MARCH 14, 1864:
The Battle of Fort DeRussy. Fort DeRussy, a
supposedly “impregnable” stronghold on the Red River, was strategically
positioned so as to deny Union troops access to the city of Alexandria,
Louisiana. On this day, 10,000 Union troops swarmed over the fort en masse, overwhelmed the 350
Confederate defenders, and opened the river road to Alexandria.
Confederate Fort DeRussy in Louisiana should
not be confused with its Union counterpart in Washington D.C., or its modern
counterpart in Hawaii.
