Battle of Mansura facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battle of Mansura
Part of the Trans-Mississippi Theater of the American Civil War
Date May 16, 1864 (1864-05-16) Location Mansura, Louisiana Result Union victory
Belligerents
United States	Confederate States
Commanders and leaders
Nathaniel P. Banks	Richard Taylor
Units involved
Banks’s Red River Expeditionary Force	District of West Louisiana
Casualties and losses
unknown	unknown

The Battle of Mansura was a fight during the American Civil War. It happened near Mansura, Louisiana, on May 16, 1864. This battle was part of a larger plan called the Red River campaign. In this battle, soldiers from the Union Army won against some Confederate troops.

Why the Battle Happened

This battle took place as part of the Red River campaign. Maj. Gen. Nathaniel P. Banks led a Union army. His group was called the Red River Expeditionary Force. They were retreating, which means they were moving back down the Red River.

Confederate forces were led by Maj. Gen. Richard Taylor. He wanted to slow down the Union troops. Taylor also hoped to weaken them or even destroy them.

The Union soldiers passed Fort DeRussy. Then they reached Marksville. They kept moving east.

Taylor gathered his soldiers at Mansura. This area was an open prairie. It controlled access to three important roads. Taylor hoped his artillery (large guns) would cause many problems for the Union army here.

The Battle Begins

Map of the Mansura Battlefield in Louisiana.

The Union forces arrived early on May 16. Small fights, called skirmishes, quickly started. The main fight lasted about four hours. It was mostly an artillery duel. This means both sides fired their big guns at each other.

Then, a large group of Union soldiers got ready for a flank attack. A flank attack means attacking the enemy from the side. This made the Confederates decide to pull back. They moved away from the battle.

The Union troops then marched to Simmesport. Taylor's forces kept bothering the Union army as they moved back. However, the Confederates could not stop them completely.