On Friday, April 8, 1864 Confederates commanded by General Richard Taylor formed a defensive perimeter at Sabine Crossroads near Mansfield, Louisiana. Nathaniel Banks’ forces had moved inland from the Red River toward Mansfield and were strung out in a long column which included a number of supply wagons. The Confederates struck late in the afternoon, immediately outflanking the Union troops on both sides and forcing Banks to retreat. With the Union wagons blocking an effective retreat route, disaster was averted only when troops of General William Emory stalled the Confederate attack. Banks retreated during the night and formed a defensive line at Pleasant Hill, Louisiana. Of approximately 12,000 Union forces engaged at Mansfield, Banks’ command took 2235 casualties, while the attacking Confederates suffered an approximate 1000 dead, wounded, or missing.
00000174-b11b-ddc3-a1fc-bfdbb1a20000The Schreiner University Department of History is honoring the sesquicentennial of the American Civil War with a series of short vignettes focusing on events from 1861 through 1865. The Civil War was the most destructive conflict in American history, but it was also one of our most defining moments as a people and as a nation. Let us know what you think about "This Week in the Civil War." E-mail your comments to Dr. John Huddleston at jhuddles@schreiner.edu.Airs: Weekdays at 5:19 a.m., 8:19 a.m., 4:19 p.m. on KTXI and 4:49 a.m., 9:29 p.m. on KSTX.