The Second Battle of Donaldsonville was an

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

battle took place on June 28, 1863 in Ascension Parish, Louisiana.

Background

On June 28, 1863, Confederate Brig. Gen. Jean Alfred Mouton ordered Brig. Gen. Tom Green's and Col.

James Patrick Major James Patrick Major (May 14, 1836 – May 8, 1877) was a career U.S. Army officer and a Confederate brigadier general during the American Civil War. US Cavalry service Major graduated 23rd in his class at the United States Military Academy a ...

's brigades to take

Donaldsonville, Louisiana Donaldsonville (historically french: Lafourche-des-Chitimachas) is a city in, and the parish seat of Ascension Parish in the U.S. state of Louisiana. Located along the River Road of the west bank of the Mississippi River, it is a part of the Bat ...

. The Union had built Fort Butler, which the Rebels had to take before occupying the town.

Forces engaged

The Union forces were the Fort Butler Garrison: two companies of the 28th Maine Volunteer Infantry and some convalescents from various regiments. The Confederate forces were Tom Green's Texas Brigade and Colonel James Patrick Major's Texas Brigade.

Battle

On the night of June 27, Green, within a mile and a half of the fort, began moving troops ahead to attack. The attack started soon after midnight, and the Confederates quickly surrounded the fort and began passing through the various obstructions. Those troops attacking along the levee came to a ditch, unknown to them, too wide to cross, that saved the day for the Union garrison. A Union gunboat,

USS Princess Royal ''Princess Royal'' was a British merchant ship and blockade runner that became a cruiser in the Union Navy during the American Civil War and later returned to civilian service. British merchant service ''Princess Royal'' was launched on 20 Ju ...

, came to the garrison's aid also and began shelling the attackers. Futile Confederate assaults continued for some time but they eventually ceased their operations and retired.

Result

This point on the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it f ...

remained in Union hands and many other Mississippi River towns were occupied by the Yankees: the Confederates could harass but not eliminate these Union enclaves.

Opposing Forces

Union

* 28th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment ** Company C ** Company F ** Company G * Misc. Convalescents and Freedmen * - Cmdr Melancthon Brooks Woolsey * - Lt. Cmdr. A.W. Weaver

Confederate

* 3rd Texas Cavalry Regiment (Arizona Brigade)OR Series 1, Vol. 26, part 1, pg. 230 list of casualties at Donaldsonville, LA 6/28/1863 *

3rd Texas Cavalry Regiment The 3rd Texas Cavalry Regiment or South Kansas-Texas Mounted Volunteers was a unit of mounted volunteers that fought in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. The regiment fought at Wilson's Creek and Chustenahlah in 1861, P ...

- Col Joseph Phillips * 4th Texas Cavalry Regiment - Col W. P. Hardeman * 5th Texas Cavalry Regiment - Maj. Denman Shannon * 7th Texas Cavalry Regiment - Col. Philemon T. Herbert * 1st Texas Partisan Rangers - Col. Walter P. Lane * 2nd Texas Partisan Rangers - Lt. Col R. P. Crump * 1st Louisiana Regular Battery - Lt. O. Semmes

References

Taylor's Operations in West Louisiana (American Civil War) Battles of the Lower Seaboard Theater and Gulf Approach of the American Civil War Union victories of the American Civil War Donaldsonville II Battle of Donaldsonville II

Battle A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...

1863 in Louisiana June 1863 events {{AmericanCivilWar-battle-stub