Louisiana
State Government information
225-342-6600
State Parks
E-mail: parks@crt.state.la.us
888-677-1400, 225-342-8111
http://www.crt.state.la.us/crt/tourism/civilwar/civilwar.htm
Picture from: http://www.crt.state.la.us/crt/tourism/civilwar/cwmap.htm
GRANT'S MARCH
Markers follow General Grant's March through Louisiana along the Mississippi
River on US 80 and 65. Some of the more important skirmish and battle sites in
the upper Mississippi River area are: Milliken's Bend, Young's Point, Hard Times
Landing, Trinidad Plantation, Lone Plantation, Davis Island, Choctaw Bayou,
Richmond and New Carthage.
ALEXANDRIA/PINEVILLE
Area CVB
www.apacvb.org E-mail: inquire@apacvb.org
800-551-9516, Fax: 318-443-1617, 707 Main St, 71301. Open M-F 8-5. W
Alexandria/Pineville’s central location and its diverse historical, cultural and recreational opportunities allow you to experience the best of LA!
Alexandria National Cemetery
(318/449-1793)
The cemetery was established in 1867 as a burial site for Civil War soldiers. It is the current site of Mount Olivet Church.
Bailey's Dam
(318/443-7049)
A historical marker denoted the
site of Bailey's Dam, which Union troops constructed to deepen the Red River so
their fleet could escape. The dam was suggested by Colonel Joseph Bailey, a
Wisconsin lumberman before the War.
Forts Randolph and Buhlow
(318/443-7409)
Earthen fortifications built as
a defense against an expected third Red River Valley invasion by Federal troops.
The forts stand 500 yards apart on the Pineville side of the Red River (off US
71) upstream of downtown Alexandria. Fort Buhlow's artillery placements are
still visible today.
Kent House
www.kenthouse.org E-mail: kenthous@bellsouth.net
(318/487-5998), Fax: 318-442-4154, 3601 Bayou Rapides Rd, 71303. Open M-F 9-5.
Believed to be the oldest
standing structure in Central Louisiana, Kent House offers glimpses into the
area's rural life during the mid-19th century. See house furnishings, separate
kitchen, milk house, working sugar refinery, herb and formal gardens.
Tyrone Plantation
(318/442-8528)
Built in 1843 by George Mason Graham, a prominent Louisiana politician.
BASTROP
Bastrop-Morehouse Tourism Commission
www.bastrop-morehouse.com
E-mail: joychamber@northeastnet.net
318-281-3794, Fax: 318-281-3781, 512 E. Jefferson Ave.,
71220. Open M-F 9-4:30.
Snyder Museum and Creative Arts Center
(318/281-8760)
Highlights the history and arts of
Morehouse Parish and Northeast Louisiana from prehistoric civilization at
Poverty Point to early pioneer settlement, the Civil War and the 20th century.
BATON ROUGE
Baton Rouge Area CVB
800-LA-ROUGE, 225-383-1825, 730 North Boulevard, 70802.
Open M-F 8-5
Magnolia Cemetery
(504/387-2464)
The Battle of Baton Rouge was fought on the grounds of what
is today Magnolia Cemetery at the corner of North 19th and Main streets. Near
Magnolia Cemetery, National Cemetery is the final resting place of nearly 2,000
Union soldiers.
Magnolia Mound Plantation
(504/343-4955)
One
of the oldest plantations in the state, it was built circa 1791. The house is
restored to the 1800-1830 period. Outbuildings include kitchen, overseer's house
and pigeonnier.
Old State Capital
www.sec.state.la.us
e-mail: osc@sec.state.la.us Open Sun
12-4; Tu-Sat 10-4. W
(504/342-0500), 225-342-0500,
800-488-2968, 100 North Blvd, 70801.
The original of this white Gothic
building on the banks of the Mississippi River was damaged by fire in 1862.
During the was, it served as the State House until Union troops forced the
government to move to Opelousas, and then as a federal prison. A monument on the
grounds marks the gravesite of Confederate Governor Henry Watkins Allen.
Old Arsenal Powder Magazine
(504/342-0401), 225-387-2464, Fax: 225-343-3989, 502 North
Blvd, 70802. Open Tu-F 10-4 and by
Appt.
Located on the Louisiana State Capital grounds, this
structure was built in 1838. In May of 1862, Union forces occupied the arsenal
and its fortifications. In August, a Confederate army under General Breckinridge
tried but failed to drive the Union soldiers into the Mississippi River. A
self-guided tour through the museum and grounds is available.
Pentagon Barracks
www.fhl.org
e-mail: fhla@bellsouth.net
(225/342-1866), Fax: 225-343-3989, 959 Third St. 70804.
Hours vary by season.
Served as a home and host to important political and
military figures including Robert E. Lee, Ulysses S. Grant, George Cluster and
Jefferson Davis. Building C houses a museum and interpretive center.
