History of the Battle of Pleasant Hill
The Battle of Pleasant Hill was fought on April 9, 1864, during the Red River Campaign of the American Civil War, near Pleasant Hill, Louisiana, between Union forces led by Major General Nathaniel P. Banks and Confederate forces, led by Major General Richard Taylor.
The battle was essentially a continuation of the previous day’s Battle of Mansfield, fought nearby, which ended around sunset due to darkness. The night time provided a brief interlude in hostilities. On April 9, Taylor launched an ambitious assault against the newly reinforced Federals at Pleasant Hill and had the upper hand before General Thomas J. Churchill’s Arkansas division was flanked on its right and repulsed. After the battle, the Federals remained demoralized and unconfident in their commander; they retreated to Grand Ecore, and from there to Alexandria. This was the largest battle fought west of the Mississippi River.
Officially, the battle was a Union victory; as the Confederates were successfully driven from the field. However, because Banks and his army had retreated so soon afterwards, many argued over who had really won.
Articles
Scholarly articles on the Red River Campaign and its effect on soldiers and civilians.
Civilian Reaction to the Red River Campaign, 1864: Natchitoches to Mansfield, Louisiana
Military History of the West 34 (2004): 29–50
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Read article (opens in new tab)“For Love of Cotton”: Nathaniel P. Banks, Union Strategy, and the Red River Campaign
Louisiana History 51, no. 1 (Winter 2010): 5–26
Via JSTOR. A free JSTOR account or library access may be required.
Read on JSTOR (opens in new tab)A Vermonter’s Account of the Red River Campaign
Louisiana History 40, no. 3 (Summer 1999): 355–364
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Read on JSTOR (opens in new tab)“Gorillas” and White Glove Gents: Union Soldiers in the Red River Campaign
Louisiana History 36, no. 4 (Autumn 1995): 413–430
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Read on JSTOR (opens in new tab)The Red River Campaign, Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana: A Case of Equal Opportunity Destruction
Louisiana History 43, no. 4 (Autumn 2002): 411–432
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Read on JSTOR (opens in new tab)Recommended Reading
Books on the Red River Campaign and the Battles of Mansfield and Pleasant Hill.