April 9, 1864 the largest battle of the War for Southern Independence, known erroneously as "the Civil War," west of the Mississippi River, was fought at Pleasant Hill, Sabine Parish. The previous day, April 8, was the Battle of Mansfield.
On April 8 Confederate forces under General Richard Taylor attacked Union forces, under the command of General Nathanial Banks, catching the Yanks piecemeal. Taylor had only 8,800 men while Banks had over 25,000 but Taylor stacked up the Federals on the narrow road through the wilderness. After the initial fight in the open, Moss Plantation, the Confederates used the thick woods to neutralize the numerically superior Union forces.
The beaten Yanks retreated during the night, 17 miles, back to their base at Pleasant Hill. On the 9th Taylor, now with 12,500 men thanks to the arrival of Churchill's Corps of Arkansas and Missouri troops, attacked Bank's army. Banks had retained 12,100 men in line of battle while half his army, mostly the routed 13th Corps, limped back to Natchitoches. The Battle of Pleasant Hill began with Churchill's men striking the Yankee left flank, while General John Walker took Taylor's best unit, the Texas Division, straight down the road hitting the Union center. General Camille Polignac was in command of the remnants of the Louisiana Division which had done the bulk of the fighting the previous day, was depleted and held in reserve on the 9th. General John Major led Confederate cavalry around the Union right flank and captured the Blair's Landing Road. Turned on both flanks it looked bad for the Yanks but the Union 16th Corps, under General A.J. Smith, which was Banks' best unit, made a bold counter-attack and drove both Churchill's corps and Walker's Texans back. The fighting was up close and brutal. Walker stabilized his line just inside a stand of woods and stopped the 16th Corps' advance. Darkness put an end to the fighting.
The next day, the beaten Federal army retreated back to Natchitoches and Grand Ecore.
A little history...April 9th.