BATTLE OF PORT HUDSON, LOUISIANA 14-15 March 1863 by Artist Joe Umble (http://www.geocities.com/scv1390)

SIEGE OF PORT HUDSON 23 May-9 July 1863 Following the Battle of Baton Rouge, the 9th Battalion Louisiana Infantry was assigned to the garrison of Port Hudson, which became the southern anchor of the Confederate defenses on the Mississippi River, about 200 miles down river from Vicksburg, Miss. The men of the battalion did guard and pickett duty and assisted in the construction of earthworks. The roster of the garrison as of 14 March 1863 in the "Official Records" shows the 9th Louisiana battalion in Gregg's brigade on the right wing. Then on the 27 May 1863 roster the battalion was with Miles brigade, still on the Confederate right wing. One source (Edmonds, "Port Hudson" Vol. II, has them manning the Citadel which was the anchor of the far Confederate right.

Maj. Gen. Franklin Gardner, commander of Confederate forces at Port Hudson

The Ninth Louisiana battalion of infantry under the command of Major B.R. Chinn, held posts of honor along the right wing during the siege, from the extreme right to the sally port at Troth's road, constantly being moved, either to reinforce some point or to relieve other troops at exposed points. They were actively employed and with great credit to themselves, losing many gallant men and officers.

Port Hudson: Its History From an Interior Point of View by Lieut Howard C. Wright 1863, St. Francisville Democrat.

OVERVIEW OF THE SIEGE OF PORT HUDSON Here is an overview of the Siege of Port Hudson from the Port Hudson State Historic Site: Louisiana Department of Parks: Why Port Hudson? Control of the Mississippi River was important to both sides during the American Civil War. The North wanted to control the river and split the Confederacy in two. The South wanted to maintain control and ensure the flow of supplies back and forth across the river. When New Orleans fell to the Federals in late April 1862, Confederate control of the Mississippi was in jeopardy. The Confederate army had already fortified the river bluffs at Vicksburg, Mississippi, but it needed another series of river batteries below the mouth of the Red River. The Red River was the primary route for the shipment of supplies from Texas to the heartland of the Confederacy. The bluffs near the small town of Port Hudson represented a perfect site for the river batteries. These bluffs were the first high ground upstream from Baton Rouge and overlooked a severe bend in the river. This bend presented an additional obstacle for Union warships. Following their defeat at the Battle of Baton Rouge on August 5, 1862, Confederate soldiers marched to Port Hudson and occupied the area on August 15, 1862. They constructed a series of river batteries along the bluffs and, in the months that followed, erected a 41/2-mile line of earthworks to protect the land approach to the river batteries. 48-Day Siege The siege of Port Hudson began on May 23, 1863. Roughly 30,000 Union troops, under the command of Major General Nathaniel P. Banks, were pitted against 6,800 Confederates, under the command of Major General Franklin Gardner. On the morning of May 27, and again on June 14, the Union army launched ferocious assaults against the 41/2-mile-long string of earthworks protecting Port Hudson. These actions constituted some of the bloodiest and most severe fighting in the entire 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 and nothing could be gained by continuing the defense of Port Hudson. Surrender terms were negotiated, and on July 9, 1863, after 48 days and thousands of casualties, the Union army entered Port Hudson. The siege became the longest in American military history. Port Hudson State Historic Site--(US 61, Zachary, LA 70791; 225-654-3775 or 1-888-677-3400) is located on US 61 in East Feliciana Parish, about 25 minutes north of Baton Rouge and 10 minutes south of historic St. Francisville. The 909-acre site encompasses the northern portion of the battlefield and features an elevated boardwalk over the breastworks in the Fort Desperate Area. Other facilities include three observation towers, six miles of trails, a museum, a picnic area and restrooms. Groups are requested to call in advance.