Rural Life Museum
(225/765-2437), I-10 @ Essen Ln, 70898.
Open Daily 8:30-5.
Illustrates the
working side of plantation life. The collection of buildings includes restored
slave cabins, overseer's house, plantation commissary, church and blacksmith's
shop. 25 Acres to explore.
BELLE CHASSE
Plaquemines Parish Economic Development and Tourism
www.plaqueminesparish.com
E-mail: pped@accesscom.net
888-745-0642, 504-394-0018, 104
New Orleans St, 70037. Open M-F
8-4:30
Info on year-round fishing,
fishing rodeos, charter boats (inshore/offshore/coastal), water-craft rentals,
golfing, birding, hunting trips, marsh, bayou & seaplane tour.
Belle Chasse is the site of the
home of Judah P. Benjamin, secretary of state and of war and attorney general
for the Confederacy. It can be found at the south end of the town.
BERWICK
An important center for blockade-runners, detachments of the 4th Louisiana
Infantry were stationed in Berwick in the fall of 1861.
BURAS
Battle at Fort Jackson: March
E-mail: pped@accesscom.net
888-745-0642, 504-657-7083, 220 Herbert Harvey Dr, 70041.
Open F-Sun 10-5. W
War between the States reenactment held annually at
Historic Fort Jackson, March 9-11, 2001.
“The night the War was lost at the mouth of the Mississippi.”
Fort Jackson
504-657-7083, 220 Herbert Harvey Dr, 70041.
Open daily 7-5. W
Built in 1822, under Gen. Andrew Jackson.
Offers annual War between the States reenactment & encampment, picnic
facilities, walking tour, museum.
BURNSIDE
888-323-8314, (504/473-7841), Fax: 225-474-0480, LA-942
River Road, 70725. Take I-10 and exit 179 to Burnside. $
Built by Colonel John Smith Preston in 1840, in 1858 it was
bought by John Burnside, who became one of America's leading sugar planters.
This Greek Revival mansion serves as an example of the lavish lifestyle achieved
by the sugar planters before the Civil War. Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte, starring
Bette Davis was filmed here.
CHALMETT
St. Bernard Parish Tourist
Commission
www.st-bernard.la.us
E-mail: emcdougall@st-bernard.la.us
888-278-2045, 504-278-4242, 8201
W. Judge Perez Dr, 70043. Open M-F
9-4:30
René Beauregard House/ Malus in Jean Lafitte
National Historical Park & Preserve, Chalmette Battlefield
(504/589-4428)
Built in the
1830s, the home once belonged to Judge René Beauregard, son of Confederate
General P.G.T. Beauregard. The house rests on the grounds of the Battle of New
Orleans and the gallery offers and impressive view of the battlefield and the
adjacent Chalmette National Cemetery.
Chalmette National Cemetery
(504/589-3882)
On this site Confederate soldiers tried unsuccessfully to
stop Farragut from continuing upriver in 1862. More than 14,000 Union soldiers
are buried in the cemetery.
CHENEYVILLE
Loyd
Hall Plantation Bed and Breakfast NRHP
www.loydhall.com
e-mail: loydhallpltn@aol.com
800-240-8135, (318/776-5641), Fax: 318-776-5886, 292 Loyd
Bridge Rd, 71325. Tours daily 10-4.
Now a bed & breakfast, this beautifully restored Greek Revival-Italianate mansion was used by both Union and Confederate troops. Tales of ghosts dated to those days are included in the house tour. They say the violin-playing spirit of a Confederate spy appears on the second-floor veranda at midnight. 6 beautiful rooms all with private baths and kitchens. Pool, bikes, fishing, fireplace. AAA-approved-3-diamond Award.
CLINTON
Confederate Cemetery
(504/634-7155)
This 4-acre cemetery contains the remains of hundreds of
Civil War troops. Because Clinton was connected to the Mississippi River by
railroad, the town received many sick and wounded soldiers from the nearby
Battle of Port Hudson.
Marston House
(Open by appt. 504/683-3341)
Built in 1837,
it served as a Confederate hospital.
Silliman College
(Open by appt. 504/683-5383)
Established in 1850, Silliman
College served as a Confederate hospital
DELTA & LAKE PROVIDENCE
Grant's Canal
A historical marker is at the site
of the last attempt by Union troops to pass safely by the Vicksburg batteries.
Grant ordered his men to dig a canal in hopes of changing the course of the
Mississippi River. The attempt failed, but parts of the canal remain in Lake
Providence and Delta, Louisiana.
DARROW
(Private)
Built in 1841 by Duncan Kenner,
Confederate diplomat to France, Ashland was a large sugar plantation which
Kenner named after Henry Clay's house.
