Stirling's Plantation LA016
1863-09-29 to 1863-09-29 · LA · Taylor's Operations in West Louisiana [June-September 1863] · frozen result: Confederate · NPS summary (as listed)
Following the Union defeat at Sabine Pass earlier in the month, Maj. Gen. Nathaniel P. Banks intended to occupy important locations in Texas. He decided to send troops up the Bayou Teche, disembark them on the plains and march overland to Texas. Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant sent him a division, commanded by Maj. Gen. Napoleon J.T. Dana to garrison Morganza and prevent Rebel troops from operating on the Atchafalaya River. A 1,000-man detachment, under the command of Lt. Col. J.B. Leake, was at Stirling's Plantation to guard the road to the Atchafalaya River and deter any enemy troops from passing by. Brig. Gen. Alfred Mouton, commander of the Sub-District of Southwestern Louisiana, decided that he had a favorable opportunity to defeat the Union forces around Fordoche Bridge. On September 19, he instructed Brig. Gen. Tom Green to prepare for such an attack. Mouton provided Green with reinforcements and gave the order to attack on the 25th. Green's force began crossing the Atchafalaya River on the 28th, and all were over after midnight of the 29th. At dawn on the 29th, Green's men marched out. Confederate cavalry began skirmishing with Union pickets at Fordoche Bridge before noon and continued for about a half hour. Green's other troops then hit the Union force, drove them and captured many, although most of the Federal cavalry found an escape route. Although Dana sent reinforcements, mud and rain slowed their progress and allowed Green to get away. Green had defeated this Union force handily, but it did not deter Banks from his intended movement.
Command responsibility (ledger v2)
US: J.B. Leake
Grade C under rule 2; echelon detachment_or_post. responsibility_unresolvedsuperior_directing
Other candidates: Napoleon J.T. Dana
The Union force engaged at the Fordoche bridge and Stirling's was the outpost detachment that the description puts 'under the command of Lt. Col. J.B. Leake'; Irwin has Green attack 'the outposts'. That names Leake as commanding the side's engaged force and contradicts the single listing of Dana (rule 2, third bullet, as for TN011 US in v1): Leake, grade C, Dana as candidate. Dana had just taken over the division from the ill Herron (Irwin) and sent reinforcements that arrived too late (superior_directing: Dana). Leake's command rests on the description alone.
Major Generalarnold-cwsac-commanders, battle LA016, belligerent US, fullname Napoleon J.T. Dana; column rank · snapshot
6c587c298717…A 1,000-man detachment, under the command of Lt. Col. J.B. Leake, was at Stirling's Plantation to guard the road to the Atchafalaya Riverarnold-cwsac-battles, battle LA016; column description · snapshot
952b5d08402a…Green swept down with Speight's and Mouton's brigades and the bat- talions of Waller and Rountree upon the outposts on Bayou Fordoche, at Sterling's plantation,irwin-taylor-louisiana-1863-selections-v1 · snapshot
670aff06f5b5…Confederate: Tom Green
Grade A under rule 2; echelon unknown. superior_directing
Green, commanding the 'Forces on Atchafalaya', ordered Gray's column to attack and deployed the rest himself at the bridge (rule 2, grade A). Mouton instructed him, reinforced him and gave the order to attack (superior_directing: Mouton).
Brigadier Generalarnold-cwsac-commanders, battle LA016, belligerent Confederate, fullname Tom Green; column rank · snapshot
6c587c298717…Colonel Gray was ordered to attack the enemy’s advance ator26-1-green-louisiana-selections-v1 · snapshot
e4569881ab69…Side strength (ledger v3)
US: grade B, 1,000 (850–2,880)
applicability_unresolvedcompiled_dependencederivation_unknownwhole_engagement_leakage
| Input | Class | Printed | Basis | Bound | Codes | Passage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| us-nps-1000 | B | 1,000 | unknown | derivation_unknown | dossier claim reported-force-scope | |
| us-irwin-2500 | C | 2,500 | unknown | scope_unresolved | dossier claim reported-force-scope |
Confederate: grade D: no usable figure (modelled in the rating runs)
whole_engagement_leakage
Dossier claims
Draft dossier, revision . Claims are extraction records with their quoted passages, not historical adjudication. JSON
information
supportedunresolved Green says local guides showed Gray the swamp trail, and that the Union cavalry escaped by a road unknown to him. NPS says Mouton judged the opportunity favorable.
