The Third Louisiana Cavalry
of the
Confederate States Army
(also known as the 1st Louisiana Cavalry Regiment, Partisan Rangers; 9th Louisiana Cavalry Battalion, Partisan Rangers or Wingfield's Cavalry)
A Brief History
(Excerpted and condensed from a book in
progress
"Wingfield's Rangers"
by Neale S. Brown)
-Introduction-
(General Van Dorn's Louisiana Battle Flag)
The History of Wingfield's Rangers has been sadly overlooked in the documentation of the Civil War. This regiment, made up of common men of eastern Louisiana, served nobley and well during a period of terrible upheaval. Leaving hearth and kin to do what they saw as their duty, often in great depravation and without even the meager pay to which they were entitled, these troopers and their families sacrificed their fortunes, health and often their lives to fight for what they believed was a noble cause. Obscurred by the passage of time, the scattering of records during the war and it's aftermath, the political intrigue of some Confederate Generals, and the narrow focus on the Eastern Theatre of the War, the honors this Regiment should have been accorded have long been withheld. Serving in a difficult theatre and acting as a forerunner of our modern day Special Forces, their original mission was to scout the Union forces occupying Louisiana, harass their numerically superior troops and raid their supply lines. In fact, though they did carry out these duties ablely, Wingfield's Cavalry was to also serve as a front line combat force in the major battles of the Department. Fighting couragously against overwhelming odds and from often near-suicidal positions at such places as Baton Rouge and the Seige of Port Hudson, these troopers earned a place in History.
-Early Organization-
The core of what was to become the 3rd Louisiana Cavalry was formed when Captain James H. Wingfield recruited a company of infantry from his native St. Helena Parish, Louisiana. Taking the name of the body of water near his home, The Beaver Creek Rifles were formally accepted into Confederate Service on May 25, 1861 as Company G, 4th Louisiana Infantry, C.S.A. at Camp Moore, Louisiana. They served initially guarding the cities of the Mississippi gulf coast, and then assisted with the evacuation of Ship Island in September of 1861. Moving to Franklin and Brashear City they then guarded the approaches to the Atchafalaya River and Bayou Teche. In February of 1862 the 4th Louisiana was dispatched to Jackson, Tennessee to join P.G.T. Beauregard's Army. At Shiloh the Beaver Creek Rifles, Co. G charged the famous "Hornet's Nest" four times, going into line to the right of the Lake Providence Cadets, suffering at least 20 wounded, including Captain Wingfield.
550 men fought at Shiloh in the 4th Louisiana Infantry led by Col. H.W.Allen. Losses were 15 officers,194 men (killed, wounded,missing) Co H losses were 30% and probably about the same for the Beaver Creek Rifles. Col.Gibson unfortunatelygave very brief after action reports and says almost nothing regarding the second day at Shiloh.
-Wingfield Takes Command-
Regimental Flag of the 1st Louisiana Cavalry, Partisan Rangers
Wingfield's Rangers began their Regimental History in May of 1862 as several loosely knit Companies of irregular cavalry organized by individual officers to raid the Union Army under the authority of Louisiana Governor Thomas Moore. Moore, understandably distressed by the loss of New Orleans and the State Capitol, Baton Rouge, took upon himself the authority granted to the Confederate Army and gave several State Commisions to individuals wanting to raise Partisan Ranger companies.These "Partisan Ranger" companies flourished briefly throughout the Confederacy, and were belatedly given legitimacy by the Confederate Government. Such companies were extremely popular, so much so that eventually even regular army regiments sometimes kept the designation of Partisan Rangers to attract recruits. Unlike the regular army, the Confederate Government was to pay Partisan Ranger units for any supplies and material captured from the Union Army in addition to their regular allowance. Such payment was then shared out among the troops as a bounty, making it much more profitable than service in the Regular Confederate Army. The outfitting of these Rangers was equally irregular, with quality of weaponry, uniforms and mounts varying widely between companies, the cost of which was often borne initially by the Captain who organized the Company. There was little coordination of these troops with the Armies of the Confederacy and even less between themselves. The chief engagements of these early Ranger companies were small, isolated raids on Federal Encampments and the harrying of pickets and supply lines.
In April of 1862, the Confederate Congress passed an Act formally recognizing and legitimizing the Partisan Ranger organizations throughout the Confederacy. Captain James H. Wingfield, having distinguished himself at Shiloh,and wounded when attacking the Hornet's Nest with his Beaver Creek Rifles was promoted to Lt. Colonel by George W. Randolph, Confederate Secretary of War, and issued orders to return to Louisiana and raise a Battalion or Regiment of Rangers for immediate Service. The Beaver Creek Rifles were detached from the 4th Louisiana Infantry and became the nucleus of the new Louisiana Partisan Rangers as Company E in early May of 1862. The regiment was formally organized on May 13th, 1862 at Camp Moore, Louisiana as the 1st Louisiana Cavalry Regiment, Partisan Rangers. New troopers were recruited from Washington Parish (Companies A , C and K), Livingston Parish (Companies B & G), St. Helena Parish (Companies D, E, & H), East Baton Rouge Parish (Companies F & G). Company I (East Feliciana Parish) was originally raised under Governor Moore's authority and was attached to Wingfield's command when he arrived at Camp Moore. Company K was similarly organized, and filled out by the transfer of troopers from other Companies and with recruits of differing parishes. The newly organized and transferred Companies were leavened with veteran officers and non-coms transferred from other commands or by the re-enlistment of veterans whose original enlistments had expired. These veteran troopers were obtained from the 4th Louisiana Infantry, the 9th Louisiana Infantry, the 25th Louisiana Infantry and other confederate regiments. Though training was to begin at Camp Moore, the press of the military situation in Louisiana caused the Rangers to be immeadiately dispatched to duty. It was but two weeks until the first engagements with the Union Army was recorded.
-Baptism of Fire-
Unlike Ranger
units in other States,Wingfield's acted largely in concert with
the Regular Confederate Army and under the orders of the theatre
commanders. June and July of 1862 saw the 1st Regiment assigned
to picket duty along the roads north of Baton Rouge and along
Lake Pontchartrain. The troopers of Wingfield's Cavalry saw their
first action on June 7th, in a brief skirmish with a Federal
scouting party near Baton Rouge, Louisiana. On the 28th of June,
a larger party of Federals, including Lt. Colonel John Keith,
21st Indiana Infantry, attacked the Camp of Company F on the
Amite River near Camp Moore. Several Company F troopers were
taken prisoner in the ensuing firefight, and the Indianans
destroyed and captured some equipment. However, as the Union
force made their way back toward Baton Rouge, they were ambushed
by Captain Tate, who had rallied his men and trailed the raiding
party. Taking advantage of the twilight, Tate ambushed the column
from a little woods at a bend in the road at about 9 p.m. Taking
the enemy by surprize, Tate's troopers managed to rescue most of
the captives, and wounded and killed 7 Union Soldiers, as well as
Col. Keith's horse.
The 4th of July found 20 troopers of Company B, under the Command
of Lt.s Evans and Starnes, occupied in the search for Adolph
Dies, a notorius bushwacker and highway man, whose group of
outlaws had murdered two soldiers of Caruther's Sharpshooter's
Company. Surrounding a group of four of the men, (who had hidden
out in an abandoned house avoiding Captain Wilson's Company D who
was patrolling the area) on July 7th, the troopers threatened to
burn the house if the criminals did not surrender. A gun appeared
from a window, firing one ill aimed round. The window was slammed
shut by a cavalryman. Dies then appeared at the door, firing his
rifle. His fire was immeadiately returned, mortally wounding him,
and causing the remaing three men to surrender. Though the
remainder of the group, some eight others, were not found, Lt.
