Mansfield, Louisiana
The Confederate victory at the
Battle of Mansfield, Louisiana
was the turning point of the
Red River Campaign.
The Confederate victory at the
Battle of Mansfield, Louisiana
was the turning point of the
Red River Campaign.
Saline River
The flooded Saline River in
Arkansas proved a barrier to
both armies during the Battle
of Jenkins' Ferry, Arkansas.
The flooded Saline River in
Arkansas proved a barrier to
both armies during the Battle
of Jenkins' Ferry, Arkansas.
Red River - Union Disaster in Louisiana and Arkansas
ExploreSouthernHistory.com - The Red River Campaign
| Jenkins' Ferry State Park The bloody Battle of Jenkins' Ferry was the final engagement of the Arkansas phase of the Red River Campaign. |
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| Copyright 2008 by Dale Cox All rights reserved. |
During the spring of 1864, two Union armies
invaded the heart of the Trans-Mississippi
South. The two forces hoped to converge at
Shreveport in Northwest Louisiana. Because
the campaign sought to extend Federal
control to the Red River Valley, it became
known as the Red River Campaign.
The combined Union armies expected to
either crush the outnumbered Confederate
forces arrayed against them or force them to
withdraw ahead of the two pronged advance.
Instead, the much smaller Confederate army
devastated both of the Union armies in a
series of brutal battles stretching from
Mansfield, Louisiana north to the Saline River
in Arkansas.
Long ignored by many Civil War historians,
the Red River Campaign was a major that
resulted in a demoralizing defeat for the
Union. Today the campaign and its battles
are the focus of growing interpretive and
preservation efforts. The states of Louisiana
and Arkansas, joined by local governments,
historic preservation organizations, business
entities and private citizens, are making
major strides in preserving sites associated
with the campaign.
As a result, the Red River Campaign is
emerging as an important heritage
destination for a large region of the South.
To learn more about this campaign and its
battles, please follow the links at right. If you
have questions, feel free to email us by
clicking the "Contact Us" link at the top of the
page and we will do our best to find answers
for you.
invaded the heart of the Trans-Mississippi
South. The two forces hoped to converge at
Shreveport in Northwest Louisiana. Because
the campaign sought to extend Federal
control to the Red River Valley, it became
known as the Red River Campaign.
The combined Union armies expected to
either crush the outnumbered Confederate
forces arrayed against them or force them to
withdraw ahead of the two pronged advance.
Instead, the much smaller Confederate army
devastated both of the Union armies in a
series of brutal battles stretching from
Mansfield, Louisiana north to the Saline River
in Arkansas.
Long ignored by many Civil War historians,
the Red River Campaign was a major that
resulted in a demoralizing defeat for the
Union. Today the campaign and its battles
are the focus of growing interpretive and
preservation efforts. The states of Louisiana
and Arkansas, joined by local governments,
historic preservation organizations, business
entities and private citizens, are making
major strides in preserving sites associated
with the campaign.
As a result, the Red River Campaign is
emerging as an important heritage
destination for a large region of the South.
To learn more about this campaign and its
battles, please follow the links at right. If you
have questions, feel free to email us by
clicking the "Contact Us" link at the top of the
page and we will do our best to find answers
for you.