Arkansas The Battle of Blair's Landing (April 12, 1864) saw a Confederate cavalry-artillery force commanded by Brigadier General Tom Green attack several Union gunboats led by Rear Admiral David Dixon Porter and soldiers in river transports under Brigadier General Thomas Kilby Smith in Red River Parish, Louisiana.

President Abraham Lincoln and Major General Henry Halleck wanted a Union army to establish a foothold in Texas by way of the Red River.

A 17,000-strong column ascended Bayou Teche and joined 10,000 men that came up the Red River under Major General Andrew Jackson Smith to occupy Alexandria, Louisiana on March 18.

However, Major General Richard Taylor drubbed the Union army at the Battle of Mansfield on April 8, forcing Banks to retreat.

On April 10, the expedition reached the mouth of Loggy Bayou near Springfield Landing where they found the Confederates sank the riverboat New Falls City loaded with bricks and mud athwart the channel.

The expedition anchored for the night at Coushatta Chute, having received written orders from Banks to proceed to Grand Ecore.

Several vessels were damaged by snags, logs, tree stumps, collisions, and sandbanks as the river's stage fell.

[6] After the Confederate setback at Pleasant Hill, Taylor met with his superior, General Edmund Kirby Smith who decided to take most of the infantry north to fight Steele's Federal force in Arkansas.

[7] On the morning of April 10, Brigadier General Hamilton P. Bee's cavalry rode to Pleasant Hill and found that Banks' army abandoned the battlefield and was in full retreat.

At dawn on April 11, Taylor ordered Colonel Arthur P. Bagby Jr. to intercept Porter's expedition at Grand Bayou Landing.

With difficulty, Green crossed Bayou Pierre at Jordon's Ferry, getting only three cannons across, and rushed his horsemen forward in an all-night march.

[10] According to William Riley Brooksher, on April 12 in the afternoon, Green arrived at Blair's Plantation with about 1,000 soldiers and Captain John A.

[13] Green assigned Parsons to take charge of the attacking force while Brigadier General James Patrick Major commanded a small reserve.

A section of guns on the transport Emerald, a howitzer aboard the Black Hawk, and four heavy Parrott rifles on the Rob Roy added to the fire directed at Green's dismounted troopers.

[14] The Confederate artillery horses were killed, forcing the men to manhandle their guns into new positions when the Union gunboats found the range.

[15] The Neosho appeared, and, together with the Lexington and Fort Hindman, blasted the west bank with canister and grapeshot for 2 mi (3.2 km).

[16] One Texan wrote that Green, "was a man who, when out of whiskey, was a mild mannered gentleman, but when in good supply of old burst-head was all fight."

Perhaps made reckless from alcohol intake, Green yelled at the men of Woods' regiment that, "he was going to show them how to fight.

Liddell set up two sections of 6-pounder guns on a high bluff at Bouledeau's Point and proceeded to fire on the Union fleet from the east bank.

Nevertheless, fearing that a lucky shot might set off an ammunition explosion, Porter and T. K. Smith sent most of the vessels downriver, headed by the transport Sioux City.

After a 12 mi (19.3 km) march, these troops reached Campti, found most of the fleet, and drove away Liddell's forces.