Louisiana Forts: page 3 (original) (raw)

Eastern Louisiana

(Florida Parishes)

Last Update: 29/JULY/2009

Compiled by Pete Payette - �2009 American Forts Network

NOTE: This page includes sites on both sides of the Mississippi River between Torras and Plaquemine. The "Florida Parishes" were once a part of British and later Spanish West Florida Province from 1763 until 1810. This region was not included in the 1803 Louisiana Purchase.

Camp Covington (1)
(1817 - 1818), Covington
A temporary Federal encampment and supply depot. Also sometimes referred to as Fort Covington.

Camp Covington (2)
(1862), Covington
A CSA camp.

Camp Caffrey
(1898), near Covington
A Spanish-American War muster camp located on the Tchefuncte River about one mile northwest of town.
This may or may not be the same as Camp Covington (3).

Camp Blanchard (2)
(1904), Covington
A Louisiana National Guard summer encampment on the Bogue Falaya River one mile north of town.

Camp Pulaski
(1861), Amite
A CSA training camp.

Camp Moore (Cemetery and Confederate Museum)
(1861 - 1864), Tangipahoa
A major Confederate training camp for the state. It replaced Camp Walker in New Orleans. After the fall of Baton Rouge to the Union in May 1862, the state governor made his headquarters here. Also known as Camp Tracy. The post was destroyed by Union cavalry in November 1864. Over six acres of the original site have been preserved. Admission fee to the museum.

Camp at Williams' Bridge
(1862), near Grangeville
A CSA post protecting the Amite River crossing.

Camp Beauregard (2)
(1864), Clinton
A CSA camp captured by Union cavalry in 1864.

Camp Beal
(1863), near Clinton
A CSA cavalry encampment located 10 miles south of town on Plank Road.

Thompson's Creek Fort
(1778 - 1779), near Jackson
A British fort on Thompson's Creek (Bayou des Ecors) south of town. It was captured by the Spanish in September 1779.

Fort Tonicas
(1714 ? - unknown), Concordia Parish
A French wooden fort located about two leagues (5-6 miles) above the mouth of the Red River, beside a lake, somewhere between Red River Landing and Point Breeze.

Fort St. Joseph
(1716 ? - unknown), near Tunica ?
A French fort reportedly located about 15 miles from Point Coupe�.

Fortress Morganza
(1864 - 1865), Morganza
A Union 18-gun bastioned earthwork on the Mississippi River. About 40,000 Union troops were posted here, most of whom were former slaves. The fort was abandoned due to malaria and cholera epidemics. Also spelled Morganzia.

Fort Sterling
(1863), near Viva (?)
A Union fort located on or near the Mississippi River. Possibly located at Sterling Plantation on Bayou Fordoche, west of Morganza.

St. Francisville Post
(1810), St. Francisville
The armed camp and town became the capital of the short-lived "West Florida Republic" in September 1810 after the capture of Fort San Carlos in Baton Rouge by American and British settlers. Most of the weapons captured there were stored here. U.S. troops arrived in December 1810. West Florida west of the Pearl River (Baton Rouge District) was subsequently annexed to Orleans Territory. See also Explore Southern History.com

Fort la Pointe Coup�e
(1729 - 1780 ?), near New Roads
A small stockaded French fort, originally located along the False River. Became Spanish in 1766, renamed Post Punta Cortada. It was a quadrangle with four bastions, enclosing Officers' quarters, barracks, storehouses, and a prison. Spanish militia troops were here in 1779, prior to the attack on British-held Thompson's Creek Fort and Fort Richmond. Probably abandoned in 1780. Site located northeast of town on the Mississippi River, across from St. Francisville. No remains.

Post at Pointe Coup�e
(1805 - 1808), near New Roads
A Federal garrison post consisting of barracks, a guardhouse and magazine.

Port Hudson Civil War Defenses
(1862 - 1863), Port Hudson
Confederate earthworks with 33 numbered batteries surrounded the town. Twenty-four Union earthwork batteries surrounded the CSA works. The strategic town and Confederate garrison fell to the Union in July 1863, the last Confederate stronghold on the Mississippi River.
Camp Ashby (1862), a CSA temporary encampment somewhere in the area (undetermined location).
Camp Beauregard (1) (1862), a CSA temporary artillery encampment near town.
Fort Babcock (1863), a Union (75th New York) crude log and earthwork located on a small hill on the west-side of Sandy Creek.
Camp Breaux (1862 - 1863), a CSA camp near town.

Fort Desperate
(Port Hudson State Historic Site)
(1862 - 1863), Port Hudson
A CSA lunette on a hill near Foster Creek. So named because of the "desperate" attempts by the Union to take the fort in May-July 1863, which they eventually did. Also here in the park are Mississippi Redoubt and Alabama - Arkansas Redoubt, and Batteries #1 - #8. Miles of earthworks still exist, mostly along a walking trail. Admission fee. See also Explore Southern History.com

Camp Cobb
(1855, 1861), Greenwell Springs
A Federal camp for the Baton Rouge garrison during a yellow fever outbreak. Site was also used by CSA troops in 1861, known as Camp at Greenwell Springs.

