Desertion and the end of the War
In March 1865, bad news reached the forts from other parts of the Confederacy. The worse news arrived on April 15; General Robert E Lee was forced to surrender to Brigadier General Ulysses S. Grant. As these reports reached the forts, soldiers began to desert their posts.
On May 8, 1865, Brigadier General Joseph L. Brent, commander of Front Line Forces in southern Louisiana, received orders from Major General Harry T. Hays, the commander of the District of Western Louisiana, to evacuate the soldiers from the forts and destroy all artillery, central magazines and bombproofs. The soldiers still garrisoned at the forts refused to evacuate or destroy the forts.
By the end of May, only 86 soldier
remained. On June 3, 1865, a Union
occupying, force took control of Fort
Randolph and Fort Buhlow. The war, in this part of Louisiana was over.
Although no attack took place, the forts represent one last stand by the Confederate Army to stop another Union invasion up the Red River.
Historians believe that this time, with
the strategic locations of the forts and the Missouri anchored just below them,
that an invasion would have been slowed or completely stopped.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, US Civil. A significant historical month for this entry is March 1865.
Location. 31° 19.493′
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in Central Louisiana and in Acadiana Cajun Country. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Deep South. Globally, it is in North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, the Viceroyalty of New France, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, the Louisiana Purchase, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: How was Fort Randolph Built? (within shouting distance of this marker); Why was Fort Randolph Built? (within shouting distance of this marker); Who was Stationed at Fort Randolph (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Welcome to Fort Buhlow (approx. 0.2 miles away); Deserting soldiers and the end of the war (approx. 0.2 miles away); Who was Fort Buhlow named after? (approx. 0.2 miles away); Why Was Fort Buhlow Built? (approx. 0.2 miles away); How Fort Buhlow was built (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Pineville.
Another marker is no longer nearby. Fort Buhlow and Fort Randolph (was approx. 0.2 miles away but has been confirmed missing).
Credits. This page was last revised on July 16, 2021. It was originally submitted on July 9, 2021, by Cajun Scrambler of Assumption, Louisiana. This page has been viewed 275 times since then and 12 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 9, 2021, by Cajun Scrambler of Assumption, Louisiana.
