Key Facts
- Date
- April 12, 1864
- Location
- Red River Parish, Louisiana
- Notable casualty
- Brig. Gen. Tom Green, killed by artillery
- Confederate objective
- Block Union retreat downstream; failed
- Campaign
- Red River Campaign, American Civil War
Strategic Narrative Overview
On April 12, 1864, Brigadier General Tom Green led a Confederate cavalry-artillery force in an attack on Rear Admiral David Dixon Porter's gunboats and Brigadier General Thomas Kilby Smith's troop transports near Blair's Landing. Green's men opened fire on the Union vessels but were unable to halt the downstream retreat. During the engagement, Green was struck and killed by an artillery round fired from the Union gunboats.
01 / The Origins
In spring 1864, Union forces under General Nathaniel Banks launched the Red River Campaign aimed at capturing Shreveport, Louisiana, and extending Federal control into Texas. After Confederate resistance stalled the Union advance, Porter's gunboat fleet and Smith's river transports began withdrawing downstream. Confederate forces sought to intercept and destroy the retreating Union flotilla before it could escape the Red River.
03 / The Outcome
The Confederate attack failed to stop the Union withdrawal, and Porter's and Smith's forces continued their retreat downstream. The death of Brigadier General Tom Green was the sole significant casualty of the action, representing a notable loss of experienced leadership for Confederate forces in Louisiana. The Union flotilla successfully escaped, and the broader Red River Campaign ultimately ended without achieving its strategic objectives.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Tom Green.
Side B
1 belligerent
David Dixon Porter, Thomas Kilby Smith.
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.