Fort San Carlos (2) ?
(1764 - 1768, 1778 - 1794, 1799 - 1819), Baton Rouge
The French may have built a fort here as early as 1721 to subdue the local Indians, but it was the British who took control of the newly created West Florida Province in 1763 and built Fort New Richmond (1764 - 1768). The earthwork fort was rebuilt in August 1778 (known as Fort Richmond by this time) with an 18-foot wide and nine-foot deep moat, armed with 13 guns. It was located near present-day Boyd Ave. (Spanish Town Road) and Lafayette Street. American Patriot forces briefly took the new fort in 1778, but were soon captured by the British. The Spanish took the town and fort in September 1779, rebuilt it, and by 1781 controlled all of West Florida. The fort was rebuilt again in 1799 as a six-pointed star-shaped 16-gun fort, slightly east of the 1778 British earthwork fort (now a parking lot across River Road). The local British and American settlers rebelled against the Spanish authorities in September 1810 and proclaimed the "West Florida Republic" (or "Baton Rouge Republic"). The U.S. Army took possession in December 1810, naming it Post at Baton Rouge. Demolished when the Pentagon Barracks was built nearby. There are some concrete/brick walls and sidewalks around A.Z. Young Park and the Capitol Park Event Center (702 River Road) that partially outline the perimeter of the last Spanish fort.

Baton Rouge Barracks
(1819 - 1886), Baton Rouge
Also known as the Pentagon Barracks, it was built to house 1000 troops. Located just north of the site of the old Spanish fort, four barracks and a commissary storehouse were built in the form of a pentagon. The storehouse was demolished in 1821 as defective, never rebuilt. The Confederates took control of the barracks in January 1861, but the Union regained control in May 1862. Union earthworks, which were named Fort Williams, surrounded both the barracks and the arsenal (see below) in 1862. Some traces still remain, including an old Indian burial mound that was incorporated into the defensive line. Two guns remain on the mound. The four barracks still stand, once used as the campus of Louisiana State University between 1886 - 1926. After the school moved to its new location, the barracks remained in use as dormitories until 1950. Used for state agency offices beginning in 1951. Renovated in 1966, the state lieutenant governor now resides here. Only the museum/gift shop is open to the general public.

During the summers of 1824 and 1825, an encampment was built nine miles from the city, known as Cantonment Robertson, to escape yellow fever outbreaks in the city. Another was Camp Sandy Creek (1820's) (undetermined location). Another summer encampment, Camp Harney (1850's), was built on the Comite River eight miles east of town.

Baton Rouge Arsenal
(Old Arsenal and Powder Magazine Museum)
(1825 - 1879), Baton Rouge
Built as a separate facility away from the Pentagon Barracks. An ordnance storehouse and powder magazine were originally built with the Pentagon Barracks in 1819. The ordnance storehouse was demolished in 1828. The Arsenal became the largest ordnance depot in the South prior to the Civil War. Captured by Confederates in January 1861, recaptured by the Union in May 1862. Many of the buildings were leased to Louisiana State University after 1886. The 1838 brick powder magazine became a museum in 1956. The second magazine (1850) was demolished in 1931 when the present state capitol was being built. Admission fee. See also Explore Southern History.com

Baton Rouge Civil War Camps
(1862 - 1863), Baton Rouge
Camp Banks (1862 - 1863), a Union encampment located near the old horse racetrack near present-day Government and 18th Streets.
Camp Clark (1862), a Union camp located at Government Street and Perkins Road (present-day 17th or 18th Street).
Camp Bird (1862), a CSA training camp located three miles from town, near present-day Greenwell Springs Road and North Foster Drive.
Camp Butler (1) (date ?), a CSA camp of this name is thought to have existed in the area.
Highland Stockade (1862 - 1864), a Union stockade built on Highland Road seven miles south of town. Some remains still exist. Now a B&B on site.

Fort Bute
(1764 - 1768, 1778 - 1794), Bayou Manchac
A British six-gun star-shaped earthwork fort, also known as Manchac Fort, located on the north-side of the confluence of Bayou Manchac and the Mississippi River below Baton Rouge. It was rebuilt in 1778 on a new site nearby, and captured by the Spanish in September 1779.

Fort San Gabriel
(1767 - 1769, 1778 - 1781 ?), Bayou Manchac
A Spanish stockaded four-gun fort built on the south-side of Bayou Manchac to counter British Fort Bute across the river. Shortly after its abandonment, Spanish authorities allowed six German Roman Catholic families to temporarily live here after resettlement from Maryland. Re-garrisoned and rebuilt in 1778 as the British rebuilt Fort Bute. Also known as Fort at the Iberville (2). After the capture of Fort Bute in 1779, the Spanish garrison was later consolidated to that location.

Post at Plaquemine
(1804 - 1808), near Plaquemine
A Federal garrison was here.
(location not to be confused with Plaquemines Bend below New Orleans)

Fort Plaquemine
(1864 - 1865), Plaquemine
A Union four-gun fort on the Mississippi River at Bayou Plaquemine.

G�lveztown Post
(1779 - 1794 ?), Galvez
A Spanish fortified village about three miles west of present-day Port Vincent, on the south-side of Bayou Manchac. A brick fort was planned in 1797, but never built.

Amite River Post
(1778 - 1779), near Port Vincent
A British post north of Bayou Manchac on the east-side of the Amite River. It was surrendered to the Spanish in September 1779.

Fort Graham
(1779), near Port Vincent
A British stockade built on the east-side of the Amite River north of Bayou Manchac, opposite Spanish Galveztown. Captured by the Spanish in September 1779.
(NOTE: this may possibly be the same as Amite River Post listed above)

Camp Baptiste
(1865), Livingston Parish
A CSA temporary encampment near the Blood River.

Fort Stephens
(1864), Pass Manchac
A Union work at the entrance to South Pass Manchac on Lake Maurepas.

Another battery was located at the entrance to North Pass Manchac on Jones Island.

Bayou de Sair Redoubt
(1864), Pass Manchac
A Union redoubt located below Pass Manchac on the shore of Lake Pontchartrain.

NEED MORE INFO: French forts: Fort le Grand Bacoux (wooden), Fort le Grand Oviat (wooden), Fort le Petit Oviat (wooden) (undetermined locations and dates).

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