William Crawford Annis, 1840-1903

Soldier, Newspaperman, Civic Leader in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Pvt. William C. Annis (My Great-Grandfather) (Article from "Confederate Military History," Atlanta, Ga. 1899; pages 328-329) William Crawford Annis, a well known journalist of Baton Rouge, and a Confederate veteran, is a native of Louisiana, born n Iberville parish in 1840. He came to Baton Rouge at the age of twelve years, and there enlisted in July, 1862, as a private in Company B, Ninth battalion Louisiana infantry, under Maj. Tom Bynum. With his command he served at the battle of Baton Rouge, August 5, 1862, and at Port Hudson during the siege in May to July, 1863. After the surrender by General Gardner he remained at Baton Rouge on parole until exchanged in 1864, when he rejoined his comrades at Olive Branch, La. His company was then mounted and assigned to Col. Daniel C. Gober's regiment, East Louisiana cavalry, formed at that time by a consolidation of two companies of the Ninth battalion with Col. Hailey M. Carter's Eighteenth battalion Confederate cavalry. Private Annis served with this regiment in skirmishes with the enemy at Woodville and Liberty, Miss., and Gainesville, Ala. Not long before the surrender at Gainesville, Ala., he was transferred to his old battalion, then in process of reorganization. Since the war Mr. Annis has given his time to newspaper enterprises, beginning with the establishment of the weekly Ledger at Bayou Sara in 1865. In 1870 he took charge of the consolidated Gazette and Comet at Baton Rouge. From 1873 to1882 he conducted the daily Advocate, and subsequently was local editor of the Capitolian-Advocate until 1888, when he became one of the founders of the Item, weekly paper, of which he is now the sole proprietor and editor.