Attributed knowledge from an interested report and a summary; no scouting reports inspected.
whose services were invaluable as guides.or26-1-green-louisiana-selections-v1, p.331 (OCR page markers; not checked against print) · snapshot
e4569881ab69…which was unknown to me.or26-1-green-louisiana-selections-v1, p.330 (OCR page markers; not checked against print) · snapshot
e4569881ab69…decided that he had a favorable opportunity to defeat the Union forces around Fordoche Bridge.nps-la016-v1, Description · snapshot
f617f442636d…logistics
supportedunresolved Green says two small ferry-flats could carry 18 horses or 80 men, that rain fell from the evening of the 28th to the night of the 30th, that the recrossing with one flat lasted nearly till daylight, and that many men fell out exhausted; he lists two guns, ambulances and a hospital wagon among the captures.
Statements from an interested report; not returns.
The means of crossing the Atchafalaya consisted at this time of two small ferry-fiats, carrying together 18 horses or 80 footmen.or26-1-green-louisiana-selections-v1, p.329 (OCR page markers; not checked against print) · snapshot
e4569881ab69…The rain commenced falling at dark on the evening of the 28th,or26-1-green-louisiana-selections-v1, p.330 (OCR page markers; not checked against print) · snapshot
e4569881ab69…only one ferry-flat could be used, it was nearly daylight before their crossing was completed.or26-1-green-louisiana-selections-v1, p.331 (OCR page markers; not checked against print) · snapshot
e4569881ab69…Many of the infantry and dismounted men fell by the roadside, com- pletely exhaustedor26-1-green-louisiana-selections-v1, p.331 (OCR page markers; not checked against print) · snapshot
e4569881ab69…2 new ambulances and 1 hospital wagon, new, filled with medical stores,or26-1-green-louisiana-selections-v1, p.330 (OCR page markers; not checked against print) · snapshot
e4569881ab69…objectives
supportedunresolved NPS says the detachment guarded the road to the Atchafalaya; Irwin says the division was posted at Morganza to prevent any fresh Confederate movement across the upper Atchafalaya. Green ordered Gray to attack the Union advance on reaching the road intersection; NPS says Mouton gave the order to attack on the 25th.
Stated aims from a summary, a history and an interested report.
to guard the road to the Atchafalaya River and deter any enemy troops from passing by.nps-la016-v1, Description · snapshot
f617f442636d…to observe and prevent any fresh movement by the Confederates across the upper Atchafalaya.irwin-taylor-louisiana-1863-selections-v1, p.273 (OCR page markers; not checked against print) · snapshot
670aff06f5b5…Colonel Gray was ordered to attack the enemy’s advance at once on reaching the intersec- tion of road,or26-1-green-louisiana-selections-v1, p.330 (OCR page markers; not checked against print) · snapshot
e4569881ab69…outcome
supportedpost_outcome The frozen result reads Confederate victory and the live result Confederate Victory. Green says Boone's charge closed the fight, the enemy surrendering in detachments; NPS says Green defeated the force handily but did not deter Banks.
Retain the original result and engagement interval; later movements and campaign contribution are different measures. No new probabilities or individual causal credit. Banks's continued movement is campaign context.
This charge closed the fight, the enemy sur- rendering in detachmentsor26-1-green-louisiana-selections-v1, p.330 (OCR page markers; not checked against print) · snapshot
e4569881ab69…but it did not deter Banks from his intended movement.nps-la016-v1, Description · snapshot
f617f442636d…disputedpost_outcome The frozen casualty text reads 575 total (US 454; CS 121); the live field reads 636 total (US 515; CS 121). Green reports 433 enlisted and 29 officer prisoners and a loss totalling 121 in his inclosure. Irwin says Green killed 16, wounded 45 and took 454 prisoners, and gives Green's loss as 26 killed, 85 wounded and 10 missing, printed as 212 in all although those figures sum to 121.
Original casualty returns were not inspected; preserve totals, categories, cutoffs and differences. No canonical reconciliation or casualty-based opening count; related actions must not be added without resolving population overlap. Irwin's printed 212 does not match his components and is preserved as printed.
575 total (US 454; CS 121)arnold-cwsac-battles, battle LA016; column casualties_text · snapshot
952b5d08402a…433 non-commissioned officers and privates and 29 officers prisoners,or26-1-green-louisiana-selections-v1, p.330 (OCR page markers; not checked against print) · snapshot
e4569881ab69…Total 4 22 7 78 10 1 121or26-1-green-louisiana-selections-v1, p.332 (OCR page markers; not checked against print) · snapshot
e4569881ab69…killed 16, wounded 45, and took 454 prisoners.irwin-taylor-louisiana-1863-selections-v1, p.273 (OCR page markers; not checked against print) · snapshot
670aff06f5b5…In all, 212.irwin-taylor-louisiana-1863-selections-v1, p.273 (OCR page markers; not checked against print) · snapshot
670aff06f5b5…responsibility
supportedunresolved Green directed the crossing and the attack, sending Gray by the swamp and ordering Boone's charge that closed the fight. Irwin says Dana had just taken over from Herron, who was ill; NPS says Dana sent reinforcements. The frozen commanders are Brigadier General Tom Green and Major General Napoleon J. T. Dana, as on the live page.
