Battle of Georgia Landing facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battle of Georgia Landing
Part of the American Civil War
Date October 27, 1862 (1862-10-27) Location Assumption Parish, Louisiana Result Union victory
Belligerents
United States (Union)	CSA (Confederacy)
Commanders and leaders
Godfrey Weitzel	Alfred Mouton
Units involved
Department of the Gulf	18th Louisiana Infantry Crescent Regiment Ralston's Battery 33rd Louisiana Infantry Terra Bonne Regiment Semme's Regiment 2nd Louisiana Cavalry
Strength
4000	1392
Casualties and losses
86	229

The Battle of Georgia Landing was a fight during the American Civil War. It happened on October 27, 1862, near Labadieville, in Assumption Parish, Louisiana. This battle was part of bigger military actions in the Bayou Lafourche area. In the end, the Union army won against the Confederate forces.

Why the Battle Happened

Map of the Georgia Landing Battlefield.

Major General Benjamin F. Butler led the Union troops in the Department of the Gulf. He planned an important mission into the Bayou Lafourche area. His main goal was to remove the Confederate threat from that region.

This area was important because it produced sugar and cotton. General Butler wanted these goods to go to the Union. He also wanted to use the area as a safe base for future army operations. He put Brigadier General Godfrey Weitzel, one of his trusted officers, in charge. Weitzel led a group of about 4,000 soldiers for this mission.

Who Fought: Union Forces

The Union army had several groups of soldiers. These included the Reserve Brigade of the Department of the Gulf. Also fighting were the 8th New Hampshire Infantry, the 75th New York Infantry, and the 13th Connecticut Infantry.

Who Fought: Confederate Forces

The Confederate army was smaller, with about 1,392 men. Their forces included the 18th Louisiana Infantry Regiment, the Crescent Regiment, and Ralston's Battery. They also had a group of cavalry. Other units were the 33rd Louisiana Infantry Regiment, the Terre Bonne Regiment Louisiana Militia, Semmes's Battery, and the 2nd Louisiana Cavalry Regiment.

The Battle Begins

General Weitzel and his 4,000 Union soldiers started their journey on October 24, 1862. They left Carrollton, which is near New Orleans, Louisiana. They traveled up the Mississippi River on boats, protected by gunboats.

On October 25, the Union troops arrived at Donaldsonville. This town is where the Lafourche Bayou meets the Mississippi River. From there, they began to move along the east side of the bayou. The Confederate forces, led by Brigadier General Alfred Mouton, tried to gather their troops to stop the Union advance.

By October 27, the Confederate soldiers had taken positions along the bayou, above Labadieville. About half of their troops were on the east side of the bayou. The rest were on the west side, near Georgia Landing. It was hard for them to move quickly between the two sides.

Fighting at Labadieville

On October 27, Union General Weitzel continued his march towards Labadieville. He found the Confederate forces dug in on both sides of the bayou. They had six cannons ready for battle.

Around 11:00 a.m., General Weitzel's troops started fighting the Confederates on the east bank. The Confederate soldiers on this side did not have much cannon support. Because of this, they quickly had to retreat.

General Weitzel then used a floating bridge to move his soldiers to the west bank. He planned to attack the Confederate troops there. For a while, the Confederate soldiers fought bravely. They even managed to stop the Union attack.

However, the Confederate forces ran out of cannon ammunition. This forced them to leave their positions as well. They retreated further up the bayou towards Labadieville.

After the Battle

The Union army suffered 86 casualties. This included 18 soldiers who were killed and 68 who were wounded. The Confederate army had more losses, with an estimated 229 casualties. Additionally, 206 Confederate soldiers were captured by the Union.

On October 28, General Weitzel's troops entered and took control of Thibodaux. This town was a few miles below Labadieville. The next day, on October 29, the Union opened a communication line with New Orleans. They used the New Orleans, Opelousas and Great Western Railroad.

The Union victory in this battle was very important. It allowed the Union army to take control of the entire Bayou Lafourche region. This was a key area for both resources and military strategy.