The Red River Campaign during the American Civil War ripped through Louisiana with untold bloodshed.

Host: Kyle Crosby
Camera/Editor: Michael Malley
Locations Coordinator: Samantha Rohr

Transcript:
War, Death, Pestilence, and Famine. North vs South. Brother vs brother. The four horsemen were ever present during that unholy event known as the American Civil War and the Red River Campaign ripped through North Louisiana in the Red River Valley. Two major battles took place during this campaign: Battle of Mansfield and Battle of Pleasant Hill - with several skirmishes in between which also included the largest army-navy battle of the Civil War.

After the fall of New Orleans, Union General Nathaniel Banks took 20,000 forces towards Alexandria via Bayou Teche, to meet up with other Union forces from Vicksburg. From there, they would go up the Red River with 35, 000 troops and several gunboats towards the Capital of Confederate Louisiana at the time: Shreveport.
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Some historians have claimed that the campaign was motivated by concern regarding 25,000 French troops in Mexico under the command of Emperor Maximilian. At the time, the Confederates offered to recognize the government of Maximillian in return for French recognition of the Confederacy and valuable war goods.

The Union had four goals at the start: Capture of Shreveport. Destroy Confederate forces in the District of West Louisiana commanded by General Dick Taylor. Confiscate as much as a hundred thousand bales of cotton from the plantations along the Red River. Organize 'pro-Union' state governments throughout the region under Lincoln's "ten percent" Reconstruction plan. It was an utter failure for the Union, resulting in a Confederate Victory.
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The Union was destined to win the war, and all this campaign did was delay the inevitable, but the lives lost on both sides will forever haunt these grounds. Quite literally, in fact. People have reported seeing what looked like ghostly figures walking the battlefields and eerie sounds at night.

Not only the battlefields see paranormal occurrences. Some atrocities committed by soldiers in the cities still leave their lasting mark with several hotels reporting civil war soldiers patrolling their hallways and streets, only to disappear into a wall or out of thin air.

Today, there is an annual live-reenactment of the Battle of Pleasant Hill in April. For more on Louisiana History, follow us on Patreon at Louisiana Dread!