Port Hudson, Louisiana
Encyclopedia
Port Hudson is a small unincorporated community
in East Baton Rouge Parish
, Louisiana
, United States
. Located about 20 miles (32.2 km) northwest of Baton Rouge
, it is most famous for an American Civil War
battle known as the Siege of Port Hudson
.
.
was the Entrepôt
for the produce of much of the region, which, sent by rail, was transferred to steamboats
at Port Hudson. The rails and crossties of this track have long since been removed. Location of the tracks and the old town can be seen at the bend of the Mississippi River (view 1864 map).
Old Port Hudson was incorporated as a town in 1838.
A Civil War reenactment is held annually at the Port Hudson State Historic Site.
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
in East Baton Rouge Parish
East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana
East Baton Rouge Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Baton Rouge, Louisiana's state capital. As of the 2010 census, the population was 440,171. The parish has a total area of , of which is land and is water. It is the most populous parish in the state...
, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Located about 20 miles (32.2 km) northwest of Baton Rouge
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge is the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is located in East Baton Rouge Parish and is the second-largest city in the state.Baton Rouge is a major industrial, petrochemical, medical, and research center of the American South...
, it is most famous for an American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
battle known as the Siege of Port Hudson
Siege of Port Hudson
The Siege of Port Hudson occurred from May 22 to July 9, 1863, when Union Army troops assaulted and then surrounded the Mississippi River town of Port Hudson, Louisiana, during the American Civil War....
.
Geography
Port Hudson is located at 30.678056 North and 91.268889 West, and is along the east bank of the Mississippi RiverMississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
.
Landmarks
- A portion of the battlefield site is maintained as a park and museum by the state as the Port Hudson State Historic SitePort Hudson State Historic SiteThe Port Hudson State Historic Site is located on the Mississippi River north of Baton Rouge near Port Hudson, Louisiana. The site is the location of the longest siege in American history during the American Civil War from May 23 through July 9, 1863. The state of Louisiana maintains the site,...
(in adjacent East Feliciana ParishEast Feliciana Parish, LouisianaEast Feliciana Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Clinton. In 2000, the population was 21,360.East Feliciana Parish is part of the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the Baton Rouge–Pierre Part Combined Statistical...
). - The Confederate Soldiers monument is an 11,000 pound obeliskObeliskAn obelisk is a tall, four-sided, narrow tapering monument which ends in a pyramid-like shape at the top, and is said to resemble a petrified ray of the sun-disk. A pair of obelisks usually stood in front of a pylon...
dedicated to the defender's memory in 1930 by the Louisiana Division of the United Daughters of the ConfederacyUnited Daughters of the ConfederacyThe United Daughters of the Confederacy is a women's heritage association dedicated to honoring the memory of those who served in the military and died in service to the Confederate States of America . UDC began as the National Association of the Daughters of the Confederacy, organized in 1894 by...
. In 2007 the monument was moved to the yard of one of Port Hudson’s few remaining buildings that was there during the siege. - The Port Hudson National CemeteryPort Hudson National CemeteryPort Hudson National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery located in Port Hudson, north of the city of Baton Rouge in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana. It encompasses , and as of the end of 2007, had 12,718 interments....
was designated a National Historic LandmarkNational Historic LandmarkA National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
in 1974 by the U.S. Department of the Interior. It is also among 26 featured sites on the Louisiana African American Heritage TrailLouisiana African American Heritage TrailLouisiana African American Heritage Trail is a cultural heritage trail with 26 sites designated in 2008 by the state of Louisiana, from New Orleans along the Mississippi River to Baton Rouge and Shreveport, with sites in small towns and plantations also included. In New Orleans several sites are...
.
History
In 1833, one of the first railroads in the United States ran from Port Hudson to Clinton. ClintonClinton, Louisiana
Clinton is a town in and the parish seat of East Feliciana Parish, Louisiana, United States. The town was named for New York Governor DeWitt Clinton. The population was 1,998 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Statistical Area....
was the Entrepôt
Entrepôt
An entrepôt is a trading post where merchandise can be imported and exported without paying import duties, often at a profit. This profit is possible because of trade conditions, for example, the reluctance of ships to travel the entire length of a long trading route, and selling to the entrepôt...
for the produce of much of the region, which, sent by rail, was transferred to steamboats
Steamboats of the Mississippi
Steamboats played a major role in the 19th Century development of the Mississippi River and its tributaries by allowing the practical large-scale transport of passengers and freight both up- and down-river. Using steam power, riverboats were developed during that time which could navigate in...
at Port Hudson. The rails and crossties of this track have long since been removed. Location of the tracks and the old town can be seen at the bend of the Mississippi River (view 1864 map).
Old Port Hudson was incorporated as a town in 1838.
Events
External links
- Photographs of Louisiana during the Civil War. Compiled by Sgt. Marshall Dunham of the 159th New York Regiment. Select Search items in this Collection and enter Port Hudson in the exact phrase option: photograph collection
- Port Hudson Driving Tour, CivilWarAlbum.com, May 2000.