The Red River Campaign of 1864 and the Loss by the Confederacy of the Civil War

The Red River Campaign of 1864 and the Loss by the Confederacy of the Civil War

Author: Michael J. Forsyth

Publisher: McFarland

Published: 2015-07-11

Total Pages: 193

ISBN-13: 1476615721

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The Union Army's Red River Campaign began on March 12, 1864, with a two-pronged attack aimed at gaining control of Shreveport, Louisiana. It lasted until May 22, 1864, when, after suffering significant casualties, the Union army retreated to Simmesport, Louisiana. The campaign was an attempt to prevent Confederate alliance with the French in Mexico, deny supplies to Confederate forces, and secure vast quantities of Louisiana and Texas cotton for Northern mills. With this examination of Confederate leadership and how it affected the Red River Campaign, the author argues against the standard assumption that the campaign had no major effect on the outcome of the war. In fact, the South had--and lost--an excellent opportunity to inflict a decisive defeat that might have changed the course of history. With this campaign as an ideal example, the politics of military decision-making in general are also analyzed.


Book Synopsis The Red River Campaign of 1864 and the Loss by the Confederacy of the Civil War by : Michael J. Forsyth

Download or read book The Red River Campaign of 1864 and the Loss by the Confederacy of the Civil War written by Michael J. Forsyth and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2015-07-11 with total page 193 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Union Army's Red River Campaign began on March 12, 1864, with a two-pronged attack aimed at gaining control of Shreveport, Louisiana. It lasted until May 22, 1864, when, after suffering significant casualties, the Union army retreated to Simmesport, Louisiana. The campaign was an attempt to prevent Confederate alliance with the French in Mexico, deny supplies to Confederate forces, and secure vast quantities of Louisiana and Texas cotton for Northern mills. With this examination of Confederate leadership and how it affected the Red River Campaign, the author argues against the standard assumption that the campaign had no major effect on the outcome of the war. In fact, the South had--and lost--an excellent opportunity to inflict a decisive defeat that might have changed the course of history. With this campaign as an ideal example, the politics of military decision-making in general are also analyzed.

The Red River Campaign and Its Toll

The Red River Campaign and Its Toll

Author: Henry O. Robertson

Publisher: McFarland

Published: 2016-04-13

Total Pages: 220

ISBN-13: 1476663785

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The Red River Campaign in the spring of 1864 was one of the most destructive of the Civil War. The agricultural wealth of the Red River Valley tempted Union General Nathaniel P. Banks to invade with 30,000 troops in an attempt to seize control of the river and confiscate as much cotton as possible from local plantations. After three months of chaos, during which the countryside was destroyed and many slaves freed themselves, Banks was defeated by a smaller Confederate force under General Richard Taylor. This book takes a fresh look at the fierce battles at Mansfield and Pleasant Hill, the Union army's escape from Monett's Ferry and the burning of Alexandria, and explains the causes and consequences of the war in Central Louisiana.


Book Synopsis The Red River Campaign and Its Toll by : Henry O. Robertson

Download or read book The Red River Campaign and Its Toll written by Henry O. Robertson and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2016-04-13 with total page 220 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Red River Campaign in the spring of 1864 was one of the most destructive of the Civil War. The agricultural wealth of the Red River Valley tempted Union General Nathaniel P. Banks to invade with 30,000 troops in an attempt to seize control of the river and confiscate as much cotton as possible from local plantations. After three months of chaos, during which the countryside was destroyed and many slaves freed themselves, Banks was defeated by a smaller Confederate force under General Richard Taylor. This book takes a fresh look at the fierce battles at Mansfield and Pleasant Hill, the Union army's escape from Monett's Ferry and the burning of Alexandria, and explains the causes and consequences of the war in Central Louisiana.

