Battle of Baton Rouge: Civil War on the Mississippi
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What led to the Battle of Baton Rouge in August 1862?
The road to Baton Rouge lies quiet beneath a veil of fog and heavy summer air. Soldiers, clad in gray, move stealthily through the darkness, boots sinking into the damp earth, their breath shallow and controlled. Somewhere ahead, beyond the trees and the low fields, are the Union positions. Months earlier, disaster had unfurled for the Confederates. New Orleans had fallen to Union gunboats, a loss that stunned the South. With it went trade, confidence, and strategic control of the lower Mississippi. One by one, river towns had followed. 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.
How did the Union's capture of New Orleans influence the conflict?
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.
What strategic importance did Baton Rouge hold during the Civil War?
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. I say early days, of course.
A lot has happened in the war by the summer of 1862. Can we give this battle we're about to discuss some greater context?
What were the opposing forces' strengths and weaknesses before the battle?
Where are we at in the steamy heat of the Bayou Summer?
Well, I would actually start it in the spring, which is when the Union launches its invasion up the Mississippi River. They had already launched an invasion down, mounting the Navy in Cairo, Illinois, and coming down, they reach Memphis by June of 62. But this is a more formidable effort coming out of the Gulf of Mexico. They capture New Orleans in June. April of 1862. And it's important to remember, as you pointed out, although people are looking to the east, New Orleans is the most populous city in the south. It's the wealthiest city in the south. And strategically, it's the most important as the mouth of the Mississippi River. So the capture of New Orleans is tremendously good news for northern audiences, as you know, sort of starved in that early spring for good news.
How did the battle unfold on August 5, 1862?
And then the effort is to push that effort upriver with the goal of connecting with the Union forces coming downriver.
This whole episode really is about shifting the focus from what is so famously going on in those early years to this really important couple of battles really starts with the New Orleans, the takeover of New Orleans. But then this one we're going to discuss. It was all part of what was called for the union, the Anaconda plan, right?
Well, that's the initially that's the pejorative name given to it by critics. It's Winfield Scott's idea. And it actually the anaconda captures it because what Scott says and Scott, remember, had been the general in command of U.S. forces of the Mexican-American War.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What led to the Battle of Baton Rouge in August 1862?
0:02–1:03
2
How did the Union's capture of New Orleans influence the conflict?
1:03–2:07
3
What strategic importance did Baton Rouge hold during the Civil War?
2:07–2:58
4
What were the opposing forces' strengths and weaknesses before the battle?
2:58–3:45
5
How did the battle unfold on August 5, 1862?
3:45–4:33
6
What was the impact of the CSS Arkansas on the battle's outcome?
4:33–5:41
7
What were the immediate consequences of the battle for both sides?
5:41–6:15
8
How did the Battle of Baton Rouge shape the future of the Civil War?
6:15–39:12