American Civil War: Siege of Port Hudson
Battle of Port Hudson: Conflict & Dates:
The Battle of Port Hudson lasted from May 22 to July 9, 1863, during the American Civil War (1861-1865).
Armies & Commanders
Union
- Major General Nathaniel Banks
- 30,000 to 40,000 men
Confederate
- Major General Franklin Gardner
- around 7,500 men
Battle of Port Hudson: Background:
Having captured New Orleans and Memphis in early 1862, Union forces sought to open the Mississippi River and split the Confederacy in two.
In an effort to prevent this from occurring, Confederate troops fortified key locations at Vicksburg, MS and Port Hudson, LA. The capture of Vicksburg was tasked to Major General Ulysses S. Grant. Having already won victories at Fort Henry, Fort Donelson, and Shiloh, he began operations against Vicksburg in late 1862.
As Grant commenced his campaign against Vicksburg, the capture of Port Hudson was assigned to Major General Nathaniel Banks. The commander of the Department of the Gulf, Banks had taken command at New Orleans in December 1862. Advancing in support of Grant's effort, his principal command was the large Union XIX Corps. This was comprised of four divisions led by Brigadier General Cuvier Grover, Brigadier General W. H. Emory, Major General C. C. Augur, and Brigadier General Thomas W. Sherman.
Siege of Port Hudson - Initial Moves:
In approaching Port Hudson, Banks dispatched three divisions west with the goal of descending the Red River and cutting off the garrison from the north.
To support this effort, two additional divisions would approach from the south and east. Landing at Bayou Sara on May 21, Augur advanced toward the junction of the Plains Store and Bayou Sara Roads. Encountering Confederate forces under Colonels Frank W. Powers and William R. Miles, Augur and Union cavalry led by Brigadier General Benjamin Grierson engaged. In the resulting Battle of Plains Store, Union troops succeeded in driving the enemy back to Port Hudson.
Siege of Port Hudson - Banks Attacks:
Landing on May 22, Banks and other elements from his command quickly advanced against Port Hudson and effectively had surrounded the town by that evening. Opposing Banks' Army of the Gulf were around 7,500 men led by Major General Franklin Gardner. These were deployed in an extensive set of fortifications that ran for four and half miles around Port Hudson. On the night of May 26, Banks held a council of war to discuss an attack for the following day. Moving forward the next day, Union forces advanced over difficult terrain towards the Confederate lines.
Beginning around dawn, Union guns opened on Gardner's lines with additional fire coming from US Navy warships in the river. Through the day, Banks' men conducted a series of uncoordinated assaults against the Confederate perimeter. These failed and his command sustained heavy losses. The fighting on May 27 saw the first combat for several African-American regiments in Banks' army. Among those killed was Captain Andre Cailloux, a freed slave, who was serving with the 1st Louisiana Native Guards. Fighting continued until nightfall when efforts were made to retrieve the wounded.
Siege of Port Hudson - A Second Attempt:
The Confederate guns briefly opened fire the next morning until Banks raised a flag of truce and asked permission to remove his wounded from the field. This was granted and fighting resumed around 7:00 PM. Convinced that Port Hudson could only be taken by siege, Banks began constructing works around the Confederate lines. Digging through the first two weeks of June, his men slowly pushed their lines closer to the enemy tightening the ring around the city. Emplacing heavy guns, Union forces began a systematic bombardment of Gardner's position.
Seeking to end the siege, Banks began planning for another assault. On June 13, the Union guns opened with a heavy bombardment which was supported by Rear Admiral David G. Farragut's ships in the river. The next day, after Gardner refused a demand to surrrender, Banks ordered his men forward. The Union plan called for troops under Grover to attack on the right, while Brigadier General William Dwight assaulted on the left. In both cases, the Union advance was repulsed with heavy losses. Two days later, Banks called for volunteers for a third assault, but was unable to obtain sufficient numbers.
Siege of Port Hudson - The Siege Continues:
After June 16, fighting around Port Hudson quieted as both sides worked to improve their lines and informal truces occurred between the opposing enlisted men. As time passed, Gardner's supply situation became increasingly desperate. Union forces continued to slowly move their lines forward and sharpshooters fired on the unwary. In an effort to break the deadlock, Dwight's engineering officer, Captain Joseph Bailey, oversaw the construction of a mine under a hill known as the Citadel. Another was begun on Grover's front extending under Priest Cap.
The latter mine was completed on July 7 and it was filled with 1,200 pounds of black powder. With construction of the mines finished, it was Banks' intention to detonate them on July 9. With the Confederate lines in a shambles, his men were to make another assault. This proved unnecessary as news reached his headquarters on July 7 that Vicksburg had surrendered three days earlier. With this change in the strategic situation, as well as with his supplies nearly exhausted and no hope of relief, Gardner dispatched a delegation to discuss Port Hudson's surrender the next day. An agreement was reached that afternoon and the garrison formally surrendered on July 9.
Siege of Port Hudson - Aftermath:
During the Siege of Port Hudson, Banks' suffered around 5,000 killed and wounded while Gardner's command incurred 7,208 (approx. 6,500 captured). The victory at Port Hudson opened the entire length of the Mississippi River to Union traffic and severed the western states of the Confederacy. With the capture of the Mississippi complete, Grant turned his focus east later that year to deal with the fallout from the defeat at Chickamauga. Arriving at Chattanooga, he succeeded in driving off Confederate forces that November at the Battle of Chattanooga.
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