Red River Campaign

Red River Campaign

Author: Ludwell H. Johnson

Publisher: JHU Press

Published: 2019-12-01

Total Pages: 282

ISBN-13: 1421434458

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Originally published in 1958. Johnson tells the story of the Red River Campaign, which took place in Louisiana and Arkansas in the spring of 1864. In response to the demands of Union Free-Soil interests in Texas, and the need of New England textile manufacturers for cotton, an expedition was undertaken to open the way to Texas. General Nathaniel Banks conducted a combined military and naval expedition up the Red River in a campaign that lasted only from March 23 to May 20, 1864, but was one of the most destructive of the Civil War. The campaign ended in Banks's defeat at the Battle of Sabine Crossroads. This book illustrates how military operations during the Civil War were often intimately interwoven with political, economic, and ideological factors, which frequently determined the time and place of a Union offensive. The author describes the desires and opinions of the public, the press, and Lincoln's administration regarding an invasion of Texas, as well as the motivation of the officers themselves, such as Banks's aspiration for the 1864 presidential nomination. Johnson relates vividly the various battles of the expedition and the problems posed by mustering undisciplined troops, by having to procure supplies in poor country with insufficient supply lines, and by contending with bad weather and rough terrain.


Book Synopsis Red River Campaign by : Ludwell H. Johnson

Download or read book Red River Campaign written by Ludwell H. Johnson and published by JHU Press. This book was released on 2019-12-01 with total page 282 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Originally published in 1958. Johnson tells the story of the Red River Campaign, which took place in Louisiana and Arkansas in the spring of 1864. In response to the demands of Union Free-Soil interests in Texas, and the need of New England textile manufacturers for cotton, an expedition was undertaken to open the way to Texas. General Nathaniel Banks conducted a combined military and naval expedition up the Red River in a campaign that lasted only from March 23 to May 20, 1864, but was one of the most destructive of the Civil War. The campaign ended in Banks's defeat at the Battle of Sabine Crossroads. This book illustrates how military operations during the Civil War were often intimately interwoven with political, economic, and ideological factors, which frequently determined the time and place of a Union offensive. The author describes the desires and opinions of the public, the press, and Lincoln's administration regarding an invasion of Texas, as well as the motivation of the officers themselves, such as Banks's aspiration for the 1864 presidential nomination. Johnson relates vividly the various battles of the expedition and the problems posed by mustering undisciplined troops, by having to procure supplies in poor country with insufficient supply lines, and by contending with bad weather and rough terrain.

Richard Taylor and the Red River Campaign of 1864

Richard Taylor and the Red River Campaign of 1864

Author: Samuel W. Mitcham

Publisher: Pelican Publishing Company, Inc.

Published: 2012

Total Pages: 384

ISBN-13: 9781455616343

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An Alternate Selection of the History Book Clubi One of the most shocking and humiliating defeats in the United States' military history, the Red River Campaign narrowly missed turning the tide of the entire Civil War. The daring military operation took place in north Louisiana, in April of 1864. Though the Union soldiers outnumbered the Confederates nearly four to one, the Union forces found themselves under assault and running for their lives. Written in an engaging tone, this illustrated volume chronicles the campaign in precise detail.This accessible book begins with an overview of the campaign, emphasizing the impact that it had on the outcome of the Civil War. Successive sections cover Confederate Richard Taylor's strategy, the initial assault of the Union Army of the Gulf, the Confederate's surprise retaliation attack at Mansfield, and the Southerner's pursuit of the fleeing Yankees. The final chapter discusses alternative strategies that may have led to a Confederate victory, along with the subsequent careers of major participants.


