Battle of Stirling ' s Plantation The Battle of Stirling ' s Plantation ( also known as the Battle of Fordoche Bridge ) was an American Civil War battle took place on September 29 , 1863 in Pointe Coupee Parish , Louisiana . Background . Following the Siege of Vicksburg , Union Major General Francis J . Herron ' s Division of the Army of the Frontier was transferred down the Mississippi River to become a part of the 13th Corps . Arriving at Port Hudson on July 25 , they remained there until August 13 , 1863 when they were moved to Carrollton , Louisiana , above New Orleans . Union Major General Nathaniel P . Banks had been ordered to invade and “ plant the Flag in Texas ” , which plans resulted in the Second Battle of Sabine Pass on September 8 , 1863 . As a part of his overall plan , Herron ’ s division was to be transported to Morganza , Louisiana , below the mouth of the Red River . Both Confederate Brigadier General Tom Green ' s cavalry and Brigadier General Alfred Mouton ’ s small infantry division were operating on the upper Atchafalaya River . Herron ’ s movement would distract the Confederates from the invasion of Texas , and they hoped it would prevent the Confederate forces from moving to Texas had the Sabine Pass effort been successful . On September 5 , Herron ' s division was dispatched up the Mississippi on transports and made a landing below Morganza on the 7th . On the 8th the entire force marched through Morganza , and down the Opelousas road , reaching the Atchafalaya in the late afternoon . They retired to the Fordoche and camped there for the night . The next day the Division marched to Morganza where they went into camp . On September 11 , Herron proposed to send a detachment back to the bridge over the Fordoche to monitor Confederate activity on the west bank of the Atchafalaya , and from Morganza in an attempt to draw out Green ' s cavalry from the west bank of the Atchafalaya . Lt . Col . Joseph Bloomfield Leake of the 20th Iowa was to be in command . A small provisional brigade was formed consisting of the 19th Iowa under Maj . John Bruce , the 26th Indiana under Col . A . D . Rose , a section of the 1st Mo . Light Artillery , and a battalion of the 6th Missouri Cavalry under Major Samuel Montgomery . To supplement the cavalry , a company of mounted infantry was created by drawing men from every regiment in the division and was led by Lt . Henry Walton of the 34th Iowa . The road from Morganza to the Fordoche crossing followed the east bank of Bayou Fordoche , running west to a point about three miles from Morganza , then following a turn in the bayou , ran south three and a half miles to a loop in the bayou by Norwood ’ s plantation . Just west of Norwoods , the Opelousas Road forked to the northwest , crossed the Fordoche , and ran on to the Atchafalaya across from present day Melville , Louisiana . Shortly after leaving Morganza , the force encountered Confederate pickets and skirmished with them throughout the day until they reached the Norwood plantation , about six miles from the Archafalaya , where they went into camp . The country was unknown and Leake had no adequate maps . Mouton saw Leake ’ s exposed position as an opportunity to destroy this force around Fordoche Bridge . Battle . Upon scouting the area on the 13th , Leake discovered that the position at Norwoods was not very tenable . There were several old roads and a half completed railbed in the vicinity that would make it easy for Confederates to move and get in his rear . Pickets and posts were set out and Leake requested to withdraw about a mile closer to the Stirling plantation , but this request was refused by Herron . On the evening of the 15th Leake learned from a citizen and from Negroes that an attack was expected which resulted in his withdrawing north two miles to the Stirling plantation and establishing his camps there . This position , though better than Norwoods , still had defects due to the roads that gave the Confederates easy ability to move around the federal position . A levee ran along the east side of the road by the Stirling plantation , and Leake had a gap cut in it north of the house so that artillery could be moved through it if necessary . Pickets were maintained constantly , but the force was so small that they were deemed to be inadequate , and the whole brigade was uneasy as to their position . The Confederates were becoming increasingly visible , and were often observed in small groups between Stirlings and Morganza . Although Herron was apprised of the rebels between him and Leake , he took no efforts to secure their