Civil War Battle Reenactment: February
E-mail: jgp90@texasaggie.com
337-463-7692, 337-463-3051, Ampacet Rd, Hwy 171 North, 70634.
1st annual Battle of
Hickory Creek Civil War Reenactment. Witness
soldier life in walk-thru camps, observe infantry, artillery and cavalry demos
and relive the Blue & Grey battle.
DONALDSONVILLE
Donaldsonville Area COC and Tourist Information
www.dvillecoc.org
E-mail: dville@eatel.net
225-473-4814, 714 RailRd Ave, 70346.
Open M-F 9-4:30
Proximity to the major shipping lanes of the Mississippi
River and Bayou Lafourche made Donaldsonville a strategic location. The wharfs
became a site for guerrilla warfare on Union ships effective enough to outrage
Admiral D. G. Farragut.
Fort Butler
This star-shaped dirt fort at the
mouth of Bayou Lafourche opposite Donaldsonville, was the site of a battle under
the Confederate leadership of General Thomas Green.
DUBACH
The Autrey House
(318/777-3714)
An example of log cabin vernacular
architecture. This hand-hewed log dogtrot house is one of the oldest existing
structures in Lincoln Parish and an excellent example of the Upland South
pioneer culture.
FRANKLIN
337-828-2092, Fax: 337-828-2082, 407 Sterling Rd,
70538-0400. Open daily 10-4.
Closed for major holidays. $,
W
(318/828-2092)
This 1851 Greek Revival house displays a collection of the
St. Mary Parish Museum, which includes a Civil War Section.
GRAND COTEAU
www.ashcoteau.org
e-mail: chaggart@rscj.org
(318/662-5275), Fax: 337-662-3011, 1821 Academy Rd, 70541.
Open M-F 10-2. Tours by
appt., $, Child, senior, & group rates, W
In 1863, General Nathaniel Banks was briefly headquartered
in Grand Coteau, home of the Academy of the Sacred Heart, an all-girls school.
Through luck, General Banks' daughter attended the Manhattanville Convent of the
Sacred Heart in New York. When news of his presence in Grand Coteau reached the
Mother Superior in New York, she requested that he take care of the nuns in
Grand Coteau. He obliged, keeping the school stocked with food and other
supplies. And he made any harm done to the nuns a crime punishable by death. In
the Academy's museum you can see the original letters setting forth the details
of what transpired.
HARRISONBURG
Fort Beauregard
This Confederate fort guarded the
Ouachita River. Lt. Col. Arthur Fremantle of the Coldstreams Guard, toured the
Confederacy in 1863 and found the fort more formidable in appearance than
expected. In May of 1863, it was heavily shelled by Union gunboats and evacuated
by the Confederates in September.
Homer
Homer COC
www.claiborneone.org
e-mail: homercoc@bayou.com
318-927-3271, Fax: 318-927-3271, 519 South Main St. 71040.
Open M-F 9-4. W
Explore the cultural heritage of Claiborne Parish in
beautiful, historic Homer. Our
Greek revival antebellum courthouse, c. 1861 & The Form Museum, c. 1890, are
a must see!
Claiborne Parish Courthouse
(318/258-5863)
A rallying and departing point for
southern troops.
Ford Museum
(318/927-9190)
Depicts the history of Claiborne
Parish and has a Civil War collection.
JACKSON
East Feliciana Parish Tourist
Commission and Informetion
www.felicianatourism.org
e-mail: info@felicianatourism.org
225-634-7155, Fax: 225-634-7125,
3406 College St, 70748.
Centenary State Historic Site
www.lastateparks.com
e-mail: centenary@crt.state.la.us
(504/634-7925), 225-643-7925, 888-667-2364, 3522 College St,
70748. Open daily 9-5.
W
This former college site interprets the history of education
in Louisiana. The buildings of the college were used as hospitals by Confederate
soldiers in 1862-1863. A small skirmish was fought on the grounds on August 3,
1863. The Jackson Confederate Cemetery contains more than 100 unmarked graves of
soldiers who died during the war.
Linwood Plantation
(Private)
Civil War diarist Sarah Dawson Morgan, author of a
Confederate Girl's Diary, described the nearby Battle of Port Hudson in her
book. The plantation was used as a hospital by Union troops during this critical
battle.
The Republic of West Florida
Historical Museum
(504/634-7859)
The museum, on East College Street in Jackson, features memorabilia from the Revolutionary War through the Vietnam conflict. The museum also features an original cotton gin, sugar cane press, farming equipment and new exhibits on a rotating basis.
JEFFERSON PARISH
Camp Parapet
Extending in an irregular line for two miles, the powder magazine was part of the Confederate defenses for the city of New Orleans. Union forces completed the earthworks in 1862.
