Don Wildman

Baton Rouge, the state capital of Louisiana, had been abandoned and occupied without resistance.

For these advancing Confederate troops, weeks of drilling, marching, and waiting have led to this moment.

They are to be supported by a powerful ironclad ship that will soon thunder down river, aiding their attack.

Together, as the Army and Navy strike, the lower Mississippi will be Confederate once more.

In the humid silence, rifles are checked and officers whisper orders.

The men understand this plan is a bold strategy.

But soon will come sunrise, and with it, the precious opportunity to reclaim what has slipped away.

Hello and welcome to American History Hit.

I'm Don Wildman.

The American Civil War lasted four years, from 1861 to 1865.

Usually when we consider the earlier years of the war, we think of the Upper South.

Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, the fabled clashes at Shiloh, Seven Days Battle, the Battles of Bull Run.

For the Union, these were mostly discouraging days under George McClellan's lackluster leadership, while the Confederates grew ever more emboldened under Robert E. Lee.

But all this time, a quieter, though arguably more strategic, struggle was unfolding along the Mississippi River in Louisiana, the deepest part of the Deep South, where control of a single city would help determine whether the Confederacy could survive as a nation at all.

On August 5th, 1862, that struggle exploded into violence at the Battle of Baton Rouge.

A small battle with outsized consequences, and we'll discuss how so in the company of Aaron Sheehan-Dean, professor of history at Louisiana State University, LSU.

Regular listeners will have had the pleasure of his insights on several episodes over the years.

Welcome again, Aaron.

Welcome back to American History Hit.

Thanks for having me.