Battle of Sterling's Plantation
| Battle of Stirling's Plantation | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the American Civil War | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 United States (Union) |
 CSA (Confederacy)
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
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Napoleon J. T. Dana Joseph B. Leake |
Thomas Green | ||||||
| Units involved | |||||||
| XIII Corps | Atchafalaya River forces | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 650 | 3,000 | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 16 killed 45 wounded 454 captured |
26 killed 85 wounded 10 missing |
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The Battle of Stirling's Plantation (also known as the Battle of Fordoche Bridge) was an American Civil War battle took place on September 29, 1863 in Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana.
Following the Siege of Vicksburg, Union Major General Francis J. Herron's Division of the Army of the Frontier was transferred down the Mississippi River to become a part of the 13th Corps. Arriving at Port Hudson on July 25, they remained there until August 13, 1863, when they were moved to Carrollton, above New Orleans.
Union Major General Nathaniel P. Banks had been ordered to invade and “plant the Flag in Texas”, which plans resulted in the Second Battle of Sabine Pass on September 8, 1863. As a part of his overall plan, Herron’s division was to be transported to Morganza, Louisiana, below the mouth of the Red River. Both Confederate Brigadier General Tom Green's cavalry and Brigadier General Alfred Mouton’s small infantry division were operating on the upper Atchafalaya River. Herron’s movement would distract the Confederates from the invasion of Texas, and they hoped it would prevent the Confederate forces from moving to Texas had the Sabine Pass effort been successful.
On September 5, Herron's division was dispatched up the Mississippi on transports and made a landing below Morganza on the 7th. On the 8th the entire force marched through Morganza, and down the Opelousas road, reaching the Atchafalaya in the late afternoon. They retired to the Fordoche and camped there for the night. The next day the Division marched to Morganza where they went into camp.
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