Bradley who commanded the effort, lauded the Cavalry stating
"what little success attended the expedition was
attributable to Lieutenants Evans and Starns and the cavalry
under their command, all of whom behaved well."
Captain William Breed Kemp's Company H, meanwhile, had a brief
skirmish with a Union patrol on the seventh of July near Baton
Rouge, losing one man, Private Henry Castle, captured. Castle and
another Ranger, Private Thomas Pennington who had been captured
in Keith's raid in June, were held in New Orleans under a
sentence of death from Union Major-General Benjamin Butler.
Butler, having wrongfully determined that the Partisan Rangers
were not in true Confederate Service, was going to hang the
troopers as guerillas. The officers of the 1st Regiment
petitioned General Daniel Ruggles to attempt to save the lives of
their comrades, and Ruggles sent a message through the lines to
Butler, demanding that the troopers be granted the rights of
prisoners of war under the cartel between the Confederacy and the
Union. Though the letter was a somewhat rambling discourse on the
southern cause, it did point out that the men were regularly
enlisted and mustered into Confederate Service, the Partisan
Ranger Corps being a legitimate arm of the Confederate Military.
Butler's reply has been lost to history, but Pennington was later
exchanged and rejoined his company. Private Castle's fate is
unknown. This controversy regarding the Partisan Ranger Corps was
to last for years, until the Corps was disbanded in 1864. It was
to have a great effect on the treatment of Prisoners, the
exchange of which greatly influenced the history of Wingfield's
Cavalry later in the war.
The latter weeks of July found the Union garrison at Baton Rouge,
under General Williams, making a demonstration against the
Confederate Installation at Camp Moore. Sending troops, including
Keith's 21st Indiana, along both banks of the Amite River, they
encountered Company H of the 1st Partisan Ranger Regiment
encamped at Benton's Ferry on July 24th. Sending their advance
party ahead in Confederate and Civilian Garb, they approached
Captain Kemp's camp and hailed the pickets as friends. The
pickets were ordered to hold their fire, allowing the main body
of Yankee troops, some 350 strong, to make a surprise attack on
the camp. Captain Kemp managed to rally his men, but after
returning a volley or two, they were forced to withdraw. While
they managed to inflict some casualties on the Union force,
without suffering any of their own, Company H lost some 20
horses, a wagon, four mules and all camp equipment. While this
Union force continued up the east side of the Amite River,
another 600 Yankees were marching up the west bank, crossed the
river at Curtis' Ford and marched down the east bank toward
"Camp Turner", attempting to pin the Confederates
between them.
Camp Turner was the encampment of Lt. Turner of Company K, and
would normally have only been manned by a detachment of that
company, the rest being posted on Twelve Mile Bayou some distance
to the west. However, Captain Julius Wilson's Company D happened
to have moved into that camp, and with the now rallied troops of
Company H, Wilson formed a 200 man ambush and awaited the Yankee
force. The smaller Union Force, approaching from downstream
(southwest), arrived first. When the disguised Yankee advance
party hailed the pickets this time, the Rangers opened up along
their entire battle line, killing several Yankees including, they
believed, a Lt. Colonel. The larger force then approached from
the northeast, began shelling the camp, and sent forward a mixed
force of infantry and cavalry. Wilson, aware that he was flanked
by two superior forces and with the unfordable river to his east,
finally withdrew in good order to the west, suffering no
casualties in the engagement. The Union Forces, their tactical
advantage of surprise now gone, elected to withdraw to Baton
Rouge, never having closely approached Camp Moore. Wingfield's
Rangers were back in their original encampments before dark.
The next day, Companies A, B and C encountered a large force of
Yankee Infantry and artillery embarked upon three gunboats at
Lake Pontchartrain. This force, the 12th Connecticut Infantry
commanded by Major Frank H. Peck and an artillery detachment from
the 2nd Vermont Battery, attacked an encampment and villiage at
Pass Manchac on the 26th of July, then approached and shelled
Madisonville on the 27th. The three Ranger companies
(approximately 240 troopers) picketing the lake's northern shore
were spread very thinly, from Van Buren to the west to Covington
and Bayou Bonfuca to the east. Major James DeBaun commanded this
detachment, stationing himself at Pontchatoula. Not being able to
marshall enough troops to effectively oppose the expidition, De
Baun elected to order the thinly spread picket details to observe
and harrass the enemy. Several minor skirmishes were had, the
Rangers contenting themselves with ambushing the Federals at
several points, inflicting some casualties, then melting away
into the surrounding countryside. Peck's union expedition was a
futile effort, the only casualties they caused were the deaths of
two civilians, a woman and child, by artillery fired into
Madisonville.
On the 29th of July, De Baun's detachment was ordered to rejoin
the regiment for the attack on Baton Rouge.
-Battle for the Capitol-
-Baton Rouge,5 August, 1862-
Butler's Yankee
demonstration against Camp Moore had had unexpecteded
results.While the expedition failed to closely approach the
Confederate Headquarters and Camp of Instruction, in threatening
to do so he had caused the Department Commander, Major- General
Earl Van Dorn, to detail Major- General John Breckenridge and
significant reinforcements to the area. Union Brigadier General
Williams, commanding the occupation forces in Baton Rouge, almost
immeadiately became aware of the concentration of Confederate
Forces being assembled for the assault. Butler reassured the
nervous Yankee commander, explaining that the Confederates were
merely responding to the threat against Camp Moore and not
preparing for offensive action. He was wrong.
Breckenridge's orders allowed him to take offensive action if he
found the situation allowed for it. As the Yankee expidition
against Camp Moore had been withdrawn, the forces that had been
marshalled to protect the camp now found themselves with a
strategic opportunity. Breckenridge determined that, with the
assistance of the Confederate ram "Arkansas", he would
attempt to retake the Pelican State capitol. His plan was not
subtle, the battlefield being small and urban did not provide
opportunity for manouver. His force was divided into two
divisions: the 1st, commanded by Brigadier Charles Clark and the
2nd, commanded by Brigadier Daniel Ruggles. The two were to
advance down either side of the Greenwell Springs Road, the
eastern approach to the city, Ruggles to the south of the road,
Clark to the north. The Arkansas was to coordinate with the
advance, running downstream on the Mississippi from Vicksburg and
engaging the Federal Gunboats whose cannon commanded the western
portion of Baton Rouge. From the road leading into the city, it
would be a straight forward assault on the federal encampments.
The end of July found the 1st Partisan Ranger Regiment assembled in preperation for the coming movement on Baton Rouge. They now numbered some 837 Officers and men, full strength for a Confederate Cavalry Regiment (ten companies of 80 plus regimental staff). Wingfield's Cavalry, probably the only full strength regiment in the entire theatre, did not fight as a single unit. Instead, they were given three objectives in the battle plan: to act as pickets protecting the line of march; providing the advance forces for both divisions during the attack; and furnishing a flanking force on the extreme right of the Confederate battle line.
On the
March
July 31, 1862
L.D.