Book Synopsis Richard Taylor and the Red River Campaign of 1864 by : Samuel W. Mitcham

Download or read book Richard Taylor and the Red River Campaign of 1864 written by Samuel W. Mitcham and published by Pelican Publishing Company, Inc.. This book was released on 2012 with total page 384 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An Alternate Selection of the History Book Clubi One of the most shocking and humiliating defeats in the United States' military history, the Red River Campaign narrowly missed turning the tide of the entire Civil War. The daring military operation took place in north Louisiana, in April of 1864. Though the Union soldiers outnumbered the Confederates nearly four to one, the Union forces found themselves under assault and running for their lives. Written in an engaging tone, this illustrated volume chronicles the campaign in precise detail.This accessible book begins with an overview of the campaign, emphasizing the impact that it had on the outcome of the Civil War. Successive sections cover Confederate Richard Taylor's strategy, the initial assault of the Union Army of the Gulf, the Confederate's surprise retaliation attack at Mansfield, and the Southerner's pursuit of the fleeing Yankees. The final chapter discusses alternative strategies that may have led to a Confederate victory, along with the subsequent careers of major participants.

Richard Taylor and the Red River Campaign of 1864

Richard Taylor and the Red River Campaign of 1864

Author: Samuel W. Mitcham Jr.

Publisher: Pelican Publishing Company, Inc.

Published: 2012-04-27

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781455616336

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The Union invades the Red River Valley. This book details one of the most surprising and humiliating defeats in United States' military history. The campaign began in April of 1864 when the Union army invaded the Red River Valley, anticipating little resistance from the Confederates. But when General Taylor launched a surprise attack near Mansfield, the Yankees were soon running for their lives.


Book Synopsis Richard Taylor and the Red River Campaign of 1864 by : Samuel W. Mitcham Jr.

Download or read book Richard Taylor and the Red River Campaign of 1864 written by Samuel W. Mitcham Jr. and published by Pelican Publishing Company, Inc.. This book was released on 2012-04-27 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Union invades the Red River Valley. This book details one of the most surprising and humiliating defeats in United States' military history. The campaign began in April of 1864 when the Union army invaded the Red River Valley, anticipating little resistance from the Confederates. But when General Taylor launched a surprise attack near Mansfield, the Yankees were soon running for their lives.

The Red River Campaign of 1864

The Red River Campaign of 1864

Author: Naval War Naval War College

Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform

Published: 2016-01-05

Total Pages: 24

ISBN-13: 9781523239979

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THE UNION'S RED RIVER OPERATIONS DURING THE SPRING OF' 1864 ARE ANALYZED IN THE CONTEXT OF OPERATIONAL DOCTRINE AND THE PRINCIPLES OF WAR. THE MOVEMENTS OF BOTH UNION AND CONFEDERATE FORCES ARE DESCRIBED AT THE OPERATIONAL LEVEL. TACTICAL DESCRIPTIONS OF THE VARIOUS BATTLES AND ENGAGEMENTS ARE DETAILED ONLY TO THE EXTENT NECESSARY TO DESCRIBE THE OPERATIONAL MOVEMENTS. MAJOR GENERAL HALLECK OF THE UNION ARMY CONFIGURED A FATALLY FLAWED OPERATION ON THE RED RIVER TO SEIZE SHREVEPORT, LOUISIANA. MAJOR GENERAL BANKS EXECUTED THAT OPERATION WITH TOTAL DISREGARD FOR AT LEAST SEVEN OF THE U.S. ARMY'S NINE PRINCIPLES OF WAR. THE COMBINATION OF FLAWED OPERATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS AND DISREGARD FOR THE PRINCIPLES OF WAR ALLOWED AN OVERWHELMINGLY SUPERIOR UNION FORCE TO BE DEFEATED.