LAFAYETTE
Lafayette CVB
www.lafayettetravel.com e-mail: info@lafayette
800-346-1958, Fax: 337-232-0161, 1400 NW Evangeline Thwy, 70505. Open M-F 8:30-5, Sat-Sun 9-5. W. Visitor’s Center south of I-10 at Exit 103-A.
Lafayette Museum
(318/234-2208) 1122 Lafayette
St, 70501. Open Tu-Sat 9-5; Sun
3-5. $, W
This was once the home of former governor and United States Senator Alexandre
Mouton, who presided over the Secession Convention in Baton Rouge in 1861. The
museum has Civil War relics.
Mouton Monument
(318/232-3737)
Honors Brigadier General Alfred Mouton, who was made captain of the Acadian Guards, the first company formed in the parish.
LAKE PROVIDENCE
Byerley House Visitor and Community Center
www.bayou.com/visitors e-mail: mwmcvb@centurytel.net
318-559-5125, 318-559-5125, US Hwy 65 North, 71254.
Open M-Sat 9-5. Sun 1-5. W
Arlington
(Private)
Built circa 1841, this was the
home of General Edward Sparrow, senior senator from Louisiana in the Confederate
Congress. During the war, it was used by General Ulysses S. Grant when he
visited Lake Providence to attempt digging a canal in hopes of changing the
course of the Mississippi River. Other Union officers who also stayed at
Arlington included McPherson and McAuthur.
Mansfield
DeSoto Parish Tourist Commission
318-872-1177, Fax: 318-871-1875, 210 S. Washington, 71052.
Open M-Th 8:30-4, F 8:30-2.
Visit Mansfield State Commemorative Area, site of an
important Civil War battle. Se the
historic Rock Chapel and the original Log Court House built in 1843.
Mansfield State Historic Site
www.lastateparks.com e-mail: Mansfield@crt.state.la.us
888-677-6267, 318-872-1474, 15149 Hwy 175, 71052.
Open daily 9-5. W
On April 8, 1864, the Red River
campaign climaxed here as Confederates under the leadership of General Richard
Taylor met and defeated the Union troops. Banks retreated to Pleasant Hill and
fought another engagement there. He then retreated further south. The park has a
museum with relics, exhibits and a map of the battle.
Site of a major Civil War battle. Museum
of Civil War artifacts, monthly special programs and a self-guided tour of the
battlefield. Picnic area, trails.
Marthaville
Rebel State Historic Site
www.lastateparks.com e-mail: rebel@crt.state.la.us
888-677-3600, 318-472-6255, 1260 Hwy 1221, 71450.
Open 9-5. W
Site of unknown Confederate
soldier. According to local legend,
a young Rebel soldier became separated form his unit during a skirmish at
Crump's Corner, near present day Marthaville. Alone in the woods and confused,
the soldier was searching for other Confederates when he stopped at a spring for
a drink of water and was killed by three Union Cavalrymen. A local family named
Barnhill found the body and buried him near the road where he had died. For
nearly 100 years the Barnhill family cared for the grave and began holding
annual memorial services to honor the unknown Confederate soldier. Rebel State
Historic Site has been established at this soldier's final resting place. LA
Country Music Museum; amphitheater for gospel, folk and country music concerts;
guided tour, picnicking.
MONKEY ISLAND (near the town of Cameron)
Cameron Parish Tourist Commission
337-775-5222, Cameron, 70631.
Battle of Calcasieu Pass
This was the only Civil War battle
fought in Southwest Louisiana. It took place at the mouth of the Calcasieu River
near what is now called Monkey Island. The Battle of Calcasieu Pass was the only
battle in Louisiana where two Union gunboats were captured intact and converted
to blockade runners for the Confederacy.
MORGANZA
Village of Morganza
E-mail: vom7075@bellsouth.net
225-694-3655, 225-694-2472, 112 S. Hwy 3050, 70759.
Open M-F 8-5. W
The largest Civil War engagement
in Pointe Coupée Parish took place in early September 1863 when Union troops
moved from Morganza along Bayou Fordoche.
After his failed Red River
Campaign, General Banks camped his Union army at Morganza. A large fort was
constructed on the site, which served the Union army until the end of the war.
NAPOLEONVILLE
Christ Episcopal Church
(504/447-2910)
A small Gothic-style building, this church was consecrated in
1854 by the "Fighting Bishop" of the Confederacy, Leonidas Polk.
Madewood Plantation House
www.madewood.com
E-mail: madewoodpl@aol.com
800-375-7151, 504-369-7151, 4250
Hwy 308, 70390. Open daily 10-4:30.
Greek-Revival mansion; antiques,
candlelight dinner, Top 54 Inns National Geographic Traveler.
Natchez
Beau Fort Plantation
E-mail: beaufort@worldnetla.net
318-379-2221, 5487 Hwy 119, 71456. Open
daily 1-4, year round.
Beautiful 1790 Plantation Home B&B.