Sandidge, Acting Assistant Adjutant and Inspector General
Sir: Your communication just at hand and have
communicated
with General Clark fully. The movement is this: I have
placed
a strong picket at the following places: Benton's Ferry,
Curtis' Ford,
Dunn's Ford, Burlington Ferry, Courtney's Ferry, and
Williams Bridge,
and also a picket on the Swamp Road or what is known as
the Springfield
Road. This picket has been on duty all week and will not
be relieved until
our advance goes down. I have sent Captain Morgan's
company, by order
of General Clark, to act as his advance. Captain Tate,
with one squadron
will be in your advance, provided you go down on this
side of the Amite
and cross at Benton's or Davidson's; otherwise our
pickets will answer the
purpose. I shall go now and receive further orders from
General Clark.
Up to this hour no Yankees, except the 2,000 reported by
courier at
Caldwell's, have left town; they are fortifying. I shall
send advices to
you promptly from both sides the river. Captain E.A.
Scott will join me
at the intersection of the Plank Road, turning down to
Greenwell Springs.
Very respectfully, your obedient servent,
J. H.
Wingfield,
Lieutenant-Colonel, Commanding
P.S. -
Captain O.P. Amacker will be in command of two companies
of infantry
as skirmishers in advance of your column.
Unfortunately, while preparing for the advance on Baton Rouge, Colonel Wingfield became embroiled in a dispute with a civilian Provost-Marshall, one R. A. Hunter. Hunter attempted to detain Wingfield while the former was on the march to Baton Rouge along the Amite with his command. The Colonel, who would brook no interruption in his duty, was forced to shoot and wound Hunter to remove the impediment. General Ruggles, no supporter of the Rangers in general, and Wingfield in Particular, saw his chance and immeadiately ordered Wingfield into arrest at Camp Moore where he was held until his court-martial on October 4th. In his absence, Major James De Baun assumed command of the regiment and was tasked with carrying out Wingfield's plans.
The Confederate offensive assembled
without futher incident on August 4th, along the Greenwell
Springs Road at the Comite River Bridge, some ten miles east of
Baton Rouge. The Arkansas was reported passing Bayou Sara, on
time for the planned attack at daybreak. At 4:30 in the afternoon
Captain Amacker with Company E and Captain Bickham with Company C
(all dismounted) joined Lt. R.T. Boyle's Company E of the 30th
Louisiana Infantry and a section of Semmes' Louisiana Artillery
on a forced march to Baton Rouge in advance of the main force.
Taking a circuitous, back-country route this small ad hoc force,
under the command of Lt. Colonel T. Shields, 30th Louisiana, was
to advance to a position on the extreme right of the Confederate
line, and attack the left flank of the Occupation Garrison. The
main body of troops began their march at about 11:00 that night,
arriving at the outskirts of the city at about 3:00 am. on the
5th, in a dense fog.
Captain Tate's Ranger Squadron led off the attack. Sent forward
to drive in the enemy pickets and scout his positions, a small
party of his Louisiana Guards (Company F) encountered the Union
pickets (Companies F and I of the 21st Indiana Infantry) at about
3:30, a mile east of the city. A brief skirmish ensued and the
small Cavalry detachment withdrew to report the position of the
Federal emplacement as the remainder of Captain Tate's squadron
moved up to engage. As the returning Rangers approached the
Confederate marshalling area, soldiers of the 4th Kentucky
Infantry, confused by the darkness and fog and not expecting the
scouts, fired on the cavalrymen in the mist. The Rangers,
thinking they'd been ambushed, returned fire with somewhat more
precision, killing Lt. A. H. Todd, (the Confederate
brother-in-law of Union President Abraham Lincoln), and wounding
ten other Kentuckians. The 1st Brigade Commander, Brigadier
General Helm was severely injured when he managed to lose his
mount in the confusion. Though there was some delay caused by the
"unfortunate incident", the Officers were quickly
replaced and the column moved forward in support of Tate's battle
with the 21st Indiana.
Arriving about 4:30, Ruggles' 2nd division made short work of the Indiana advance force. Bringing up Semmes artillery, the Louisianans quickly drove the union artillery force supporting the Union advance party to cover and forced a Hoosier retreat. Tate's Squadron moved forward to the left of the Greenwell Springs road and "ambushed" another company of the Hoosier Infantry, driving it back to their encampment while the 2nd division deployed to the south of the road. Captain Scott's squadron, including Company I, were posted in the woods to the extreme left to observe the Enemy Right and prevent any Yankee flanking attempt.
Meanwhile, Amacker's and Bickham's Ranger Companies, with Lt. Colonel Shields flanking force, had taken a position at the intersection of the Plank and Bayou Sara roads on the extreme Confederate right at a considerable distance from the main attack. Placing his artillery in the intersection, Shields had his Infantry move under the cover of the fog to an advance position about 200 yards from the 14th Maine Infantry's encampment. When the firing commenced on the Greenwell Springs road, Shield's small legion opened fire on the Union left flank, driving in their pickets and causing the light artillery battery there to retreat in disorder. As the Ranger Companies advanced through a cornfield to the left of the road, their fire drove the 14th Maine back, and forced them to realign their front to face the small detachment. Finally, flanked by the rangers and under Shields artillery fire, the New Englanders abandoned their camp and withdrew toward the city.
The main Confederate attack stalled at this point, a mistaken order to withdraw having been passed down the line. Withdrawing to a gully along side the road, just to the east of the Magnolia Cemetery, the Confederate Advance was reorganized and then pressed forward again. This left Amacker's Squadron in an advanced and very exposed position.
The 9th Connecticut and 4th Wisconsin infantry, having been posted to the north of the city and away from the main battle line, now advanced to the 14th Maine's relief and managed (outnumbering the Rangers some 10 to 1) to stop Shield's advance and with the accidental assistance of friendly Confederate artillery fire (Semmes Battery?) drove the Rangers grudgingly back toward their original position. The Ranger return fire was so intense and efficient that both of the Union Regimental Commanders reported the Ranger Companies as two full Regiments in their after action reports.
As the second Confederate attack was
pressed, the right of the main body came into contact with
Shield's detatchment, and Breckenridge ordered the Rangers
attached to Captain F. Hughes' understrength 22nd Mississippi
Infantry Regiment for the remainder of the battle. Amacker's
squadron and the 22nd advanced steadily, spearheading the 1st
Division advance on the right and leading the second offensive.
Attacking in turn the 14th Maine, the 21st Indiana and the 7th
Vermont infantry, they pushed the Yankee defenders to the
riverbank until they came under the direct fire of the Union
Gunboats lying at anchor in the river. Captain Hughes was killed
at the head of this attack, within rifleshot of their final
objective, and the Confederate army waited futilly for the
Arkansas to relieve them from the heavy artillery of the Union
Fleet.
The Arkansas, meanwhile, had suffered an engineering casualty
during it's trip down river and was unable to make repairs.
Unbeknownst to the Southern Commander, the Confederate ram lay
beached some miles above the action, unable to continue her
mission. She would eventually be scuttled by her crew.
Under the fire of the gunboats, Breckenridge's assault forces withdrew out of range of the river. While waiting for the Arkansas to appear, they fired the Union equipage, burning the bulk of the Federal supplies in Baton Rouge. Some officers protested the apparent waste, but the Confederate army had no means to transport such large amounts of supplies, though some broken and damaged equipment, such as artillery caissons, were exchanged for new federal models, and many Confederate Soldiers exchanged their poorer arms for captured union rifles.
