Louisiane Acadien

The Civil War came to Louisiana largely due to the Union's military objective of securing control of the Mississippi River. As part of this objective, a waterway known as Bayou Lafourche became an area of strategic importance. Bayou Lafourche was another nautical artery that traveled from the Gulf of Mexico on the south end to its connection to the Mississippi about 50 miles southwest of New orleans at a town named Donaldsonville at it's most northern point.

The Bayou Lafourche area is historically significant as an ancient route of the Mississippi River and the Second Acadian Coast. At one time, in the era around 200 AD, the Bayou Lafourche route was the route that the Mississippi River took to the Gulf of Mexico. As the Mississppi changed it's course, it began to take it's current path towards Venice as it left it's ancient route at Bayou Lafourche or "the fork" ("La Fourch" is french for "the fork"). Deemed the ancient "left fork" of the Mississippi River, Bayou Lafourche was named "La Fourche des Chitimmaches (The Fork of the Chitimaches)" by the early French settlers due to it being a fork of the Mississippi which was inhabited by the Chitimacha indian tribe. Today, Bayou Lafourche serves as a river delta distributary discharging the Mississippi River into the Gulf of Mexico.

As the Acadian population began to expand beyond the First Acadian Coast from St. James Parish during the late 1700's , it began to settle the areas surrounding Donaldsonville, Plattenville and Paincourtville, the areas which became known as the Second Acadian Coast.

During the War for Southern Independence, Bayou Lafourche became important as a strategic military objective because it was a main route that could provide transport for both Union and Confederate troups and supplies along the district. Because of this, the Union army set it's sites on securing control of the bayou, as well as the Mississippi River.

1) April 16-28, 1862 -
Battle of Fort Jackson / Fort St. Philip
(Venice, Mouth of the Mississippi River, LA)

		Fort Jackson Click here for a full size image
Diagram of the Battle Click here for a full size image	Engraving of American Civil War battle at Forts Jackson & St. Phillip on the lower Mississippi below New Orleans, 1862 published in "Harper's Weekly", 1862.
		Looking across the river to Fort St. Philip from Fort Jackson Click here for a full size image

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2) April 25–May 1, 1862 -
Capture of New Orleans

		The Washington Artillary Battalion was formed in 1838, served in the Mexican-American War and were early responders to the call for Confederate troops from New Orleans. The militia artillery company later formed the nucleus of a battalion in the Army of Northern Virginia and saw action in the major battles of the War for Southern Independence. The unit is currently known as the 141st Field Artillery Regiment and has seen action in World War II and more recently, Iraqi Freedom. New Orleans Washington Artillary Memorial Click here for a full size image
		After the Battles at Fort Jackson and Fort St. Phillip, New Orleans was captured by the Union without a battle in the city itself. It was spared destruction which was suffered by many other cities of the South. New Orleans 1862 Click here for a full size image

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