The Battle of Mansfield (The Battle of Sabine Crossroads). The Red River Campaign grinds ignominiously to a halt for the Union when General Nathaniel P. Banks decides to move inland from the line of the low-running Red River and away from his naval forces. On a narrow road and strung out in a line miles long, Banks’ army is crippled in forming a viable defensive line. Without the fear of fire from the U.S. Navy, a large Confederate force of 14,000 is able to swoop down on Banks’ 12,000 men and chop up Banks’ line piecemeal in a five hour long battle.
The
Union forces suffered 113 killed, 581 wounded, and 1,541 captured as well as
the loss of 20 cannon, 156 wagons, and a thousand horses and mules killed or
captured. Confederate losses were 1,200
killed and wounded. Several hundred men were buried in unmarked graves not
discovered until 2008.
After
the defeat, Banks retreated away from Shreveport without ever entering Texas to
support the isolated Union forces there. The Texas Unionists were either
defeated, captured and hanged, or went underground in order to survive.
Banks
was soon after relieved of military command in Louisiana. The Trans-Mississippi
remained in Confederate hands until the end of the war.