Finally, after it became apparent that the Arkansas was not going to arrive, Breckenridge sent forward Major DeBaun, Wingfield's second in command, under a flag of truce to ask for a cease fire in order to bury the dead. The Federal Commander declined stating that his men would tend to this sad duty and that no truce would be honored. Breckenridge then withdrew his army to the Comite River, leaving only De Baun's detachment of Rangers to picket the city.
Unfortunately, no after-action report for the Rangers has been found. Lt. Colonel Shield's report of activities on the right flank prior to Amacker's reassignment to the 22nd Mississippi includes mention of three wounded Beaver Creek Rangers "Lieutenant Amacker [Richard M., also wounded at Shiloh] , wounded in the shoulder severely; Sargeant Wilson, hand, slightly; Private J.L. Perryman, back, dangerously." The total wounded, captured and killed reported by Breckenridge included 21 Confederates not accounted for in the after action reports of his subordinate commanders. It is probably safe to assume that these 21 represent the losses incurred by theWingfield's Rangers at Baton Rouge, the bulk being troopers of Amacker's squadron (Companies E and C) during the final assault. The 22nd Mississippi lost 18 soldiers during that last attack on the city and it seems likely that a similar number was lost by the rangers accompanying them.
Though most historians veiw the Battle of Baton Rouge as a Union victory, the facts argue otherwise. True, the Confederate Army failed to retake the city on August 5th. They did however, take and hold the battlefield long enough to destroy most of the Union encampments and equipment, and put a stop to the Union raids and patrols from the Capitol. In addition, they left the Union occupation forces so battered and ill equipped that on August 21st Major De Baun, leading a patrol of Wingfield's Cavalry in a brief skirmish, was able to retake the city with little resistance. The Union commander, fearing another general attack, evacuated his forces to the gunboats and returned to New Orleans. De Baun captured the abandoned Federal supplies, including fresh horses and cattle for the regiment.
After the retaking of Baton Rouge, Wingfield's Rangers, now
renamed the 9th Louisiana Battalion, Partisan Rangers, resumed
their picket duty in eastern Louisiana. Wingfield languished
under arrest, waiting for the slow progress of Confederate
Military Justice to exonerate him. Temporarily commanded by Major
DeBaun, the battalion skirmished a few times with those Union who
occasionaly ventured out from New Orleans.
Oct. 9, 1862: Engaged with Federal Infantry in skirmish near
Wilson's Ferry. La.
On November 21, 1862 twenty five troopers of Company B, under Lt.
Joseph Evans attacked the armed Union Steamer "G.
Brown" near Bayou Bonfouca, Louisiana and drove it off,
clearing the last Union gunboat from Lake Pontchartrain. They
reported several Yankees wounded and killed, and though they were
shelled from the boat, suffered no casualties of their own.
-Ruggles versus Louisiana-
- Politics and the 9th Louisiana Partisan Ranger
Battalion-
In June of 1862,
Major-General Earl Van Dorn, appointed to command the District of
the Mississippi within which fell the 1st Cavalry Regiment,
Partisan Rangers. In an effort to gain some measure of military
control over the Partisan Ranger companies within his command,
and knowing the reputation of Lt. Colonel Wingfield, General Van
Dorn issued orders that all unattached Partisan Ranger companies
"unite and form themselves into Battalions or Regiments
joined to the 1st Louisiana Regiment commanded by Lt. Col. J. H.
Wingfield." Had his order had been fully implemented,
Wingfield's command would have quickly reached brigade strength.
However, the Partisan Rangers, despite the support of the
Secretary of War and many of the field commanders, had strong and
outspoken political and military opposition, including Van Dorn's
subordinate, Brigadier General Daniel Ruggles. Ruggles, a
competent field commander, was not blessed with a great deal of
political savy and enjoyed a reputation as a trouble maker.
Commanding the sub-district to which Wingfield's Cavalry was then
assigned, he became embroiled in several disputes with Louisiana
Governor Thomas Moore. Having little use for the Partisan Rangers
concept, and as an apparent goad to the Governor, he attempted to
circumvent his Commander's directive. Taking advantage of
Wingfield's unjust arrest, he ordered the formally independent
companies disbanded in late August, 1862 (changing the Regiment's
official designation from the 1st La. Regiment to the 9th La.
Battalion). Thus Companies I and K were, for several months,
disbanded and their troopers discharged from Confederate Service
or tranferred to other companies and regiments while the
political battle wended its way up the chain of command. Ruggles
found himself removed from his post and transferred to
Mississippi, away from Moore and Wingfield, an embarrassing
political defeat. Finally, after Wingfield's aquittal and release
from arrest in December, the Secretary of War countermanded
Ruggles' order and the disbanded Companies were recalled to
Confederate Service in January of 1863. Though reattached to the
9th Battalion, bringing it once again to full Regimental
Strength, the regiment did not reacquire it's regimental
designation for almost a year and a half. The Honor that the 9th
Battalion was to gain in the in the coming year must have rubbed
Ruggles' nose in his ill-considered actions. Ruggles was to never
serve in another important command for the remainder of the war.
Many in the Confederacy considered the Partisan Rangers as, at
best, the second team, useful only where the regular army was
away. Wingfield's Rangers were about to prove how wrong they
were.
-Their Finest Hour-
The Battle and Siege of Port Hudson
Major-General Franklin Gardner, C.S.A.
In January, 1863
Major-General Franklin Gardner was appointed Commander of the
Third Military District of the Department of Mississippi and East
Louisiana, and charged with the Command and Defense of Port
Hudson, Louisiana. He immediately ordered the newly reorganized
9th Battalion to Port Hudson to assist with the defense of this
key outpost. Gardner, an experienced officer with impressive
credentials, kept the 9th as his Cavalry in Port Hudson while he
dispatched his remaining Cavalry units to Clinton, Louisiana.
Wingfield's troopers were initially assigned duties including
overseeing the construction of the defenses of the fort, riding
dispatches, and standing picket duty on the major access routes
into the garrisonand guarding the signals station on the west
bank of the Mississippi. The fort's civilian overseers were
released and Troopers of the 9th Partisan Rangers replaced them
to good effect. Training and drill, long overdue, were nearly
continuous, but the men were allowed occasional leave, and many
were near to home.
To: Maj.
J. R. Waddy, Assistant Adjutant-General, Jackson, Miss.
From: Frank. Gardner, Major-General, Headquarters, Port
Hudson, La.,
February 6, 1863
Major: I have the honor to report that the troops of this
command have been
consolidated into the following organizations:
The infantry consists of three brigades Maxey's, Beall's
and Gregg's, and
the unattached companies of Lewis' infantry, English's
light artillery, and
a battalion of dismounted Partisan Rangers, recently
organized. The heavy
artillery consists of the Twelfth Louisiana Battalion,
First Tennessee
Battalion, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel De
Gournay, and a portion
of the First Alabama Regiment.
All of the unattached cavalry companies, Hughes'
battalion, and Ninth
Tennessee Battalion of Cavalry have been temporarily
placed under the
command of Lieutenant-Colonel Gantt, now camped at Olive
Branch near
Clinton, La., and doing all of the outpost duty and
scouting toward Baton
Rouge.
Major Garland, with his cavalry battalion and Rhodes'
company, are
stationed in front of Tangipahoa, picketing all of the
approaches from Baton
Rouge in that direction.
Lieutenant-Colonel Wingfield, having reorganized his
battalion of Partisan
Rangers, is performing all the essential cavalry duty
within the
fortifications, and also has two companies upon the west
side of the
Mississippi River as a protection to the Signal Corps.
