This campaign, marked by intense fighting at locations like Mansfield and Pleasant Hill, had lasting repercussions for both commanders. Banks faced a congressional inquiry and a tarnished reputation, while Taylor’s success earned him promotion and recognition. The Red River Campaign remains a testament to the Confederacy’s ability to mount effective defenses even in the late stages of the war, serving as one of the last decisive victories for the South. Its events reshaped military careers and demonstrated the formidable challenges faced by Union efforts to consolidate control over all Confederate territories, solidifying its place as a pivotal moment in the Civil War’s western theater.