Command roles from an interested report, a history and a summary; Leake's command of the outpost is given only by NPS. The listed commanders do not receive automatic sole credit.
Major Boone was ordered to take his own com- mand and Rountree’s battalion and charge the enemy at Mrs. Stirling’s,or26-1-green-louisiana-selections-v1, p.330 (OCR page markers; not checked against print) · snapshot
e4569881ab69…Herron, being ill, had just turned over the command to Dana,irwin-taylor-louisiana-1863-selections-v1, p.273 (OCR page markers; not checked against print) · snapshot
670aff06f5b5…Brigadier Generalarnold-cwsac-commanders, battle LA016, belligerent Confederate, fullname Tom Green; column rank · snapshot
6c587c298717…Major Generalarnold-cwsac-commanders, battle LA016, belligerent US, fullname Napoleon J.T. Dana; column rank · snapshot
6c587c298717…strength
unknownunresolved
No inspected return establishes matched personnel at a common opening boundary. The frozen side-specific numerical strength bounds are blank (missing_numeric_strength). No figure in this pass is adopted as a simultaneous opening force.
supportedunresolved The frozen force field reads 2nd Division, XIII Army Corps [US] and forces on the Atchafalaya River [CS]; the live field reads zero. NPS says a 1,000-man detachment under Leake was at Stirling's Plantation; Irwin says Herron's division at Morganza was about 2,500 strong. Green names Speight's and Mouton's brigades, Waller's and Rountree's battalions, Semmes's battery and three dismounted Texas regiments without numbers.
Figures for different scopes (detachment and division) from a summary and a history; no Confederate count. None is adopted as a matched opening strength. The live zero is not measured absence.
2nd Division, XIII Army Corps [US]; forces on the Atchafalaya River [CS]arnold-cwsac-battles, battle LA016; column forces_text · snapshot
952b5d08402a…A 1,000-man detachment, under the command of Lt. Col. J.B. Leake, was at Stirling's Plantationnps-la016-v1, Description · snapshot
f617f442636d…This division was about 2,500 strong,irwin-taylor-louisiana-1863-selections-v1, p.273 (OCR page markers; not checked against print) · snapshot
670aff06f5b5…Speight’s and Mou- ton’s brigades of infantry were next in order,or26-1-green-louisiana-selections-v1, p.329 (OCR page markers; not checked against print) · snapshot
e4569881ab69…terrain
supportedunresolved Green places the action at the Fordoche Bridge and Mrs. Stirling's, six miles from Morganza, and sent Gray by a swamp trail to the Morganza road between the Union main body and its advance; he describes roads knee-deep in mud. NPS says mud and rain slowed Dana's reinforcements.
Ground described by an interested report and a summary; no map verification. The approach by the swamp trail was Green's choice.
on the Fordoche, 6 miles from Morganza.or26-1-green-louisiana-selections-v1, p.329 (OCR page markers; not checked against print) · snapshot
e4569881ab69…by a trail through the swamp, which intersected the Morganza State road some 4 miles from that place,or26-1-green-louisiana-selections-v1, p.330 (OCR page markers; not checked against print) · snapshot
e4569881ab69…roads knee-deep in mud,or26-1-green-louisiana-selections-v1, p.331 (OCR page markers; not checked against print) · snapshot
e4569881ab69…Open questions
- Banks's No. 1 (read), Dana's No. 2, Bruce's No. 3 and the Second Division record of events (No. 4), Mouton's No. 5 with Taylor's indorsement (read, not selected), the subordinate Confederate reports and the Union returns remain deferred.
- NPS/CWSAC is one family. Richard B. Irwin's History of the Nineteenth Army Corps (Putnam's, 1892), already registered for the Red River pass, is an interested Union history by the corps' assistant adjutant-general. Its chapters cite and quote Stickney's and Green's reports, so it is not independent of them. Green's June 27 dispatch and July 3, July 14 and October 2, 1863 reports, with his undated casualty statement (Official Records Series I, Volume XXVI, Part 1, a shared container), are one interested Confederate family; Taylor's printed indorsements are not part of it. Report dates are not event times or proof of contemporary knowledge.
- No automatic commander attribution, causal campaign score, morale/readiness number or battle/campaign double counting.