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The Battle of Pleasant Hill, Louisiana (9 April 1864), formed part of the Red River Campaign during the American Civil War, when Union forces were aiming to occupy the state capital Shreveport. The battle was essentially a continuation of the Battle of Mansfield (8 April), a Confederate victory, which had caused the Union commander Nathaniel Banks to send his wagons, with most of his artillery, downriver in retreat. However, both sides had been reinforced through the night, and when the Confederate commander Maj. Gen. Richard Taylor launched an assault against the Union line, it was repulsed, though at a high cost in casualties. This led the demoralised Union army to retreat next day. For this reason, the result of the battle, technically a Union win, has been disputed by historians. ==Background== After the success of the Confederates at the Battle of Mansfield, April 8, 1864, Union forces retreated during the night〔''The War of the Rebellion'', Vol. XXXIV, p. 603. Report of Brigadier-General Mosby M. Parsons, C.S. Army, dated April 13, 1864 at his Camp near Mansfield, La.〕 and next morning took up a position on Pleasant Hill. The road from Mansfield to Pleasant Hill was "littered by burning wagons, abandoned knapsacks, arms, and cooking utensils. Federal stragglers and wounded were met by the hundreds and were quickly rounded up and sent to the rear," explains the historian John D. Winters of Louisiana Tech University in his ''The Civil War in Louisiana''.〔Winters, p. 348〕 The Battle of Mansfield took place about southeast of the town of Mansfield at Sabine Cross Roads. Pleasant Hill was located about southeast of Sabine Cross Roads. Confederate reinforcements had arrived late on the April 8—Churchill's Arkansas Division arrived at Mansfield at 3.30 p.m.〔''The War of the Rebellion'', Vol. XXXIV, p. 604. Report of Brig. Gen. James C. Tappan, C.S. Army, commanding Churchill's division, of engagement at Pleasant Hill — dated April 12, 1864.〕 and Parson's Missouri Division (numbering 2,200 men) arrived at Mansfield at 6 p.m.〔''The War of the Rebellion'', Vol. XXXIV, p. 602. Report of Brig. Gen. Mosby M. Parsons, C.S. Army — dated April 13, 1864 at Camp near Mansfield, La.〕 Neither of these Divisions participated in the Battle of Mansfield — however, both would play a major role during the Battle of Pleasant Hill.〔''The War of the Rebellion'', Vol. XXXIV, p. 596. General Orders of Maj. Gen. R. Taylor – dated April 11, 1864 at Mansfield, La.〕 On the Union side reinforcements also arrived, when Maj. Gen. Andrew J. Smith, commanding detachments of XVI and XVII Corps, arrived from Grand Ecore late on the April 8, around nightfall, and encamped about from Pleasant Hill.〔''The War of the Rebellion'', Vol. XXXIV, p. 307. Report of Maj. Gen. Andrew J. Smith, U. S. Army, commanding detachments of Sixteenth and Seventeenth Army Corps (Red River Campaign ) — dated September 26, 1865 at Saint Louis, Mo.〕 On the morning of the April 9, Franklin ordered the baggage train to proceed to Grand Ecore. It left Pleasant Hill at 11 a.m., and included many pieces of artillery. Most of Franklin's Cavalry (commanded by Brig. Gen. Albert Lindley Lee) and the XIII Corps left with it.〔''The War of the Rebellion'', Vol. XXXIV, pp 304–312. Report of Maj. Gen. Andrew J. Smith, dated September 26, 1865 at Saint Louis, Mo.〕 This included the ''Corps D'Afrique'' commanded by Colonel William H. Dickey (wounded on April 8) and Brig. Gen. Thomas E. G. Ransom's detachment of the XIII Corps, now under the command of Brig. Gen. Robert A. Cameron — Ransom was also wounded on the April 8.〔''The War of the Rebellion'', Vol. XXXIV, pp 267–268. Report of Brig. Gen. Thomas E.G. Ranson, U.S. Army, commanding detachment of the Thirteenth Army Corps, of operations April 6–8, dated June 11, 1864 at New York City.〕〔''The War of the Rebellion'', Vol. XXXIV, p. 268. Report of Brig. Gen. Robert A. Cameron, U.S. Army, April 11, 1864.〕 The baggage train made slow progress and was still only a few miles from Pleasant Hill when the major fighting began later that day. Brig. Gen. Charles P. Stone, Chief of Staff, and others, attempted to get Cameron to return to Pleasant Hill throughout the day, but he failed to do so — he stated that he never received any written orders to return.〔 Banks doesn't appear to have been fully aware of the exact orders Cameron had received from Franklin. The Union side lost 18 pieces of artillery at the Battle of Mansfield.〔Pollard, p. 495.〕 These were turned on the Union forces the next day at Pleasant Hill. Confederate Brig. Gen. Jean Jacque Alexandre Alfred Mouton was killed during the Battle of Mansfield, April 8, 1864; Brig. Gen. Camille J. de Polignac commanded Mouton's forces at Pleasant Hill. Confederate Trans-Mississippi Department commander Lt. Gen. Edmund Kirby Smith, who was at Shreveport, received a dispatch from Taylor that reached him at 4 a.m., April 9. It informed him of the Battle of Mansfield. Smith then rode to Pleasant Hill, but did not reach there in time for the battle — arriving around nightfall.〔Brooksher, pp. 97, 108.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Battle of Pleasant Hill」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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