ROSTER 9th Battalion Louisiana Infantry CSA - Roster Field Officers Lt. Col.. Samuel Boyd Major Thomas Bynum Company A., Campaigners, (East Baton Rouge) Officers: Captain Thomas Bynum; 1st Lt. William L. Burnett; 2nd Lt. A.F. Aucoin; 2nd Lt. T. Wintrop Brown. Non-Commissioned Officers: Sgt. Edward W. Brown; Sgt. John A. Sullivan; Cpl. J.W. Hapgood; Cpl. C.C. Jones; Cpl. J.J. Wallace; Cpl. T.R. Walters Jr. Enlisted Men (privates): Jules Achais; Rosemond Achais; J.C. Anderson; Edward Aubin; Victoran Aubin; A.S. Aucoin; J.C. Aucoin; Thompson Babbitt; Buffington Babbin; Edward Babbin; F.C. Babin; Gilbert Babin; Tellesfore Babin; Camille Bouch; Van D. Breland; Hugh M. Brown; T. Josiah Brown; T.Z. Brown; William Brown; Moses Bryant; L.J. Campbell; Ambrose Cannon; Jacob Carpenter; D.S. Carson; William A. Carver; William Cook; Jesse Cooper; H.R. Crayton; Patrick Cullen; Henry Durbin; T.E.B. Edwards; J.A. Fairchilds; J.M. Fairchilds; Fred Fleurry; James R. Flood; William Forbes; William Glass Jr.; John Harvey; Philip Hernandez; J.L. Herrin; Hunter H. Humstock; Rufus Hopkins; Samuel J. Howard; John Indicut; William Indicut; J.W. Jones; W.A. Jones; William L. Jones; Joseph Lane; Achille Latil; Louis Latil; Samuel H. Lewis; J.B. Lloyd; W.W. Lloyd; S.A. Loflin; William B. Loflin; A.D. Lollin; Fred Looser; Lewis Marble; Nathan Marchant; William Marchant; William Marson; Lewis Martin; Scott Martin; Ernest Martinez; Calvin McDonald; Rodolph McDonald; William McDonald; John McFarland; Robert McGinty; John McIntosh; Ruffin McLin; Thomas McLin; Joseph Millican; John Myers; T.A. Newsom; William W. Oldham; Orland Parrant; J.T. Pearson; Thomas Pearson; Anthony Pecora; J.E. Porrier; William A. Rawlins; C.E. Read; B.T. Reames; Frank Rivas; John Roddy; Finley Rosier; Samuel Shaffer; William Smiley; D.L. Smith; M. Spoerher; Hiram Stafford; John R. Stafford; Joseph R. Stafford; Henry Stammire; George Stephens; Philips Stephens; Otto Straube; Jackson Sullivan; William Teacle; Alfred Unsell; Levi Walker; Theodore Walters; W.J. Westbrook; Charles Westbrook; Charles Wheat; J.J. Wheat; William D. Wheat; William Wilson. Company B, Baton Rouge Invincibles (East Baton Rouge) Officers: Captain T.J. Buffington (appointed srgeon 18 Sept. 1862); 1st Lt. B.F. Burnett (promoted to captain 18 Sept. 1862); 2nd Lt. Samuel Harbour; 2nd Lt. Z.R. Causey (KIA 5 Aug. 1862); 2nd Lt. S.E. Richardson. Noncommissioned Officers: Sgt. E.F. Davis; Sgt. A.J. Campbell; Sgt. A.D. Carpenter; Sgt. P. Thalheimer; Cpl. Gilbert Comeaux; Cpl. G.A. Pucket. Enlisted Men (privates): A.P. Allain; William C. Annis; Joseph Baham; James B. Ballard; J.T. Ballard; William Banks (captured 5 Aug. 1862); James Beck (WIA 5 Aug. 1862); John E. Beck; Gerald Bell; J.C. Bennett (WIA arm amputated); W.H. Bennett; Jacob Bott; Otave Boyer; J.P. Breland; Orile Broussard; J.F. Collins; J.C. Comeaux; J.J. Cotten (captured Amite River 26 June 1863); Eli Courtney (captured 5 Oct. 1864 Woodville, Miss.); Ed. Cousinard; W.W. Cowart; William S. David; James Davit; Augustus Deis (captured 21 May 1864 Ascension Parish); E.G. Delanne; M.M. Dixson (WIA groin 5 Aug. 1862); Emile Droz; Henry Droz Jr., drummer; Malcom Dykes; George Eckles; C.L. Edwards; Thomas Edwards; W.W. Edwards; Jesse Efferson; A.J. Fickling; Thomas Fields (deserted 5 Aug. 1862); Henry Ford; William R. Gil; Charles Grandpre; L.A. Harrel; John Henderson (captured 13 Dec. 1864 Ascension Parish); Joseph Henderson; McCajah Hendry; Theodale Henry (SWIA breast and back 5 Aug. 1862); Richard Hill; W.C. Irvin. Joseph James; E.J. Kenner; Abraham Kirby (captured 5 Aug. 1862); W.C. Kleinpeter; Joseph Cambre (deserved Dec. 1862); Michael Lamb; Jules LeBlanc (WIA arm 5 Aug. 1862); J.B. Lee; Andrew Lesage; W.J. Loflin (deserted 26 Aug. 1864); J.G. Lothrop (deserted 16 Jan. 1865); J.M. Luster; J.B. Mack (captured 18 July 1864 Greenwell Springs); W.G. Maddox; W.S. Maddox; Robert P. McCrory (captured 25 Jan. 1864 Bayou Manchac); D.L. McElwee; Francis McShane; James McShane; David Miller; John Miller; J.A. Minton; Amand Miseroole; J.B. Newman; Sebron Nickens (captured 14 Oct. 1864 New River); William Nickens; H.B. Parker; Adolph Pecue; John B. Pecue; John Price; Frank Ramires; Jackson Ratcliff; D.M. Rheams; E.J. Rice; Henry Richardson; J.C. Roberts; John Roberts; John Roberts; W.Roberts Jr.; William Roberts; John Roughman; Anthony Sanchez (captured 11 