The infantry and
artillery garrisons that were at Camp Moore and Clinton
have been withdrawn
to this point and cavalry substituted in their places.
The two cavalry companies at Ponchatoula were ordered
there by the
lieutenant-general commanding and reported to
Lieutenant-Colonel Shields,
from whom I have been unable to obtain a report thus far.
I inclose herewith a roster of this command, and it will
be seen that I
have accounted for all of the troops except the two
cavalry companies at
Ponchatoula.
I am, sir, very respectfully, etc.
-Attempt at the River-
1st Battle of Port Hudson,14 March, 1863
By the early
spring of 1863 it had become obvious that Port Hudson had become
the most important single Confederate position in Louisiana and,
along with Vicksburg, one of the most important in the
Confederacy. The two Mississippi River fortresses guarded not
only access to the Mississippi River, but protected the Red
River, the main Confederate supply route to Texas and Mexico,
over which much of the beef and war material necessary to the
fledgling nation's survival was being transported. While the
Union had initially concentrated it's efforts on the reduction of
the Northern River Forts such as Island No. 10 and Vicksburg, it
was becoming apparent that the passage of gunboats upriver would
also cut this vital route, as well as threatening Vicksburg. Port
Hudson, situated on bluffs high above a turn in the Mississippi
River prevented the passage of such boats. In March, the Union
Navy attempted to force the passage of a flotilla of vessels from
New Orleans, aided by a demonstration against Port Hudson by the
19th Corps, commanded by General Nathaniel Banks.
Banks, believing that the Port Hudson garrison represented a
threat to his hold on New Orleans, was extremely careful in his
advance. Approaching Port Hudson from the southeast, he made
contact with the 9th Battalion about 1/2 mile south of Plains
Store, La. on March 14th, 1863. The 9th, having been dispatched
to delay Banks' advance, attacked the column with such fury that
the Federal Army was forced to retreat, though they outnumbered
the Confederate Troopers by some 30:1. So many supplies were
captured by Wingfield's Cavalry that one C.S.A. officer remarked
that the Confederates were "making a commissary" of
Banks' Army. Banks, believing "the object of the expedition
is accomplished", withdrew back to Baton Rouge while the
Federal Navy attempted, unsuccessfully, to pass the Southern
shore batteries unsupported.
-The Ambush-
Grierson's Cavalry Raid,1 May,
1863
In late April of 1863 a Federal Cavalry Raid led by Colonel Benjamin Grierson was launched against southern Mississippi in an attempt to draw resources away from Vicksburg and Port Hudson. General Gardner ordered Wingfield's Cavalry and the 4th La. Infantry northeast to Woodville to protect that rail terminus from the raid, though he believed Grierson's ultimate target to be Baton Rouge. The federal raid turned toward Osyka Mississippi, where, on April 30th, it was intercepted by two ad-hoc companies of the 9th Partisan Rangers under Major James De Baun, then Wingfield's second in command. Though De Baun had sent a dispatch rider to bring up the infantry and the remainder of the Cavalry, communications mix-ups and the swampy ground prevented those forces from reaching him in time. Forced to go it alone without his supporting forces, De Baun ambushed Greirson's Cavalry Force at Wall's Bridge on May 1st, causing significant Federal Losses before being forced to withdraw, having lost several Troopers both wounded and captured.
"On April 30, 1863, General Benjamin
Grierson's forces arrived in Summit. Here they captured or
destroyed stores of food, whiskey and ammunition. The bridges and
railroad rails were all destroyed. Captain Thomas C. Thodes, with
only 30 men, guarded Osyka. He realized the immense value of the
storehouse of military supplies in Osyka. It is said that the
Masonic Lodge called a special meeting and, with the captain,
planned a ruse that would save Magnolia and Osyka. Captain Thodes
sent 2nd Lieutenant William S. Wren to spread the rumor at Summit
that Osyka was protected by two regiments of CSA infantry, one of
cavalry and a battery of artillery. Col. Grierson decided to cut
across the pine land via Gillsburg and Greensburg, headed for
Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Grierson's decision saved Osyka and
Magnolia."
To: Major
[T. F.] Willson, Assistant Adjutant-General
Report of Lieut. Col. George Gantt, Ninth Tennessee
Cavalry Battalion,
Olive Branch, La., May 4, 1863:
Sir:
...the enemy suddenly abandoned the idea of taking Osyka
and reaching the Mississippi above Port Hudson, and
resolved to make his way
out in the direction of Baton Rouge. He managed so as to
completely deceive
citizens and our scouts as to his purpose, and by a march
of almost
unprecedented rapidity moved off by the Greensburg road
to Baton Rouge.
Before starting, he traveled for some distance in the
direction of Osyka,
announcing that he was going to capture that place.
In his march to Baton Rouge, he encountered the cavalry
of Colonel Wingfield
that had been ordered from Woodville to Osyka at Wall's
Bridge.
Our men behaved with great spirit, twice repulsing the
enemy, and
forcing him to bring up his artillery to dislodge them.
In this affair he [Greirson] lost a major, killed, and
Lieutenant-Colonel Blackburn,
severely, if not mortally, wounded, besides about 12
privates wounded[and 6 killed].
The enemy's force started from La Grange, Tenn., and
consisted of three
regiments Sixth and Seventh Illinois and Second Iowa the
latter of which
left them east of Jackson [Miss.] It was their wish to
return to the point
from which they started. If not able to do that, then to
go to the
Mississippi above Port Hudson, and, if they could do no
better, to pass out
to Baton Rouge.
Colonels Adams and Wilbourne and myself came together
early on Saturday,
and, finding that the enemy had passed beyond our reach,
gave up the pursuit.
I am, major, respectfully, your obedient servant, G.
Gantt,
Lieutenant-Colonel, Commanding Cavalry.
Grierson's
force was engaged by the 9th Partisan Rangers on the Tickfaw
River just east of where Gillsburg, Louisiana, is now.
Though reports from the combatants differ somewhat, the bare bones of the action are clear. DeBaun on the march for Osyka ordered a brief halt at the Tickfaw to water the horses and rest the men, unaware that he had already out marched Greirson and was now ahead of his quarry. He followed good security procedure and posted seven men as a rear guard at a farm some distance behind him. Greirson had an advance party patrolling in front of his main body dressed as Confederate soldiers. When they encountered the rear guard, they approached closely enough to capture three of the rear guard but the other four managed to begin a brief firefight with the union Cavalry, wounding at least one. Two more of the DeBaun's rear guard were captured, but the other two managed to escape. When Major DeBaun heard the shots from the direction of his rear guard, Captain E. Augustus Scott was ordered to ride back with a companion to locate them. He was also hailed by Greirson's scouts in their captured uniforms. Riding up to them to ascertain whether they had seen the troopers of the rear guard, he, along with his companion, were captured by the union spies.
Meanwhile, DeBaun ordered his men to begin to dismantle the bridge, intending to destroy it after the remainder of his command came across, and posted his men in ambush. After about ten minutes, Union Cavalry was seen approaching the bridge. Having hidden their horses in the trees the troopers of the Ninth held their fire until the commander of the Union force, Lt. Colonel Blackburn began to cross the bridge at the head of his column. Executing a perfect ambush the Confederates followed DeBaun's single pistol shot with a volley, cutting down Blackburn immeadiately and wounding several others. The Yankees withdrew and again stormed the bridge, the Confederates repeating their disciplined volley and again driving the Union regiment back. Finally, severely outnumbered (two companies defending an attack by two regiments) and now facing the horse artillery of Greirson's force, DeBaun ordered a withdrawl under fire.He left six union troopers dead, a major and about twelve Yankee cavalrymen wounded, and Lt. Colonel Blackburn mortally wounded. He also took at least five union prisoners. After reorganizing his command, DeBaun set off in pursuit of Greirson, but the Union Commander's forced march put him beyond reach.
