Fort Beauregard, located half a mile north of the village of Harrisonburg, Catahoula Parish,

Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...

, was one of four

Confederate A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league) is a political union of sovereign states united for purposes of common action. Usually created by a treaty, confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical issu ...

forts guarding the

Ouachita River The Ouachita River ( ) is a river that runs south and east through the United States, U.S. U.S. state, states of Arkansas and Louisiana, joining the Tensas River to form the Black River (Louisiana), Black River near Jonesville, Louisiana. It i ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

. In 1863, four Union

gunboats A gunboat is a naval watercraft designed for the express purpose of carrying one or more guns to bombard coastal targets, as opposed to those military craft designed for naval warfare, or for ferrying troops or supplies. History Pre-steam ...

attacked it, unsuccessfully.

Significance

Fort Beauregard is located on a hill overlooking the Ouachita River, several miles north of where it joins with the Tensas River and Little River to form the Black. The fort is situated on almost the only point where the upland hills of Louisiana come within artillery range of the Ouachita; thus the batteries of the fort controlled the water approach to

Monroe Monroe or Monroes may refer to: People and fictional characters * Monroe (surname) * Monroe (given name) * James Monroe, 5th President of the United States * Marilyn Monroe, actress and model Places United States * Monroe, Arkansas, an unincorp ...

, the only city of military importance in Northeast Louisiana. Because the Confederates concentrated here, the fort took on a greater significance: it was the key to the entire Ouachita River Valley.

Naval attacks

Four Federal gunboats commanded by Commodore Selim E. Woodworth arrived on May 10, 1863. They anchored at the mouth of the Bushley, and immediately sent a flag of truce. Lieutenant William W. Fowler, representing the Federals, demanded the unconditional surrender of the fort and its surroundings. Confederate Lieut. Col. George W. Logan, commanding Fort Beauregard, reported later, "Just when we expected the boats to open fire, a yawl bearing a flag of truce was observed approaching the fort. Anticipating that its object was to demand the surrender of the fort, I deputized Captain Benton and my Adjutant, Lieutenant James G. Blanchard, to meet the yawl, with instructions, in case of such a demand, to respond that 'we would hold the fort forever.'" The flag of truce returned, and an hour afterward three of the gunboats began shelling. After firing 150 shots, the Federal shells left one Officer seriously wounded, damaged some of the parapet and destroyed one house in the town. The Confederates lost the use of important artillery pieces although two large 32 pound cannons were preserved. Lt. Commander F. M. Ramsey's naval force of six vessels navigated passed the fort before being prevented from attacking Monroe by a falling river level. The large 32 pound cannons of the Confederates were not used due to the lack of the accompanying caissons.

Evacuation

On September 4, 1863, the fort was evacuated and destroyed by fort commander Lieutenant Colonel George W. Logan in the face of a formidable expedition under the Federal generals, M.M. Crocker and Walter Q. Gresham, which marched up from opposite Natchez.

Development

In recent years, the fort has been home to several re-enactments. It is also open to the public. At one time, there were plans to develop an amusement park on the site, but these plans did not develop to fruition. For a while it had several small shops that have now been bought out and moved to different locations. Plans for future re-enactments are being made.

References

{{Reflist Buildings and structures in Catahoula Parish, Louisiana Beauregard Louisiana in the American Civil War 1862 establishments in Louisiana Ouachita River