Antiques, tours, exquisite gardens.
Magnolia Plantation Home NRHP
318-379-2221, 5487 Hwy 119, 71456. Open
daily 1-4 and by appt.
1 mile north of Hwy. 1.
National Bicentennial farm dating from 1753 w/ an extensive collection of
antiques and lovely grounds. Full
breakfast and tour. No Smoking.
NEWELLTON
www.lastateparks.com
e-mail: winterquarters@crt.state.la.us
(318/467-9750), 888-677-9468, Hwy
608, 71357. Open daily 9-5, W
An impressive house in Tensas
Parish which was the only plantation home spared by Union troops. Features a
museum, guided tours and special events.
NEW IBERIA
Iberia Parish CVB
www.iberiaparish.com
e-mail: info@iberiaparish
888-9-IBERIA, 337-365-1540, 2704 Hwy 14, 70560.
Open daily 9-5. W
Shadows-on-the-Teche
www.shadowsontheteche.org
e-mail: shadows@shadowsontheteche.org
(318/369-64446), 877-200-4924, 317
East Main St, 70560. Open daily
9-4:30. $, W.
Complete with antebellum
furnishings and gardens, this home once served as a headquarters for General
Banks during the Civil War. It is the only property in Louisiana owned and
operated by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
NEW ORLEANS
New Orleans Metropolitan CVB
www.neworleanscvb.com
E-mail: tourism@neworleanscvb.com
800-672-6124, 504-566-5009, 1520 Sugar Bowl Dr, 70112.
Open M-F 8:30-5.
New Orleans Tourism
www.neworleansonline.com
e-mail: info@neworleansonline
504-524-4784, Fax: 504-524-4780, 365 Canal St, Suite 1120,
70130. Hours vary by season. W
Battle Abbey
(504/568-5661)
Located behind the Cabildo, the building was used by General Benjamin F. Butler
during the war. It now houses Civil War memorabilia.
Beauregard-Keyes House and Monuments
(504/523-7257), Fax: 504-523-7257.
1113 Chartres St, 70116. Tours on
the hour, M-Sat 10-3. $, W
Once home of Confederate Gen.
P.G.T. Beauregard and later author Frances Parkinson Keyes.
The Cabildo
(504/568-6968)
This part of the Louisiana State
Museum houses a Civil War exhibit.
Confederate Memorial Hall Museum
www.confederatemuseum.com
E-mail: memhall@aol.com
504-523-4522, 929 Camp St, 70130. Open
M-Sat 1-4.
Oldest museum in Louisiana.
Contains items from the Civil War including personal effects of Pres.
Jefferson Davis, Gen RE Lee & Gen Beauregard.
Congo Square
(504/565-7470)
It was an important site in New
Orleans' antebellum slave culture. Today, it is partly encompassed by Armstrong
Park.
(504/895-6602)
The burial place of "The Fighting Bishop" Leonidas Polk.
Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe
(504/525-1551)
Father Francis Isidore Turgis,
soldier and priest during the Civil War, ministered here after the war.
Customs House
(504/589-6731)
This imposing
Egyptian Revival Style structure was built in 1848. The engineer in charge,
P.G.T. Beauregard, became a famous Confederate General. During the Union
occupation of New Orleans, the Customs House served as a headquarters for
General Butler and as a prison for Confederate officers.
Forsyth House
(Private)
Jefferson Davis died here in 1889
while visiting Louisiana.
E-mail: fortpike@lastateparks.com
(504/662-5703),
888-662-5703, US Hwy 90, Lake Catherine on Rigolets, 70129.
East of New Orleans. Open
daily 9-5. W
In 1861, the silence of Fort Pike was broken. Before the actual start of the Civil War, the Louisiana militia captured the fort and held it until the Union forces took New Orleans in 1862. Federal forces then reoccupied the fort and used it as a base for raids along the Gulf coast and Lake Pontchartrain areas and as a protective outpost for New Orleans. In spite of all this activity, not one cannonball was ever fired in battle from Fort Pike.
Harmann-Grima Historic House
(504/589-6731)
Build in 1831, this
Georgian mansion has slave quarters, stables and a courtyard. It features an
authentically restored garden and interior. The detached kitchen dating from the
1830's is the scene for period cooking demonstrations given on a seasonal
schedule.
Jackson Barracks
(504/278-6242)
Served as one of the first
Confederate posts at the time of secession; later it was garrisoned by Union
forces.
(504/278-6242)
Upon occupying New Orleans in
1862, General Butler inscribed "The
Union Must and Shall Be
Preserved" on the base of the Andrew Jackson statue.
http://lsm.crt.state.la.us
e-mail: lsm@crt.state.la.us
800-568-6968, Fax: 504-568-4995,
701 Chartres St, Jackson Square, 70176. Open
Tu-Sun 9-5. W
The site of La. Purchase transfer
ceremonies, the Cabildo houses exhibits tracing Louisiana’s past from
exploration through the Civil War.
