The Texas Coast Expedition 16th OVI Home Page Battle of Yellow Bayou
The Red River Campaign
March 10, 1864 (April 24) to May 22, 1864
Web Author's Notes:

The Red River Campaign was an expedition ordered by General In Chief Henry Halleck with the stated objectives of preventing a Confederate alliance with the French, then fighting for control of Mexico under Maximilian, cutting a major supply line of the Confederate army and acquiring large quantities of valuable cotton for the Union. As with most of General Banks operations, this campaign would result in failure and, for a time, put at risk nearly the entire Union gunboat fleet under Admiral David Porter and the security of the Mississippi River.

The16th Ohio did not join this campaign until April 26, 1864, when Banks' forces were in full retreat back down the Red River, fleeing the attacking Confederate General Richard Taylor. The 16th Ohio, with other elements of the 13th Army Corps, had been pulled from their occupation along the Texas coast, to reinforce Banks and, possibly, to prevent Taylor from threatening the strategic, Union-controlled Mississippi River. The 16th would join the campaign in Alexandria, Louisiana.

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Item Description
Descriptions, Articles and Various Accounts
Description #1 - Art Leatherwood A brief but excellent description of the Red River Campaign by Arthur Leatherwood, an amateur historian from Texas.
Description #2 - Gary Joiner A detailed description of the campaign by Gary D. Joiner, a historian from the state of Louisiana.
Description #3 - Mark Boatner Written by historian Mark M. Boatner III, this is a great work on the Red River Campaign.
Description #4 - Building Bailey's Dam A good description of the events around the need for dams to be constructed on the Red River, near Alexandria, Louisiana, and how those dams were built.
Maps
Map #1 - The Red River Campaign A simple but concise map of the movements of Gen. Nathaniel Banks' invading force during the campaign.
Map #2 - Red River at Alexandria A map showing the Red River in the vicinity of Alexandria, Louisiana, and the location of the various "falls" or rapids which were preventing the Federal gunboat fleet from moving down river to safety.
Map #3 - Bailey's Dams This map, similar to Map #2, above, shows the Red River around Alexandria, along with the location of the various dams built by Col. Joseph Bailey to raise the river level.
Photographs, Sketches and Images
Image #1 - Boats Docked at Alexandria Rare photo of Federal steamboats docked at Alexandria, Louisiana, sometime between March 19 and May 13, 1864
Image #2 - Boats Docked at Alexandria A great photo from the Alexandria riverfront showing many Federal boats docked on March 16, 1864.
Image #3 - Boats Stranded Above the Falls Very interesting image of a number of Federal ironclad boats moored along the bank of the Red River, above the falls, possibly while stranded by low water and at risk of attack from Rebels in the area.
Image #4 - Boats Stranded Above the Falls Two closer views of the Federal boats stranded in the Red River above the falls, north of Alexandria, including what is believed to be the U.S.S. Louisville.
Image #5 - Bailey's Dam Under Construction Two photos of Bailey's (main) Dam while under construction.  16th Ohio soldiers probably shown.
Image #6 - Gunboats Passing Through the Dam An illustration of Federal gunboats passing through the lower dam near Alexandria.
The Leaders Images of the Union and Confederate officers commanding the forces during the Red River Campaign.
The Texas Coast Expedition 16th OVI Home Page Battle of Yellow Bayou