Book Synopsis The Red River Campaign of 1864 by : Naval War Naval War College

Download or read book The Red River Campaign of 1864 written by Naval War Naval War College and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2016-01-05 with total page 24 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: THE UNION'S RED RIVER OPERATIONS DURING THE SPRING OF' 1864 ARE ANALYZED IN THE CONTEXT OF OPERATIONAL DOCTRINE AND THE PRINCIPLES OF WAR. THE MOVEMENTS OF BOTH UNION AND CONFEDERATE FORCES ARE DESCRIBED AT THE OPERATIONAL LEVEL. TACTICAL DESCRIPTIONS OF THE VARIOUS BATTLES AND ENGAGEMENTS ARE DETAILED ONLY TO THE EXTENT NECESSARY TO DESCRIBE THE OPERATIONAL MOVEMENTS. MAJOR GENERAL HALLECK OF THE UNION ARMY CONFIGURED A FATALLY FLAWED OPERATION ON THE RED RIVER TO SEIZE SHREVEPORT, LOUISIANA. MAJOR GENERAL BANKS EXECUTED THAT OPERATION WITH TOTAL DISREGARD FOR AT LEAST SEVEN OF THE U.S. ARMY'S NINE PRINCIPLES OF WAR. THE COMBINATION OF FLAWED OPERATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS AND DISREGARD FOR THE PRINCIPLES OF WAR ALLOWED AN OVERWHELMINGLY SUPERIOR UNION FORCE TO BE DEFEATED.

The Oxford Handbook of the American Civil War

The Oxford Handbook of the American Civil War

Author: Lorien Foote

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2021-10-12

Total Pages: 697

ISBN-13: 0197549985

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Every time Union armies invaded Southern territory there were unintended consequences. Military campaigns always affected the local population -- devastating farms and towns, making refugees of the inhabitants, undermining slavery. Local conditions in turn altered the course of military events. The social effects of military campaigns resonated throughout geographic regions and across time. Campaigns and battles often had a serious impact on national politics and international affairs. Not all campaigns in the Civil War had a dramatic impact on the country, but every campaign, no matter how small, had dramatic and traumatic effects on local communities. Civil War military operations did not occur in a vacuum; there was a price to be paid on many levels of society in both North and South. The Oxford Handbook of the American Civil War assembles the contributions of thirty-nine leading scholars of the Civil War, each chapter advancing the central thesis that operational military history is decisively linked to the social and political history of Civil War America. The chapters cover all three major theaters of the war and include discussions of Bleeding Kansas, the Union naval blockade, the South West, American Indians, and Reconstruction. Each essay offers a particular interpretation of how one of the war's campaigns resonated in the larger world of the North and South. Taken together, these chapters illuminate how key transformations operated across national, regional, and local spheres, covering key topics such as politics, race, slavery, emancipation, gender, loyalty, and guerrilla warfare.


Book Synopsis The Oxford Handbook of the American Civil War by : Lorien Foote

Download or read book The Oxford Handbook of the American Civil War written by Lorien Foote and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2021-10-12 with total page 697 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Every time Union armies invaded Southern territory there were unintended consequences. Military campaigns always affected the local population -- devastating farms and towns, making refugees of the inhabitants, undermining slavery. Local conditions in turn altered the course of military events. The social effects of military campaigns resonated throughout geographic regions and across time. Campaigns and battles often had a serious impact on national politics and international affairs. Not all campaigns in the Civil War had a dramatic impact on the country, but every campaign, no matter how small, had dramatic and traumatic effects on local communities. Civil War military operations did not occur in a vacuum; there was a price to be paid on many levels of society in both North and South. The Oxford Handbook of the American Civil War assembles the contributions of thirty-nine leading scholars of the Civil War, each chapter advancing the central thesis that operational military history is decisively linked to the social and political history of Civil War America. The chapters cover all three major theaters of the war and include discussions of Bleeding Kansas, the Union naval blockade, the South West, American Indians, and Reconstruction. Each essay offers a particular interpretation of how one of the war's campaigns resonated in the larger world of the North and South. Taken together, these chapters illuminate how key transformations operated across national, regional, and local spheres, covering key topics such as politics, race, slavery, emancipation, gender, loyalty, and guerrilla warfare.