To: Major
[T. F.] Willson, Assistant Adjutant-General
Report of Major James DeBaun, Ninth Louisiana Battalion,
Partisan Rangers
Port Hudson, La., May 4, 1863:
...At 2 a.m., May 2, we started in pursuit of the enemy
toward Greensburg. On arriving at that place,
we received positive information that the enemy had
travelled all night, crossed Williams' Bridge,
and were beyond our reach, in Baton Rouge. My men and
horses being almost exhausted for food
and rest, I preceded to Camp Moore, it being the nearest
commissary depot...My loss is 1 Captain,
1 lieutentant, and six privates. The Lieutentant and men
belonged to the rear guard; all captured.
Too much praise cannot be awarded the officers and men
composing the detachment for the bravery
and coolness displayed, the officers fighting with their
revolvers, and all showing a disposition to
punish the daring of our enemies...
After Grierson's raid, the 9th Ranger Battalion resumed its
garrison, picket and scout duties in and around Port Hudson.
While several small skirmishes occurred with small groups of the
Troopers, no large-scale action occurred for three weeks. The
delay was put to good use in the improvement of fortifications
about Port Hudson.
Special
Orders No. 133
From: T. Friend Willson,
Assistant Adjutant-General,
Headquarters, Port Hudson, La.
May 15, 1863
I. Col. A. R. Witt, with his regiment (the Tenth
Arkansas), is assigned to
duty with Beall's Brigade, and will report to Brig. Gen.
W. N. R. Beall with
as little delay as practicable.
II. Roberts' Battery and the Ninth Louisiana Battalion
Partisan Rangers are
temporarily assigned to Colonel Miles' lines, on the
breastworks, and will
report to Col. W. R. Miles for duty with as little delay
as practicable.
III. Col. W. R. Miles' lines on the breastworks will
commence on the right
at the river and extend to the left. He will scatter his
troops as far to
the left as practicable.
IV. The Watson Battery is hereby assigned to duty with
Beall's brigade, and
will report to Brig. Gen. W. N. R. Beall with as little
delay as possible.
VII. Col. Frank P. Powers, Fourteenth Arkansas
Volunteers, will proceed to
Olive Branch and report to Col. John L. Logan, who will
assign him to duty
as commander of the cavalry at that place, under his own
command, as
commanding the outpost.
By command of Maj. Gen. Frank. Gardner
-Thunder in the Distance-
The Battle of Plains Store, 21 May, 1863
1st Lt. Thomas Jefferson Simmons, Co. A
In early May,
General Banks determined that the reduction of Port Hudson, and
the uniting of his forces with those of Grant at Vicksburg, was
now his primary strategic goal. He began implementing his plan
for the investment and destruction of the Confederate Stronghold
on May 14th, starting three Union Divisions from Alexandria to
the west, and two from the southeast at Baton Rouge and New
Orleans. His plan was for the Corps to meet and assemble to the
East of Port Hudson, isolating it from relief and preventing the
escape of the Garrison. The Northern forces advancing from
Alexandria were briefly engaged by 3 companies of the 1st Alabama
on the west side of the Mississippi, and delayed, their Commander
believing he faced a much larger force than actually existed.
Captain T.R. Stockdale's Mississippi Battalion engaged the
Divisions approaching from the south along the Bayou Sara road on
the 19th . Though the vastly superior Union Force succeeded in
driving Stockdale's Troopers back several miles, the Southern
wing of Banks' Corps was delayed and forced to halt in place
while awaiting reinforcement. Gardner dispatched Col. Frank
Powers with additional Cavalry, including Co. G of the 9th
Rangers, to assist Stockdale in his defense, and the Confederates
deployed just south of Plains Store on the night of the 19th. 300
additional infantry were dispatched on the 20th, as the Union
awaited Banks arrival.
Early in the morning of the 21st, the Union forces began a
northerly maneuver up the Bayou Sara road, engaging the defending
Confederates 3/4 of a mile south of the Store. Fighting was
sharp, but the Confederates held their ground until lack of
ammunition forced their brief withdrawal. The Union line advanced
as far as the Store, and was reengaged by Col. Powers' Troopers
who had replenished their ammunition stores. The outnumbered
Confederates actually managed to push back the Yankee Line, being
halted only when confronted by Vermont Artillery firing canister
rounds at point blank range.
At about noon, Gardner dispatched some 400
additional infantry under Col. Miles, including Companies of
Wingfield's Cavalry. The Confederates routed three Union
regiments before the sheer weight of numbers forced the small
Confederate contingent to withdraw from the field and return to
Port Hudson. Several 9th Battalion Troopers were wounded and
captured in this engagement. Having blocked the last line of
Confederate supply and escape, The Siege of Port Hudson begins.
-The Approaching Storm-
Delaying the Enemy, 22 - 26 May, 1863
"The Enemy are coming, but
mark you, many a one will get to Hell before he does to Port
Hudson"
Major-General Franklin Gardner upon hearing the rifles of
Wingfield's Cavalry in the distance.
22 May, 1863
After the
investment of the Port Hudson Garrison on the 21st, Wingfield's
scouts reported the advance of Banks' XIX Corps on all sides of
the position. The largest portion of the Federal Force, two
entire Divisions under Brigadier Godfrey Weitzel, was advancing
down the Telegraph Road from the Northeast, or Left, of the
Confederate fortress, approaching the Big Sandy Creek. The
Confederates had built little fortification on this side,
believing the terrain impassable due to its steep escarpments and
marshy, heavily timbered ground. Indeed, as the Federals
approached they were forced to cut their own roads through the
area. Recognizing the danger posed to his Left Flank, Gardner
ordered Wingfield's Cavalry to engage and delay the Union
advance, in order to buy enough time to construct adequate
defenses.
Wingfield and the 9th Rangers fought a masterful defensive
action, engaging the Yankee Divisions at the Chamber's
Plantation, and moving slowly rearward, holding each position
with as few as ten cavalrymen, while the remainder of the
regiment set up at the next defensive line. Meanwhile, other
Confederate units, under the command of Colonel I. G W. Steedman
of the 1st Alabama Infantry, were working feverishly to construct
earthworks and other fortifications behind the Cavalry. Gradually
pushed back, they ended the afternoon of the 22nd having
established a line about a half mile in front of the Confederate
works, on the ridgeline north of Sandy Creek.
General
Orders, No. 47
Headquarters
Port Hudson, La.
May 23, 1863
It is with much pleasure the Major-General commanding
announces to the troops
a successful skirmish of Colonel Wingfield's Partisan
Rangers with the whole force
of the enemy's cavalry, in which the enemy were several
times repulsed, and finally
driven back with considerable loss.
These
examples of heroic conduct are chearing to us all, and
will convince the enemy
that we are determined to defend this post to the last.
