Louisiana:Louisiana: The History of an American StateThe History of an American State

Chapter 10Chapter 10

Louisiana’s Civil War: Louisiana’s Civil War: Crisis and ConflictCrisis and Conflict

Study PresentationStudy Presentation

©2005 Clairmont Press

Section 1: Section 1: The Road to WarThe Road to War

ESSENTIAL QUESTION:–What events led Louisiana to join

the Confederacy?

The Road to WarThe Road to War

• states’ rights: belief that states had the right to overrule federal government; they could leave the Union

• Louisianans hoped the Missouri Compromise and Compromise of 1850 would preserve slavery and the Union

• most believed that a war would only last a few weeks

The Election of 1860The Election of 1860• Northern and Southern Democrats could

not agree on a candidate for president – four candidates in all ran in election

• Abraham Lincoln, Republican, was the winner

• Southerners believed he was an abolitionist; he said he would not interfere with slavery where it existed

• Lincoln did not get one vote in Louisiana• talk of secession began to spread• many Louisianans believed if slavery was

ended their way of life would end

Heading to WarHeading to War• Lincoln swore to protect the Union• many southerners believed that states had

the right to leave the United States• Dec. 1860: South Carolina seceded• Jan. 1861: Louisiana seceded• Leaving the Union would cause hardship in

Louisiana:– sugar plantations depended on sugar tariff– ports in Louisiana depended on trade with the

north• Governor Moore sent state militia to take

Ft. Jackson and Ft. St. Philip and federal arsenal in Baton Rouge

SecessionSecession

• January 26, 1861: Secession Convention votes to leave the Union

• few leaders voted against the move

• Louisianans Judah P. Benjamen and John Slidell were leaders in the new Confederacy

• April 12, 1861: war began in Charleston, SC at Ft. Sumter

Building an ArmyBuilding an Army• 5,000 Louisiana men volunteered

(enlisted) in the new Confederate army• most believed the war would be short• Camp Moore was first training camp for

Louisiana soldiers• disease and poor nutrition killed many

before a battle was fought• bounty: money paid to get soldiers to enlist• conscription: (draft) required men to enlist• wealthy men could pay someone to serve

in their place; slaveowners with 20+ slaves did not have to enlist

Gathering SuppliesGathering Supplies

• parishes, wealthy individuals and soldiers supplied weapons and equipment

• Louisiana had few factories

• salt was used to preserve meat for soldiers

• women’s groups sewed uniforms and cartridge bags

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Section 2: The War in Section 2: The War in LouisianaLouisiana

ESSENTIAL QUESTION:–Which Civil War battles were fought

in Louisiana?

The War in LouisianaThe War in Louisiana

• first Louisiana volunteers fought with General Lee in Virginia

• “Louisiana Tigers”: famous company of fighters from LA

• Few troops were left to defend LA; most were fighting in other parts of the South

The Fall of New OrleansThe Fall of New Orleans• New Orleans was important port for LA and

confederacy• Confederate leaders believed that US

would not attack the city• defenders guarded the river at Ft. St. Philip

and Ft. Jackson• Admiral David Farragut: US Navy leader;

led 47 ships to take New Orleans• cotton, sugar, tobacco, molasses set ablaze

in their warehouses• May 1, 1862: New Orleans occupied by US

troops

Baton Rouge FallsBaton Rouge Falls• May 7, 1862: Baton Rouge falls to

Union forces

• Confederates were unable to retake the city

• December 1862: state capitol burned resulting in the loss of many state records

Battles Along the BayousBattles Along the Bayous

• Fall 1862, Union General Butler ordered seizing of goods from rich plantations in Bayou Lafourche and Bayou Teche

• many supplies taken for use by the Union

Taking the Mississippi RiverTaking the Mississippi River

• Anaconda Plan: designed to split Confederacy – if the Union could take the Mississippi River, Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas would be cut off from the rest of the Confederacy

• Vicksburg and Port Hudson were Confederate strongholds and would have to fall for the plan to work

VicksburgVicksburg

• Late 1862: Union Gen. Ulysses S. Grant led attack on Vicksburg

• Plan was to surround the city and cut off its supplies

• Fell on July 4, 1863 to Union army

Port HudsonPort Hudson• Confederate fort south of Vicksburg• controlled a large bend in the Mississippi

River• siege lasted 45 days led by • heat, mosquitoes, lice and lack of food

caused problems for soldiers• July 9, 1863: Confederate troops surrender

after they learned that Vicksburg had fallen• Union controlled the Mississippi River from

that point on

The Red River CampaignThe Red River Campaign

• Final military plan of the Union in Louisiana

• Union wanted to take over Shreveport and cut off sale of cotton to Mexico and Europe

• Union Gen. Banks was pushed back by Confederate Gen. Taylor

• Bailey’s dam: new invention to help move Union gunboats in shallow water

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Section 3: Civilian LifeSection 3: Civilian Life

ESSENTIAL QUESTION: –What was life like for civilians

during the Civil War?

Civilian LifeCivilian Life• Union hoped to end the war sooner by

making life miserable for civilians• Union policy was to destroy anything of

value to Confederates• some soldiers looted and vandalized

against orders; some were told to destroy and pillage

• Jayhawkers: usually poor white men who hid out in swamps; sometimes helped the Union, but some robbed neighbors

• Needy Confederate soldiers often stole from nearby families

Shortages and SacrificesShortages and Sacrifices

• Union blockade stopped trade outside the Confederacy

• shortages of all materials• one newspaper printed his paper on the

back of wallpaper• problems included short supply of

goods, high prices, worthless money• women helped “make-do” by making

acorn coffee and hand-weaving cloth

Freeing the SlavesFreeing the Slaves• Confiscation Act: gave Union troops right to

take any Confederate property• former slaves began to follow the Union

army• some ex-slaves helped Union army or

helped Union-run plantations• so freed slaves joined Union army• Louisiana Native Guard: regiments of

African-Americans in Union army• Emancipation Proclamation: law which

freed slaves and outlawed slavery

Life in Occupied New OrleansLife in Occupied New Orleans

• New Orleans was occupied by Union troops for most of the war

• General Benjamin Butler in charge• Order No. 28: women who insulted Union

troops would be dealt with harshly• seized property of citizens who did not

sign oath of loyalty to the Union• Butler replaced by Gen. Nathaniel Banks

in late 1862 – he reopened closed churches

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Section 4: Section 4: Wartime GovernmentsWartime Governments

ESSENTIAL QUESTION: –How was Louisiana governed

during the Civil War?

Wartime GovernmentsWartime Governments

• Two state governments: Confederate and Union-Occupied

Government in Government in Union-Occupied LouisianaUnion-Occupied Louisiana

• President Lincoln wanted to show that Confederate areas could easily return to the Union

• Once 10% of population signed oath of loyalty, elections could be held

• Only those who signed the oath could vote

• Feb. 1864: Michael J. Hahn elected governor of Union occupied LA – replaced military governor

Government in Confederate Government in Confederate Louisiana Louisiana

• capital was moved 7 times during the war to avoid capture

• raised funds by selling bonds, income tax, and tax-in-kind (10% of crops given to state government)

• Gov. Henry Watkins Allen known for making sure citizens and soldiers had basic food and water and lessened suffering of the people

The War EndsThe War Ends

• April 9, 1865: General Robert E. Lee surrendered the Confederate Army at Appomattox Courthouse, Virginia

• Confederate forces west of the Mississippi surrendered in June

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