The Confederate Military Forces in the Trans-Mississippi West, 1861-1865

The Confederate Military Forces in the Trans-Mississippi West, 1861-1865

Author: William Royston Geise

Publisher: Savas Beatie

Published: 2022-08-30

Total Pages: 241

ISBN-13: 1954547439

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William Royston Geise was a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Texas at Austin in the early 1970s when he researched and wrote The Confederate Military Forces in the Trans-Mississippi West, 1861- 1865: A Study in Command in 1974. Although it remained unpublished, it was not wholly unknown. Deep-diving researchers were aware of Dr. Geise’s work and lamented the fact that it was not widely available to the general public. In many respects, studies of the Trans-Mississippi Theater are only now catching up with Geise. This intriguing book traces the evolution of Confederate command and how it affected the shifting strategic situation and general course of the war. Dr. Geise accomplishes his task by coming at the question in a unique fashion. Military field operations are discussed as needed, but his emphasis is on the functioning of headquarters and staff—the central nervous system of any military command. This was especially so for the Trans-Mississippi. After July 1863, the only viable Confederate agency west of the great river was the headquarters at Shreveport. That hub of activity became the sole location to which all isolated players, civilians and military alike, could look for immediate overall leadership and a sense of Confederate solidarity. By filling these needs, the Trans-Mississippi Department assumed a unique and vital role among Confederate military departments and provided a focus for continued Confederate resistance west of the Mississippi River. The author’s work mining primary archival sources and published firsthand accounts, coupled with a smooth and clear writing style, helps explain why this remote department (referred to as “Kirby Smithdom” after Gen. Kirby Smith) failed to function efficiently, and how and why the war unfolded there as it did. Trans-Mississippi Theater historian and Ph.D. candidate Michael J. Forsyth (Col., U.S. Army, Ret.) has resurrected Dr. Geise’s smoothly written and deeply researched manuscript from its undeserved obscurity. This edition, with its original annotations and Forsyth’s updated citations and observations, is bolstered with original maps, photographs, and images. Students of the war in general, and the Trans-Mississippi Theater in particular, will delight in its long overdue publication.


Book Synopsis The Confederate Military Forces in the Trans-Mississippi West, 1861-1865 by : William Royston Geise

Download or read book The Confederate Military Forces in the Trans-Mississippi West, 1861-1865 written by William Royston Geise and published by Savas Beatie. This book was released on 2022-08-30 with total page 241 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: William Royston Geise was a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Texas at Austin in the early 1970s when he researched and wrote The Confederate Military Forces in the Trans-Mississippi West, 1861- 1865: A Study in Command in 1974. Although it remained unpublished, it was not wholly unknown. Deep-diving researchers were aware of Dr. Geise’s work and lamented the fact that it was not widely available to the general public. In many respects, studies of the Trans-Mississippi Theater are only now catching up with Geise. This intriguing book traces the evolution of Confederate command and how it affected the shifting strategic situation and general course of the war. Dr. Geise accomplishes his task by coming at the question in a unique fashion. Military field operations are discussed as needed, but his emphasis is on the functioning of headquarters and staff—the central nervous system of any military command. This was especially so for the Trans-Mississippi. After July 1863, the only viable Confederate agency west of the great river was the headquarters at Shreveport. That hub of activity became the sole location to which all isolated players, civilians and military alike, could look for immediate overall leadership and a sense of Confederate solidarity. By filling these needs, the Trans-Mississippi Department assumed a unique and vital role among Confederate military departments and provided a focus for continued Confederate resistance west of the Mississippi River. The author’s work mining primary archival sources and published firsthand accounts, coupled with a smooth and clear writing style, helps explain why this remote department (referred to as “Kirby Smithdom” after Gen. Kirby Smith) failed to function efficiently, and how and why the war unfolded there as it did. Trans-Mississippi Theater historian and Ph.D. candidate Michael J. Forsyth (Col., U.S. Army, Ret.) has resurrected Dr. Geise’s smoothly written and deeply researched manuscript from its undeserved obscurity. This edition, with its original annotations and Forsyth’s updated citations and observations, is bolstered with original maps, photographs, and images. Students of the war in general, and the Trans-Mississippi Theater in particular, will delight in its long overdue publication.