Louisiana State Museum, Prebytere
http://lsm.crt.state.la.us E-mail: lsm@crt.state.la.us
800-568-6968, Fax: 504-568-4995,
751 Chartres St, Jackson Sq, 70116. Open Tu-Sun 9-5. W
It’s always Carnival time at the
Presbytere with a major new exhibit on the history and tradition of Marti Gras
in Louisiana.
Metairie Cemetery
(504/486-6331)
This is the final resting place of
General P.G.T. Beauregard, family tomb of General Richard Taylor and of
Reconstructionist Louisiana governor, P.B.S. Pinchback, the only black governor
of any state until recent times. Important monuments include Louisiana Division
of the Army of Tennessee, Louisiana Division of the Army of Northern Virginia
and the Washington Artillery Unit.
New Orleans Public Library
(504/596-2550)
The library boasts an impressive
Civil War collection.
http://lsm.crt.state.la.us
E-mail: lsm@crt.state.la.us
(504/568-6968), 800-568-6968, Fax:
504-568-4995, 400 Esplanade Ave, 70116. Open
Tu-Sun 9-5. W
Operated from 1839 to
1909, the mint produced $5 million in coins monthly at its peak.
It was both a Federal and Confederate Mint.
It is now part of the Louisiana State Museum.
Slidell House
(Private)
A New Yorker by birth, John
Slidell was a formidable Louisiana politician before the Civil War and diplomat
for the Confederacy.
Trinity Church
(504/522-0276)
A stained-glass memorial behind
the altar honors "The Fighting Bishop" Leonidas Polk, who served here
before the war. In 1861 he enlisted in the army, and he was killed in 1864
during the Atlanta Campaign.
NEW ROADS
City of New Roads
225-638-5360, Fax:225-638-5368, 211 W. Main St, 70760.
Open M-F 8-4:30. W
Greater Pointe Coupee COC
225-638-3500, 225-638-9858, 2506 False River Rd, 70760.
M-F 8-5.
Pointe Coupee Office of Tourism
225-638-3998, 160 E. Main St, 70760.
M-F 8:30-4
This French-Louisiana community along beautiful False River boats antique shops,
bed & breakfasts and several historic homes such as Parlange Plantation
(504/638-8410, Private. 8211 False
River Rd. By Appt only.) and Mon
Coeur Plantation and Gardens (504/627-5594).
Opelousa Tourist and Information Center
800-424-5442, 337-948-6263, 828 E. Landry St, 70571-1415.
Open daily 8-5. W
(Private)
When Baton Rouge was occupied by
union forces in 1862, the state capital was briefly moved to the Opelousas home
of Homer Mouton, the Lieutenant Governor. The Mouton House became known as the
"Governor's Mansion," and holds the name today. Legislative sessions
were held at the "Old LaCombe Hotel," today a drug store on Court
Street.
Opelousas Museum And Interpretive Center
E-mail: musdir@hotmail.com
800-424-5442, 337-984-2589, 315 N.
Main St, 70570. Open M-Sat 9-5.
Groups by appt.
Preserves and interprets history
and culture of the area from prehistoric to present. Home of Southwest LA Zydeco Festival archives.
PLEASANT HILL
Battle of Pleasant Hill
(318/872-1474)
The day after the Union troops
were pushed back from Mansfield, a battle was fought at Pleasant Hill. This
battle pushed the Union troops back toward Alexandria. The community of Pleasant
Hill is creating a Battle of Pleasant hill interpretive trail by erecting marble
markers with narratives and descriptions of the battle . Soon, 18 markers will
follow the trail from Pleasant Hill to Mansfield.
PORT ALLEN
West Baton Rouge Tourist Commission
www.westbatonrouge.net
E-mail: wbrtourist@eatel.net
800-654-9701, 2855 I-10 Frontage Rd., 70767.
Open daily 9-5. W
e-mail: wbrmuseum@inetmail.att.net
(504/366-2422), 225-336-2422, Fax:
225-336-2448, 845 N. Jefferson Ave, 70767. Open Tu-Sat 10- 4:30, Sun 2-5.
W, Free. Exits 153/155 at
I-10.
The collection includes a c.1830
American Empire bedroom, a 1904 working model sugar mill, c.1850 plantation
cabin and c.1830 French Creole cottage. Gift
Shop.
PORT HUDSON
Port Hudson State Historic Site
www.crt.state.la.us/crt/parks/porthud/Pthudson.htm
Email: porthudson@crt.state.la.us
(504/654-3775), 225-654-3775 or 1-888-677-3400, 236 Hwy. 61, Jackson, LA 70748 is located on US 61 in East Feliciana Parish, about 25 minutes north of Baton Rouge and 10 minutes south of historic St. Francisville. Groups call in advance.
