Home > United States of America > Louisiana > East Baton Rouge Parish > Zachary > Port Hudson National Cemetery

Port Hudson National Cemetery

Memorials	:	20
Location	:	Zachary, East Baton Rouge Parish, USA
Phone	:	225-654-1988
Coordinate	:	30.6608009, -91.2750015
Description	:	FAX: 225-654-1989 Port Hudson National Cemetery is located approximately seven miles west of Zachary, La., and about 20 miles north of the capital Baton Rouge. During the Civil War, control of the Mississippi River was critical to both Union and Confederate forces. The North sought control of the river to split the Confederacy in two; the South wanted to ensure the flow of supplies back and forth across the river. When New Orleans fell to Union troops in April 1862, Confederate control of the Mississippi was in jeopardy. The Confederate army had already fortified the river bluffs at Vicksburg,... Read More	FAX: 225-654-1989 Port Hudson National Cemetery is located approximately seven miles west of Zachary, La., and about 20 miles north of the capital Baton Rouge. During the Civil War, control of the Mississippi River was critical to both Union and Confederate forces. The North sought control of the river to split the Confederacy in two; the South wanted to ensure the flow of supplies back and forth across the river. When New Orleans fell to Union troops in April 1862, Confederate control of the Mississippi was in jeopardy. The Confederate army had already fortified the river bluffs at Vicksburg, Miss., but it needed additional river batteries below the mouth of the Red River, which was the primary route for shipping supplies from Texas to the heartland of the Confederacy. The bluffs near the small town of Port Hudson represented the perfect site for these batteries. They were the first high ground upstream from Baton Rouge and they overlooked a severe bend in the river — an additional obstacle for Union warships. Following their defeat at the Battle of Baton Rouge on Aug. 5, 1862, Confederate soldiers marched to Port Hudson and occupied the area 10 days later. They constructed a series of batteries along the bluffs and, in the months that followed, a 4.5-mile line of earthworks to protect the land-approach to the batteries. The siege of Port Hudson began May 23, 1863. Roughly 30,000 Union troops under the command of Maj. Gen. Nathaniel P. Banks were pitted against 6,800 Confederates under the command of Maj. Gen. Franklin Gardner. On the morning of May 27, and again on June 14, the Union army launched ferocious assaults against the string of earthworks protecting Port Hudson. These actions constituted some of the bloodiest fighting in the Civil War. As the siege continued, the Confederates nearly exhausted their ammunition and were reduced to eating mules, horses and rats. When word reached Gardner that Vicksburg had surrendered, he realized that his situation was hopeless. Surrender terms were negotiated and, after 48 days and thousands of casualties, the Union army entered Port Hudson. This siege would become the longest in American military history. Prior to the May 27 attack, Union leaders undertook a bold experiment. Two African-American regiments were chosen to participate in the battle. The 1st and 3rd Louisiana Native Guards proved their worth by pressing an attack against a well-fortified Confederate position. This action was applauded in northern newspapers and led to greater acceptance of African-American troops in the war effort. The garrison at Port Hudson became a recruiting center for black soldiers until it closed in summer 1866. Port Hudson National Cemetery is located on the site where Union and Confederate forces were engaged in the siege of Port Hudson. Nearly 4,000 Union troops were killed and almost all were buried in the cemetery; only 600 were known. Approximately 500 Confederate soldiers died during the battle and were buried in the trenches where they fell. The present grounds were first used as a cemetery in 1863. In 1866, the federal government appropriated 8.4 acres and declared the site a national cemetery. Casualties of the siege of Port Hudson and soldiers who died in nearby military hospitals were interred here. In 1871, a cemetery inspector reported that the hostile adjacent-land owner would not permit a ditch to be run across his property to drain the cemetery. The battlefield at Port Hudson is probably the only naturally preserved Civil War battleground extant. The breastworks, gun pits and trenches remain today almost as they were during the battle. Port Hudson National Cemetery was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1974 as part of the Port Hudson Historic Site.

frequently asked questions (FAQ):

Where is Port Hudson National Cemetery?
Port Hudson National Cemetery is located at 20978 Port Hickey Road Zachary, East Baton Rouge Parish ,Louisiana , 70791USA.
Port Hudson National Cemetery cemetery's updated grave count on graveviews.com?
20 memorials
Where are the coordinates of the Port Hudson National Cemetery?
Latitude: 30.6608009
Longitude: -91.2750015

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Nearby Cemetories:

1. Collier Family Cemetery
Port Hudson, East Baton Rouge Parish, USA
Coordinate: 30.6618270, -91.2725900

2. Port Hickey Road Cemetery
Port Hudson, East Baton Rouge Parish, USA
Coordinate: 30.6600000, -91.2835000

3. Fontania Baptist Church Cemetery
Port Hudson, East Baton Rouge Parish, USA
Coordinate: 30.6484000, -91.2838000

4. Mount Zion Baptist Church Cemetery
Port Hudson, East Baton Rouge Parish, USA
Coordinate: 30.6811630, -91.2743190

5. Louisiana National Cemetery
Zachary, East Baton Rouge Parish, USA
Coordinate: 30.6467000, -91.2542000

6. Cain Cemetery
East Baton Rouge Parish, USA
Coordinate: 30.6431007, -91.2919006

7. Port Hudson Community Cemetery
East Feliciana Parish, USA
Coordinate: 30.6848000, -91.2922500

8. Kelson Cemetery
West Baton Rouge Parish, USA
Coordinate: 30.6311200, -91.3128700

9. Beech Grove Cemetery
East Baton Rouge Parish, USA
Coordinate: 30.7047005, -91.2542038

10. Beech Grove Cemetery
Jackson, East Feliciana Parish, USA
Coordinate: 30.7086400, -91.2516600

11. Young Family Cemetery
Zachary, East Baton Rouge Parish, USA
Coordinate: 30.6867510, -91.2125410

12. Plains Presbyterian Memorial Gardens
Zachary, East Baton Rouge Parish, USA
Coordinate: 30.6875950, -91.2127180

13. Poplar Springs Baptist Church Cemetery
Jackson, East Feliciana Parish, USA
Coordinate: 30.7212640, -91.2418990

14. Pickering Family Cemetery
Zachary, East Baton Rouge Parish, USA
Coordinate: 30.6572400, -91.1943340

15. Kirkwood Family Cemetery
Zachary, East Baton Rouge Parish, USA
Coordinate: 30.6577430, -91.1941190

16. Hunt Family Cemetery
Zachary, East Baton Rouge Parish, USA
Coordinate: 30.6580480, -91.1939800

17. Zachary Public Cemetery
Zachary, East Baton Rouge Parish, USA
Coordinate: 30.6551000, -91.1936800

18. Cemetery of Buhler Plains
Zachary, East Baton Rouge Parish, USA
Coordinate: 30.6564999, -91.1931992

19. Azalea Rest Cemetery
Zachary, East Baton Rouge Parish, USA
Coordinate: 30.6585000, -91.1929000

20. Netterville Cemetery
Plains, East Baton Rouge Parish, USA
Coordinate: 30.6684580, -91.1914100

21. Riddle Cemetery
West Feliciana Parish, USA
Coordinate: 30.7250004, -91.3143997

22. Olive Grove Cemetery
Lindsay, East Feliciana Parish, USA
Coordinate: 30.7146620, -91.2174170

23. Mount Pilgrim Baptist Church Cemetery
Pointe Coupee Parish, USA
Coordinate: 30.6804140, -91.3621750

24. Good Hope First Baptist Church Cemetery
East Feliciana Parish, USA
Coordinate: 30.7313460, -91.2177330

Port Hudson National Cemetery

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