Aug. 1864 Comite River); B.W. Sartwell (deserted 6 June 1864 Donaldsonville); William Sharp; Alfred Sheppard; B.B. Stokes; Lewis Stuckey; J.W. Syler; C.P. Taylor (deserted 18 Jan. 1865 Donaldsonville); C.O. Tibbets (captured 2 May 1863 Pontchatoula); Henry Turner (KIA 5 Aug. 1862); A.M. Underwood; M.J. Varnado; L.T. Watson; F.M. Watts; Peter Weiss; G.W. Westmoreland. Total- 135; Killed in Action (KIA) 2; Wounded in Action (WIA)-5; Deserters-6. Company C, Lemmon Guards ( East Baton Rouge Parish) Officers: Captain Bolling R. Chinn; 1st Lt. Alex Barrow; 2nd Lt. Alex Duralde, and 2nd Lt. John B. Kyse. Noncommissioned Officers: Cpl. Ira Addison, Cpl. B.W. Tucker. Enlisted Men (privates): James Addition; Richard Austin; J.W. Bales; J.J. Baley; G.W. Bankston; J.M. Bankston; S.J. Bankston; William Barrow; L.A. Bartholomew; Hanson Bennett; Hudson Bennett; W. Bennett; V. Bourgeois; ----- Bourk; Lawrence Clark; William Canton; Joseph P. Chapman; J.H. Cotten; S.J. Cotten; John W. Courtney; Martin Crehan; John Cross; J.F. Davidson; James Dimond; John Doherty; Patrick Dowd; Ernest Daigre; J.V. Duralde; Enos Eal; Wilson Erwin; William Faster; William A. Ganey; M.G. Gaulden; Richard Gautreau; David George; G.Wl. Gillium; William Hempsett; George Hoffman; Charles Howard; J.C. Howard; James Johnson; Arthur Judd; Michael Keefe; Lawrence Killduff; Louis Laruche; Charles Lawler; John Littleton; Thomas Loftus; Adrien Martinez; Josiah Martinez; H.E. Mathews; Henry Michel; John OÕConnell; Robert OÕDonnell; Thomas C. Patrick; A.J. Patterson; R.O. Pennington; Daniel Powers; J.H. Rice; Micajah Rice; Oscar Robichand; Charles Roche; Patrick Roche; Benjamin Rothe; Adolphus Rosseau; S. Rosseaux; Robert Shelton; William Shelton; L.C. Sowencen; J.A. Sprole; James Strickland; J. Tavnon; Hiram Taylor; L.J. Thompson; John Torpey; Charles Wagner; J.J. Wall; Thomas T. Wall; J. McWilliams, and George Zurr. Company D, Caruthers Sharpshooters (Livingston Parish): Officers: Captain William D.L. McRae; 1st Lt. Alfred Bradley; 2nd Lt. W.W. Bankston, and 2nd Lt. William Jones. Noncommissioned Officers: 1st Sgt. E.L. Bourgeois; Sgt. William Duncan; Sgt. L.P. Lobell; Sgt. William Tennent; Cpl. Edward Booth; Cpl. William H. Holden; Cpl. Henry Hoover, and Cpl. J.N. Smith. Enlisted Men (privates): R.M. Adams; William Addison; J.A. Allin; Joseph Andrews; John Baddo; Peter Baker; Spencer M. Bankston; Thomas Barton, deserted 21 May 1862; Peter Berthelote; Zenon Berthelote; T.C. Biship; Edward Bowling, deserted 21 May 1862; Henry Brignac; J.B.O. Brignac; Mathieu Brignac; John Brown; Joseph Borwn; Valsin Brown; Hugh Caldwell; William Caldwell; William Cunningham; Alphonse Deslatte; Florestant Deslatte, deserted 24 June 1863; Joseph Deslatte, captured 13 Dec. 1864 Ascension Parish; Robert Duncan; James Dunne, deserted 21 May 1862; Adam Dupuy; Alcide Dupuy; Ernest Dupuy; Eugene Dupuy; Peter Dupuy; L.J. Durbin; C.D. Evans; Anton Fletchinger; Cleophes Fontenot; Numa Fontenot; Abraham Gaiennie; E. Eugene Guitreau; Paul Guitreau; Volsin Guitreau; Z.D. Guitreau; Paul Halmick; W.H. Harper; James H. Harvey; R.R. Hayden; John Heide; Michael Heines; John Henns; John Herd; Aldolph Hoover; Ben Hoover; Joshua Jacobs; Burrell Johnson; Jules Killer; Justile Keller; O.H. Keller; Jones T. Kinchen; Preston T. Kinchen; W. Kindrick; Joseph Laiche; Marcelin Laiche; Antoine Lambert; John Lambert; Paul Lambert; John Lane; Julius Lange; John Lesslee; Frank Lobell; J.B. Lobell; L.M. Lobell; B.B. Lockart; Alphonse Mayer; Thomas Mayfield; James McCarroll; John McCorn; J.W. Mead; William Mitchell; Theodore Neppammner; John Ovedier; S.A. Parker; Francois Picou; J.B. Picou; William H. Pierce; F. Joseph Poche; Bertrant Robert; D.H. Robertson; William L. Robertson; J.S. Salasse; A.S. Scivicque; Charles Scivicque; Joel Shelton; A.B. Sibley; James P. Simeon; R. Spence; Edward Spink; James W. Tate; John Threaton; Z. Tucker; William Vaughn; Louis Vicknair; Paul Vicknair; Paul S. Vicknair; A.J. Vinyard; Eugne Vinyard; Henry Vinyard; Morris Waddle; Jacob Welch; Walter Weldon; George Wellman; James M. Wells; John Yokum, and Nicolas Yokum.

Michael Dan Jones

This site was compiled by Michael Dan Jones, great-grandson of William Crawford Annis. My grandmother, his daughter, Zephy Margaret Annis, married my grandfather, Alcy Jones of Crowley, Louisiana.

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