By command of Maj. Gen. Frank. Gardner:
T. Friend Willson,
Assistant Adjutant-General
On the Morning of the 24th, Wingfield's Cavalry now reinforced
with four companies of the 1st Alabama, under Colonel M.B. Locke,
made a daring counterattack against Weitzel's advance troops,
attacking down the ridge into the marshy forest to their north.
Withdrawing from the Confederate advance, the Yankee troops
ceased firing and hid behind trees as the combined Southern force
pushed their way through the briars and brush until they emerged
into a small clearing. Once exposed, the Union forces opened fire
on the advance. Finding no targets, the Confederates were forced
to withdraw under fire, inflicting but little damage to Weitzel's
troops. However, this brief offensive did succeed in stalling the
Union advance, obeying General Gardner's directive that they were
to oppose the enemy "advance upon our works, but without
risking a serious engagement."
The 9th Louisiana Rangers and 1st Alabama
remained engaged in sharp skirmishing along the ridge for the
remainder of the day, and throughout much of the following day,
though no additional counterattacks were attempted. On the 25th
the Yankees advanced and placed some 90 artillery pieces and
began shelling the Confederate works. During the near constant
battle with Banks' advance, Wingfield and Locke's troops did
manage to advance some 500 yards to the north, and fell to
constructing a defensive line with minor earthworks of their own.
To the front of this line were about ten acres of clear ground,
studded here and there with heavy timber. Behind the advanced
line, Confederate infantrymen were building earthworks, emplacing
additional artillery, (including 2 small breechloading guns
manned by Wingfield's troopers), and falling timber in a
formidable abatis, the interlocked branches choking the ravines
and other approaches to the Fortress.
Inexplicably, the 26th of May was quiet. The Federals did not
press the attack, choosing to consolidate their positions and
plan for a coordinated attack on the 27th instead. The
Confederates, fortifying positions along the advanced line and
continuing to improve and extend the fortifications within the
main defensive line,s put the time to good use. Wingfield and his
troops slept on their weapons that night.
-The Eye of the Storm-
First General Assault on the
Confederate Works at Port Hudson.
05:30, 27 May, 1863
Those who had
managed to actually get some sleep during the previous night were
awakened by the reports of a Union barrage directed at the center
and right of the Port Hudson fortifications. The Confederate
Left, where the 9th Louisiana Cavalry Battalion manned the
advance lines, was not targeted. The reason for their escape from
bombardment became clear at 06:00 when some 6,000 Federal Troops
under Union General Weitzel, and led by Col. Jacob Van Zandt's
New York Brigade, began their attack on the position held by
Wingfield and Locke. Outnumbered by nearly ten to one, the Grey
Soldiers held as long as they could, withstanding the assault for
an hour of furious fighting. Finally flanked, and in danger of
being isolated and cut-off, the Confederates began a southerly
withdrawal toward the main Confederate works. They gave ground
slowly, retreating only after being forced from each position,
contesting every ravine, hollow, gully and ticket. When the Union
Attack had finally gained the ridgeline above the Little Sandy
Creek, the 9th was forced into a fighting retreat over the same
obstacles created to hinder the Union advance.
The main point of attack is on the
Confederate Left, at Col. Steedman's Line, where the 9th
Battalion is assigned. The Union Attack is driven off with severe
Union Losses and only minor Confederate Losses. Fifteen 9th
Battalion Sharpshooters are used in the enfilading fire that
drives off the first two black union regiments engaged in the
war, and in U.S. History.
-The Forgotten Regiment-
The Aftermath of Port Hudson
Capt.
William Turner, Co. K
The siege at Port Hudson continued through
the 9th of July, becoming the longest true siege in U.S. Military
History as well as the longest battle of the Civil War. The
Yankee 19th Corps lost more casualties at Port Hudson (as a
percentage) then any other Union force in the war and was never
able to break through the defenses. Finally, after the surrender
of Vicksburg made the defense of Port Hudson no longer
strategically necessary, and after being forced to begin the
slaughter of their mounts for food, the 9th was surrendered with
remainder of the Confederate Forces on July 9th. Many of the
troopers escaped during the night of the 8th, between the
negotiations and the formal surrender the next morning.
The Union commander, General Banks, after receiving the surrender
of the Confederate Forces, decided to parole the enlisted men and
retain the officers as Prisoners of War. Unfortunately for the
Union, Banks failed to negotiate this parole prior to the
surrender. Because the Confederate Officers were already
prisoners prior to the parole, no one could legally accept this
offer and the Confederacy declared the enlisted men exchanged
immediately, gave them furloughs, and ordered them to report back
for duty on September 15th. This created some furor and threats
of reprisals among the Yankee army, but even the Union General in
Chief agreed that the decision was correct by the usages of war
at the time.
In September, men started to trickle back to duty. Many did not
report for some time due to continued Union threats and a
circular the Yankee Army distributed denying that the men were
exchanged. Capt. E. Augustus Scott of Company I was in command of
the regiment as the senior ranking officer not taken prisoner. He
had been taken prisoner in the Battle at Wall's Bridge, and was
not exchanged until June, too late to rejoin the regiment at Port
Hudson. Several of the Officers rejoined after escaping Federal
Prisons but few were with the regiment until March of 1864.
Scott, while a brave and respected company commander, did not
have the administrative abilities necessary for Regimental
command, and the regiment suffered for several months with few
supplies, bad moral and no pay. (they had last been paid in
January of 1863). Scott was eventually replaced as regimental
commander by Capt. William Turner of Company K, who was somewhat
more succesful.
Finally, around February of 1864, the
regiment was placed under the temporary command of Major F.
Ogden, who helped reorganize the unit and instilled much improved
morale (by the simple expediant of actually providing food,
ammunition and training). During this time the regiment fought in
several small actions in Louisiana and Mississippi.
In May of 1864, Wingfield rejoined the regiment and reassumed
command, after escaping a Federal Prison. The regiment was
assigned to Col. John Scott's Louisiana Cavalry Brigade and
resumed operations against the Union Army in eastern Louisiana
and Mississippi. In June they skirmished with small groups of
Union Cavalry and sunk a couple of Gun Boats on the Mississippi.
In July they were part of a larger cavalry battle near Jackson,
Mississippi which was a clear Confederate victory, forcing the
Federal Brigades to retreat to Vicksburg.
The brigade surrounded a regiment of Federal Cavalry on August
5th and captured about a hundred union troopers at Doyal's
Plantation (about 6 miles north of Donaldsonville), plus 130
horses and quite a bit of equipment. They were unable to capture
the entire force only because Goober's battalion failed to to
respond to the Yankee's charge and allowed a large portion of the
regiment to escape.
On August 26, the Brigade fought a brief battle near Clinton
facing an entire division of Union troops (three brigades and a
light artillery regiment). After a running battle covering some
twenty miles, the Brigade withdrew after punishing the Union
Division badly.
On October 9th, Wingfield's Regiment as part of Scott's Brigade,
skirmished with the same division between Woodville and Bayou
Sara, inflicting some 65 casualties to the Louisianan's 5.
On November 15, 1864, the regiment was encamped near Liberty,
where they were preparing to move to eastern Mississippi, when
they were surprised in their sleep by the same division with
which they had battled in August and October. The regiment
(Ogden's) responsible for camp security had failed to keep an
adequate watch and two other confederate units had failed to
notify the camp of the approach of the Union Raid. Several of
Wingfield's Rangers were captured in this engagement, and the
rest forced to flee with little of their supplies save their
rifles. On the 18th, The regiment, once again as part of Scott's
Brigade, attacked the Union Division at Liberty, a fought a
battle for some hours before being forced to withdraw for want of
ammunition.