The Red River Campaign of 1864

The Red River Campaign of 1864

Author:

Publisher:

Published: 1994

Total Pages: 24

ISBN-13:

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The Union's Red River Operations during the spring of 1864 are analyzed in the context of operational doctrine and the principles of war. The movements of both Union and Confederate force are described at the operational level. Tactical descriptions of the various battles and engagements are detailed only to the extent necessary to describe the operational movements. Major General Halleck of the Union Army configured a fatally flawed operation on the Red River to seize Shreveport, Louisiana. Major General Banks executed that operation with total disregard for at least seven of the U.S. Army's nine principles of war. The combination of flawed operational considerations and disregard for the principles of war allowed an overwhelmingly superior Union force to be defeated. Civil war, Operations, Red River, MG N.P. Banks, MG richard Taylor, Shreveport union, Confederate, Riverine, Joint.


Book Synopsis The Red River Campaign of 1864 by :

Download or read book The Red River Campaign of 1864 written by and published by . This book was released on 1994 with total page 24 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Union's Red River Operations during the spring of 1864 are analyzed in the context of operational doctrine and the principles of war. The movements of both Union and Confederate force are described at the operational level. Tactical descriptions of the various battles and engagements are detailed only to the extent necessary to describe the operational movements. Major General Halleck of the Union Army configured a fatally flawed operation on the Red River to seize Shreveport, Louisiana. Major General Banks executed that operation with total disregard for at least seven of the U.S. Army's nine principles of war. The combination of flawed operational considerations and disregard for the principles of war allowed an overwhelmingly superior Union force to be defeated. Civil war, Operations, Red River, MG N.P. Banks, MG richard Taylor, Shreveport union, Confederate, Riverine, Joint.

Lone Star Blue and Gray

Lone Star Blue and Gray

Author: Ralph Wooster

Publisher: Texas A&M University Press

Published: 2015-04-21

Total Pages: 650

ISBN-13: 1625110359

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From the bitter disputes over secession to the ways in which the conflict would be remembered, Texas and Texans were caught up in the momentous struggles of the American Civil War. Tens of thousands of Texans joined military units, and scarcely a household in the state was unaffected as mothers and wives assumed new roles in managing farms and plantations. Still others grappled with the massive social, political, and economic changes wrought by the bloodiest conflict in American history. The sixteen essays (eleven of them new) from some of the leading historians in the field in the second edition of Lone Star Blue and Gray illustrate the rich traditions and continuing vitality of Texas Civil War scholarship. Along with these articles, editors Ralph A. and Robert Wooster provide a succinct introduction to the war and Texas and recommended readings for those seeking further investigations of virtually every aspect of the war as experienced in the Lone Star State.


Book Synopsis Lone Star Blue and Gray by : Ralph Wooster

Download or read book Lone Star Blue and Gray written by Ralph Wooster and published by Texas A&M University Press. This book was released on 2015-04-21 with total page 650 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the bitter disputes over secession to the ways in which the conflict would be remembered, Texas and Texans were caught up in the momentous struggles of the American Civil War. Tens of thousands of Texans joined military units, and scarcely a household in the state was unaffected as mothers and wives assumed new roles in managing farms and plantations. Still others grappled with the massive social, political, and economic changes wrought by the bloodiest conflict in American history. The sixteen essays (eleven of them new) from some of the leading historians in the field in the second edition of Lone Star Blue and Gray illustrate the rich traditions and continuing vitality of Texas Civil War scholarship. Along with these articles, editors Ralph A. and Robert Wooster provide a succinct introduction to the war and Texas and recommended readings for those seeking further investigations of virtually every aspect of the war as experienced in the Lone Star State.