Battle of Plains Store

Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Battle of Plains Store


caption=
partof=the American Civil War
date=May 21, 1863
place=East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana
result=Union victory
combatant1= flagicon|USA|1861 United States (Union)
combatant2= flagicon|CSA|1863 CSA (Confederacy)
commander1=Christopher C. Augur
commander2=Frank W. Powers William R. Miles
strength1=1st Division, XIX Army Corps, Army of the Gulf
strength2=~600 [Kennedy, p. 181.]
casualties1=150
casualties2=100

The Battle of Plains Store or the Battle of Springfield Road was fought May 21, 1863, in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, during the campaign to capture Port Hudson in the American Civil War. The Union victory closed the last Confederate escape route from Port Hudson.

Background

The 1st Division, XIX Corps, commanded by Maj. Gen. Christopher C. Augur, left Baton Rouge and was moving north towards Port Hudson to secure a landing for the rest of Maj. Gen. Nathaniel P. Banks's forces.

Battle

Union cavalry under Brig. Gen. Benjamin H. Grierson, leading the advance of Augur's division, began skirmishing with Confederate forces under Col. Frank W. Powers. Union infantry approached and the fighting escalated. Col. William R. Miles left Port Hudson at noon, but when he reached the field, Powers's forces had already retreated and the fighting subsided. Miles nevertheless attacked, and at first succeeded in pushing back the Union infantry. Augur rallied his troops and counterattacked, driving the Confederates from Plains Store and back to the Port Hudson defenses, ending the battle.

Aftermath

The battle closed off the last escape route for the Confederate garrison at Port Hudson. That same day Nathaniel Banks invested the fortress and began the siege of Port Hudson.

References

* [http://www.cr.nps.gov/hps/abpp/battles/la009.htm National Park Service battle description]
* Kennedy, Frances H., ed., "The Civil War Battlefield Guide", 2nd ed., Houghton Mifflin Co., 1998, ISBN 0-395-74012-6.

Notes

External links

* [http://www.acadiansingray.com/photo%20gallery-plains_store.htm Photograph of battle site]
* [http://www.civilwaralbum.com/porthudson/store.htm Louisiana State Historical Marker]