Port Hudson surrendered on July 9,
1863, serving the last link between the eastern part of the Confederacy and the
Trans-Mississippi. From May 23 to July 9, 1863, 6,800 confederate soldiers held
off a Union force of 30,000 during the longest siege in U.S. military history.
Interpretive programs illustrate the story. The area includes part of the
battlefield, viewing towers, trenches, guns and a cemetery for more than 3,000
Union soldiers, most of whom are unknown. The Battle of Port Hudson was one of
the first battles in which freed black soldiers engaged in combat on the side of
the Union.
RESERVE
The French Creole Godchaux-Reserve Plantation House
(504/764-9315)
Built in several stages, this home attained its present
appearance c. 1850. In the 1820s, it was owned by the brothers Francois and
Elisee Rillieux, who were part of Louisiana's large "free people of
color" population.
ST. FRANCISVILLE
West Feliciana Parish Tourist
Commission
www.westbatonrouge.net
e-mail: wfcdf@bsf.net
800-789-4221, 225-635-6769, 11757
Ferdinand St, 70775., Open Sun 9:30-5, M-Sat 9-5. W
This charming river town is surrounded by numerous plantation homes and
antebellum gardens, which reflect Louisiana's opulent pre-Civil War era. It is
also the burial place of a Union naval officer. Plantation homes include:
Butler-Greenwood (504/635-6312), Catalpa (504/635-3372), the Cottage
(504/635-3674), Greenwood (504/655-4475), Highland (private), the Myrtles
(504/635-6277), Oakley (504/635-3739) (Audubon State Historic Site) and Rosedown
(504/635-3332).
Audubon State Historic Site
www.lastateparks.com e-mail: Audubon@crt.state.la.us
888-677-2838, 225-635-3739, Hwy 965, 70775.
Open daily 9-5. W
Site of Oakley House, West
Indies-style home where John James Audubon painted 32 of his famous “Birds Of
America.” Formal garden,
outbuildings, trail.
Barrow House Inn
www.topteninn.com
e-mail: staff@topteninn.com
225-635-4791, 255-635-1863, 9779 Royal St, 70775.
Open daily 8-9.
Antiques and ambience in heart of
the Historic District. Famous
cassette walking tour. Gourmet
cuisine. Space program, Audubon and
teddy bear collections.
Butler Greenwood NRHP
www.butlergreenwood.com
e-mail: butlergree@aol.com
225-635-6312, 8345 US Hwy 61, 70775. Open Sun 1-5, M-Sat 9-5. $
Antique-filled historic 1790’s home. Areas finest original Victorian formal parlor. Live oaks and gardens.
Greenwood Plantation
225-655-4475, 6838 Highland Rd,
70775. Open March-Oct M-F 9-5,
Nov-Feb 10-4, W
Built in 1830 in Greek Revival
style. Burned in 1960 &
restored. Furnished w/ some of the
original portraits and antiques. Location
for several movies such as North and South.
Locust Grove State Historic Site
www.lastateparks.com
E-mail: Audubon@crt.state.la.us
888-677-2838, 255-635-3739,
Bains-Ristroph Rd, 70775. Open
daily 9-5.
1-acre cemetery containing graves
of Sarah Knox Taylor, wife of Jefferson Davis; and Gen Eleazer Ripley,
distinguished during battle in the War of 1812.
The Myrltes Plantation Bed and Breakfast NRHP
800-809-0565, 225-635-6277, 7747
US Hwy 61, 70775. Open daily 9-5. W
C. 1796. Guided tours daily, full
service restaurant and 11 guest rooms, 6 in the mansion.
Tours daily, full-service restaurant.
One of America’s Most Haunted Houses!
St. Francisville Tours
225-635-6283, 225-635-4640, 9703
Charlotte Armstrong Dr, 70775. Open
M-Sat 8-6.
A receptive company planning
complete historical and plantation tours for individuals, groups, reunions, and
conventions. Step-on guides.
SHREVEPORT and area
Shreveport/Bossier CVB
www.shreveport-bossier.org
E-mail: inquiry@shreveport-bossier.org
888-45-VISIT, 318-222-9391, 629 Spring St, 71101.
Open M-F 8-5, W
Centenary College-
(318/869-5011)
Originally located in Jackson, LA,
it has such notable students as Jefferson Davis and Judah P. Benjamin. In 1861,
all of it students had gone off to fight so the school closed until after the
war. The college was moved to its present site in 1906.
(318/222-9391)
Entrance from Fant or Youree Streets.
One of several forts built when
rumors spread that General Banks was heading towards Shreveport. The fort's name
derives from the charred logs placed along the river to appear as cannons thus
"humbugging" enemy scouts into believing the fort was well armed. Old
log ramparts and earthen breastworks have been replaced.