In December the regiment was chiefly used for chasing down
deserters, and was moved to Jackson, Mississippi in early 1865.
Finally, as part of Forrests Cavalry, it was moved to Alabama
during the final few months of the war. Part of the regiment
served at the Battles of Spanish Fort and Fort Blakely, the last
major battles of the war. The regiment was surrendered for the
final time at Gainesville, Alabama on the 15th of May, 1865.
Engagements of The 3rd Louisiana Cavalry:
(Note: Underlined engagements indicate Battle sized conflicts. Those noted without underline indicate small unit engagements or skirmishes)
May 13, 1862: Organized at Camp Moore, Louisiana as 1st Louisiana Cavalry Regiment, Partisan Rangers
June -July, 1862: Assigned to Picket Duty along the Amite River and North Shore of Lake Pontchartrain.
June 2, 1862: Skirmish with a small party of Federals at Woodstock, Louisiana
July 25, 1862 : Engaged by Federals at Benton's Ferry, Louisiana on the Amite River.
July 27, 1862: Engaged a troop steamer at Madisonville, Louisiana
Aug. 1st, 1862: Engaged Federal Cavalry at. Franklinton, Louisiana
August 5, 1862: Engaged at the Battle of Baton Rouge
August 21, 1862: 1st La.Cavalry Regiment, P.R., occupies Baton Rouge when the Federals withdraw.
August 25, 1862: Companies I and K are disbanded. Unit Designation now becomes 9th Louisiana Battalion, Partisan Rangers
August - December, 1862: Picket duty resumes.
Oct. 9, 1862: Engaged with Federal Infantry in skirmish near Wilson's Ferry. La.
November 21, 1862: 9th Battalion attacks the armed Steamer "G. Brown" near Bayou Bonfouca, Louisiana and drives it off.
January 6, 1863 - July 9th, 1863: Detailed to the defense of Port Hudson. By order of the Secretary of War, Companies I and K are recalled to Confederate Service and reassigned to the 9th Battalion. Though retaining the designation of the 9th Louisiana Battalion, Partisan Rangers, the unit had, again, reached full regimental strength with 10 companies and regular field and staff.
March 10th, 1863- Engaged with the 41st Mass. Infantry at the Comite River.
March 14 - 16, 1863: 9th Batt. engaged with 19th US Corps,1/2 mile south of Plain's Store, skirmishing to delay Union advance on Port Hudson. Union Army retreats. 9th Battalion captures many Union supplies and removes them to Port Hudson.
April 24th, 1863: Two companies of the 9th, under Major De Baun, are dispatched to intercept Greirson's Union Cavalry Raid on Baton Rouge. 9th Batt. intercepted them on May 1st at Walls' Bridge near Osyka, Mississipi and shot up the Raid, but were unable to fully engage because their supporting infantry did not arrive in time
May 1st, 1863: Battle at Wall's
Bridge, near Osyka, Miss.
May 2nd, 1863: Engaged with the advancing Union 19th
Corps at the Comite River, Louisiana
May 2nd, 1863: Osyka, Miss.
May 2nd, 1863: Greenwell Springs, La.
May 7th, 1863: Livingston, La.,
May 21st, 1863: The Battle of Plain's Store
May 22 -25th: 9th Batt was engaged with 19th Corps to slow the advance on Port Hudson from Bayou Sara, Northwest of Port Hudson.
May 27th: First General Assault on the Confederate Works at Port Hudson. Main point of attack is on the Confederate Left, at Col. Steedman's Line, where the 9th Battalion is assigned. The Union Attack is driven off with severe Union Losses.and only minor Confederate Losses. Fifteen 9th Battalion Sharpshooters are used in the enfilading fire which drives off the first two black union regiments engaged in the war, and in U.S. History.
June 14th, 1863: Second General Assualt on Port Hudson.
July 9th, 1863: Regiment surrendered with the Confederate Forces at Port Hudson. During the Night of the 8th, many troopers escaped and rejoined the regiment after the paroles granted by the surrender agreement were determined to be invalid.
July 29th, 1863: Woodville, Miss.
Sept. 14th, 1863 : near Manchac, La.
Sept. 29th, 1863: Baton Rouge or
Livingston Par, La.
Sept. 30th, 1863: East Baton Rouge Parish, La.
Catlett's, Scott's Ferry, Livingston, Clinton, Edward's Depot, MS - Oct.16-19, 1863
Nov. 22nd, 1863: Near Greenwell Springs,
East of Baton Rouge, LA
Natchez, MS - Dec. 2-6, 1863
Clinton/Baker's Creek, MS - Feb. 5, 1864
Feb. 17th, 1864: Bayou Sara, La.
March 20th, 1864: Pearl River, La.
March 21st, 1864: near Alexandria, La.,
March 22nd, 1864: near Port Hudson, La.
March 26th, 1864: Jackson, La.
March 26th, 1864: Port Hudson, La.
March 30th, 1864: Jackson, La.
April 10th, 1864: near Amite, La.
April 23rd, 1864: Jackson, La.
May 8th, 1864: East Baton Rouge, La.,
May 20th, 1864: Letsworth, La.
May 25th, 1864: near Clinton, Miss.
June 15th, 1864: 9th Battalion redesignated 3rd Louisiana Cavalry Regiment
July 5-7th, 1864: Battle of Jackson, Mississippi
Aug. 14th, 1864: Several 3rd Cavalry
Prisoners of War escaped from the Custom House Military Prison in
New Orleans. "The Prisoners borne on this Roll escaped from
one of the Prisons in this city on the night of the 14th inst.
Their escape was effected through a vault in the room where they
were confined"
Aug. 25th, 1864: Clinton, La.
Oct. 1st, 1864: East Baton Rouge, La.
Oct. 3rd, 1864: Bayou Sara, La.
Oct. 5th, 1864: Battle at
Jackson, La.
Oct. 6th, 1864: Clinton, La.
Oct. 7th, 1864: Camp Moore, La.
Oct. 9-10th, 1864: Battle at
Bayou Sara
Nov. 1st, 1864: Bayou Sara, La.
Nov. 3rd, 1864: Tangipahoa, La., .
Nov. 15th, 1864: Brookhaven, Miss.
-
3rd Louisiana Cavalry's Encampment is overrun by Union Forces
Nov. 16th, 1864: Liberty, Miss.
Nov. 16th, 1864: Clinton, La.
Nov. 17th, 1864: Brookhaven, Miss.,
Nov. 17th, 1864: Liberty, Miss., .
Nov. 18th, 1864: Battle at Liberty, Miss.
Nov. 18th, 1864: Brookhaven, Miss.,
Nov. 18th, 1864: Summit, Miss.
Nov. 19th, 1864: East Louisiana
Nov. 20th. 1864: Jackson, La.
Dec. 24th, 1864: East Baton Rouge, La.,
Dec. 29th, 1864.
Jan. 9th, 1865: East Baton Rouge, .
Jan. 11th, 1865: East Baton Rouge Par., La
Jan. 15th, 1865: Amite Par., La.,
March 20th, 1865: East Baton Rouge, La.
March 31th, 1865: East Baton Rouge, La.
April 1st, 1865: East Baton Rouge, La.
May 12, 1865: Gainesville, Alabama- Final Regimental Surrender and Parole
Roster of the 3rd Louisiana Cavalry
