Battle of Henderson's Hill

Worried about Maximilian's Second French intervention in Mexico, President Abraham Lincoln desired military operations to establish United States control over some part of Texas. Over the opposition of Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant, and Major Generals William T. Sherman and Nathaniel P. Banks, Lincoln and Major General Henry Halleck drew up a plan to use the Red River as an invasion corridor. As commander of the Department of the Gulf, Banks was instructed to coordinate operations with Major General Frederick Steele in Arkansas and Sherman. The plan that emerged was for Banks with 17,000 troops to move up Bayou Teche and link up at Alexandria, Louisiana, on March 17, with 10,000 troops borrowed from Sherman's Military Division of the Mississippi. From there, the combined force would ascend the Red River toward Shreveport. Meanwhile, Steele with 15,000 was supposed to move south from Little Rock, Arkansas, and rendezvous with Banks at either Shreveport, Alexandria, or Natchitoches, Louisiana. Steele's column got underway so late that it fought a separate series of actions.^[1]

General Edmund Kirby Smith's Trans-Mississippi Department had 30,000 Confederate soldiers evenly distributed in three bodies. These were led by Richard Taylor in Louisiana, Major General John B. Magruder on the Texas coast, and Lieutenant General Theophilus H. Holmes near Camden, Arkansas. Taylor had Major General John George Walker's infantry division (3 brigades) at Marksville, Louisiana and Brigadier General Alfred Mouton's infantry division (2 brigades) on the Red River below Alexandria. Vincent's 2nd Louisiana Cavalry Regiment was posted at Vermilionville on Bayou Teche, except for three companies with Walker.^[1] Brigadier General Thomas Green's cavalry was coming from Texas and would not reinforce Taylor until the first week of April.^[2]

On March 10, 1864, the 10,000-man force contributed by Sherman departed from Vicksburg, Mississippi in river transports. It was led by Brigadier General A. J. Smith and accompanied by 13 ironclads and 7 light-draft gunboats commanded by Rear Admiral David Dixon Porter.^[1] There were Mower's two divisions from the XVI Corps and one 1,700-man division from the XVII Corps under Brigadier General T. Kilby Smith. Banks' force included Brigadier General Thomas E. G. Ransom's two divisions from the XIII Corps (4,800 men), Major General William B. Franklin's two divisions from the XIX Corps (10,500 men), and a cavalry division led by Brigadier General Albert Lindley Lee (4,600 men). Banks also had a 1,500-strong brigade of African-American soldiers led by Colonel W. H. Dickey^[3] that was made up of the 73rd US, 75th US, 84th US, and 92nd US Colored Infantry Regiments.^[2]

Porter's gunboat fleet entered the mouth of the Red River on March 12, 1864, and landed A. J. Smith's corps at Simmesport, Louisiana, the following day. Walker's division, which was covering the area between Simmesport and Opelousas, immediately withdrew behind Bayou Boeuf where it could defend Alexandria. On March 14, in the Battle of Fort DeRussy, A. J. Smith's troops assaulted and captured the fort. For a cost of 34 Union casualties, 260 Confederate prisoners, 8 heavy cannon, and 2 field guns fell into Federal hands. At the same time, Porter's fleet broke through obstructions in the river and steamed upstream, reaching Alexandria on March 15. The next day, Alexandria was occupied by Kilby Smith's division which disembarked from river transports. Taylor withdrew Walker's division and recalled Mouton's division from north of the Red River. A. J. Smith followed and his forces were established in Alexandria by March 18.^[4] On March 18, Taylor concentrated the divisions of Walker and Mouton at Carroll Jones' plantation which was located 36 mi (58 km) northwest of Alexandria.^[5] Taylor's force numbered 5,300 infantry, 500 cavalry, and 300 artillery. Meanwhile, Banks missed the March 17 date for the rendezvous with A. J. Smith.^[6] Banks' tardy column, which was commanded by Franklin, moved north along Bayou Teche via Opelousas, and was delayed by bad weather. Lee's cavalry division reached Alexandria on March 19, but Franklin's infantry and artillery did not arrive until March 25–26. However, the water level in the Red River was still too low, and it would not be until April 3 that Porter's 13 gunboats and 30 river transports were able to get upstream past the rapids at Alexandria.^[7]