rear . Herron was ill , and on the evening of the 28th turned over the command to Major General Napoleon J . T . Dana , and left for New Orleans . Mouton had realized the opportunity to gobble up this small force and on the 19th had ordered Green to plan an attack , with the final decision made on the 25th . Green ' s 3 , 000 troops were at Centerpoint on the Atchafalaya on the 28th and commenced crossing by ferry at 3 : 00 p . m . Wallers and Roundtree ' s cavalry battalions together with Semme ' s battery were crossed by dark . Next to cross were Speight ' s and Mouton ' s infantry brigades , and finally the 4th , 5th and 7th Texas Cavalry , the last crossing by 1 : 00 a . m . on the 29th . The weather was very rainy . On the morning of the 29th Mouton ' s and Speight ' s brigades were sent by a trail through the woods and swamps that intersected the Opelousas road about two miles north of the Stirling plantation . Mouton was to remain in this position to block any relief force that might be sent from Morganza , and Speight ’ s brigade would launch the primary attack on Leakes right and rear . The balance of the Confederate cavalry marched via the road toward the Fordoche Bridge near the Norwood house . Arriving there around 11 : 00 a . m . and commenced skirmishing with the Federal cavalry pickets at the Fordoche bridge . After about a half hour , sounds of firing was heard to the north at the Stirling farm . Just before noon , a shot was heard from the picket post north of camp at Stirling ' s , and then a number more shots were heard from the cane fields to the north and east of the house . Mouton had begun his attack . Leake ordered the artillery up the road and in position at the gap in the levee to fire across the cane fields . The 19th Iowa was ordered to a fence running east to west behind the house and commence firing . The 26th Indiana was then posted to the left of the 19th , facing west , and ordered to fire obliquely to the right . For some reason , the artillery had not made it to the gap in the levee and were being moved by hand among the outbuildings behind the house , where they were totally useless . Leake had available only 450 infantry , as so many were on picket . Both the 19th and 26th were pushed back from their position through the Stirling buildings , and took up a position on the levee , now facing east , with the levee serving as an excellent breastwork . The Confederates were in overwhelming force , and initially attempted to turn the right of the 19th . The 26th was pulled out and placed on the 19ths right , with the 26th now facing south . Seeing the change in front , the Confederates now moved to their right and poured though the gap in the levee , attempting to turn the left flank of the 19th . The weather was hot and the men were spent . Leake had been shot in his foot , unhorsed and captured , and due to the confusion , no other officer assumed command . Meanwhile the Confederate cavalry had completely routed the federal cavalry to the south near the Norwood farm . The Federal cavalry streamed away toward Morganza with such rapidity that none of them were captured . The routed cavalry passed to the east of the Stirling plantation and the fight raging there . The infantry at Stirling ' s were so involved with their own fight that they were not aware of what had happened to their cavalry . Most of Green ’ s cavalry were clothed in Union uniforms that had been captured at Brashear City three months before . With the flight of the Union cavalry , Green advanced his column up the road from Norwoods to the Sterling plantation . The Union infantry observed the advancing column and supposed them to be the 6th Missouri . Not until they were fired upon did the Union infantry realize that this was Green ’ s cavalry coming in on their other flank . Vastly outnumbered , leaderless , and assailed from all sides , the Federals surrendered piecemeal . Aftermath . Only a few Union infantry managed to escape . The Federals lost 16 dead , 45 wounded , and 454 prisoners . Confederate losses were 26 dead , 85 wounded and ten missing . Additionally , the Confederates took two ten pounder parrot rifles with caissons , two new ambulances , one hospital wagon loaded with medical supplies , and all of the arms of the captured men . Green quickly consolidated his prisoners and spoils and moved back to the river , crossing it as quickly as possible . The prisoners were then marched via Alexandria , Natchitoches , Mansfield and Shreveport to the Camp Ford prison camp near Tyler , Texas , where they arrived on October 23 , 1863 .