Louisiana State Exhibit Museum
(318/869-2020), 3015 Greenwood Rd,
71109. Open M-F 9-4, Sat-Sun 12-4.
W
Maintains a Civil War display with relics and records.
Unique, modern, neo-classical style built in 1938.
Exhibits on history and development of Louisiana.
H B Wright dioramas and Conrad Albrizio frescoes.
Indian artifacts.
Louisiana State University
(318/797-5332)
This cluster of historic buildings
and artifacts, found on the LSU-Shreveport campus, is a living history museum of
day-to-day pioneer life in Louisiana's northwest. Special emphasis is placed on
the antebellum period. .
Caddo Parish Courthouse
(318/226-6885)
Confederate Monument displays
busts of Lee, Jackson, Beuregard and Allen. The last Confederate flag was
lowered here after the Civil War.
SIMMESPORT
The
last engagement of the Red River Campaign.
SUNSET
Chretien
Point Plantation
(318/223-7050),
800-880-7050, 665 Chretien Point Rd, 70584.
This elegant antebellum plantation was the site of
skirmishes and a battle. As General Banks and his troops pursued Confederate
General Richard Taylor's smaller army north toward Alexandria and the Red River
in April of 1863, several skirmishes occurred on Chretien land. In November
1863, a major battle was fought on Bayou Bourbeau, approximately a mile from the
mansion. The house was spared during the war only because the owner, like
General Banks, was a Mason. But the Union troops destroyed all the outbuildings,
cotton, forage and cattle. A bullet hole can still be seen in one of the front
doors. Chretien Point's "ramp-knee" staircase and a window design were
reproduced for Tara in Gone With the Wind. All rooms w/ private baths in
French LA manor. Full breakfast
TANGIPAHOA
Camp Moore Confederate Museum and Cemetery
(504/229-2438), Fax: 504-229-2438, 70640 Camp Moore Rd,
70465. Open Tu-Sat 10-3, last tour
at 3 p.m. $. On Hwy 51
This is the only remaining Confederate training ground. Used
during the early part of the war, it is named for Governor Thomas O. Moore.
About 400 Confederates are buried in the camp cemetery. Today, it is a
commemorative site, complete with museum, relics and a gift shop. Annual
reenactment on the weekend before Thanksgiving. Group Tours.
THIBODAUX
Thibodaux COC
www.thibodauxchamber.com
e-mail: thibodauxchamber@mobiletel.com
504-446-1187, Fax: 504-446-1191,
1048 Canal Blvd, 70302. Open M-F
8:30-4:30.
White House
(504/447-0915)
This is the birthplace of Edward Douglas White, a
Confederate officer who later became Chief Justice of the United States Supreme
Court.
TRIUMPH
Fort Jackson
Until Farragut passed them in 1862, this fort guarded the
mouth of the Mississippi River for the Confederacy. Fort Jackson is intact and
easily accessible.
Vacherie
Laura: A Creole Plantation
www.lauraplantation.com
e-mail: creolaura@aol.com
225-265-7690, 2247 Hwy 18, 70090. Open
daily 9-5.
“Best history tour in the US” says Lonely Planet.
Tours based on Laura’s Memoirs detail Creole life of women, slaves and
children. English/French.
VINTON
Located on the direct route between New Orleans and Texas,
close to the Sabine River, Niblett's Bluff was the scene of an 1863 Confederate
encampment under Captain George O'Bryant. The breastworks visible today were
constructed with slave labor using wooden shovels. Military Road, built by
Taylor's army after the Federal troops blockaded the Mississippi River, connects
Niblett's Bluff to Alexandria
WHITE CASTLE
www.nottoway.com
E-mail: nottoway@att.net
(504/545-2730), 225-545-2730, Fax: 225-545-8632, 30970 Hwy
405, 70788. Open daily 9-5.
W
A unique blend of Greek- Revival and Italianate
architectural styles, this is the largest plantation home in the South.
C. 1859. Named one of the
Top 25 Bed and Banquets by Cande Nast Traveler. B&B,
restaurant, gift shop and guided tours. Rates
include tour and Breakfast.
WINNFIELD
Drake's
Salt Works
(318/628-4461)
This
was a major source of salt for the Confederacy.
Zachary
Port Hudson State Historic Site
www.lastateparks.com E-mail: porthudson@crt.state.la.us
888-677-3400, 225-654-3775, US Hwy 61, 70791.
Open daily 9-5.
Scene of prominent Civil War campaign.
Features museums, original earthwork fortifications, trails, tours,
picnicking, special events, outdoor exhibits.
VICKSBURG, MS
Though the Battle of Vicksburg was fought in Mississippi, Louisiana played a
large part in the Vicksburg Campaign. Military engagements follow the
Mississippi River all of the way to Port Hudson and New Orleans.