US Researchโ€บConflictsโ€บCivil Warโ€บLouisianaโ€บDonaldsonville
Civil War

Donaldsonville

1863
Louisiana
Era
Civil War
Year
1863
Location
Louisiana
Status
Historical record
Part ofLower Seaboard Theater โ€บThe Civil War โ€บ
The Battle

History & Significance

Donaldsonville was a Civil War engagement fought in Louisiana, 1863. It was a Union victory.

On June 28, 1863, Confederate Brig. Gen. Jean Alfred Mouton ordered Brig. Gen. Tom Green's and Col. James P. Major's brigades to take Donaldsonville. The Union had built Fort Butler, which the Rebels had to take before occupying the town. On the night of June 27, Green, within a mile and a half of the fort, began moving troops ahead to attack. The attack started soon after midnight, and the Confederates quickly surrounded the fort and began passing through the various obstructions. Unfortunately, those troops attacking along the levee came to a ditch, unknown to them, too wide to cross, that saved the day for the Union garrison. A Union gunboat, Princess Royal, came to the garrison's aid also and began shelling the attackers. Futile Confederate assaults continued for some time but they eventually ceased their operations and retired. This point on the Mississippi remained in Union hands and many other Mississippi River towns were occupied by the Yankees: the Confederates could harass but not eliminate these Union enclaves.

Result
Union victory
Forces engaged
Fort Butler Garrison: two companies of the 28th Maine Volunteer Infantry and some convalescents from various regiments [US]; Tom Green's Texas Brigade and Colonel James Patrick Major's Texas Brigade [CS]
Casualties
324 total (US 23; CS 301)
Around this battlefield

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Expedition from Donaldsonville to Grand Bayou and Bayou Goula
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Scout from Donaldsonville to Bayou Goula
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Expedition from Donaldsonville to Bayou Goula
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Action, Donaldsonville
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Expedition from Carrollton to Donaldsonville, and Skirmish
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Skirmishes, Doyall's Plantation and Donaldsonville
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Affair, Donaldsonville
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Questions & Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

When did Donaldsonville take place?
Donaldsonville took place in 1863.
Where was Donaldsonville fought?
Donaldsonville was fought in Louisiana, United States.
What was the significance of Donaldsonville?
On June 28, 1863, Confederate Brig. Gen. Jean Alfred Mouton ordered Brig. Gen. Tom Green's and Col. James P. Major's brigades to take Donaldsonville. The Union had built Fort Butler, which the Rebels had to take before occupying the town. On the night of June 27, Green, within a mile and a half of t
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This page covers Donaldsonville. A full Aubrey report for the area pulls together this battle alongside historic sites, land records, and everything else the record holds within a few miles:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
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Protected heritage nearby

Historic Sites near Donaldsonville

St. Emma
Civil War ยท 1 mi
Belle Alliance
Early Republic ยท 1.1 mi
Palo Alto Plantation
Pre Contact ยท 1.5 mi
All battles in Louisianaโ€บCivil Warconflicts โ€บHistoric sites in Louisianaโ€บ
Source

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