Port Hudson

[wtexas]

I'm looking for recommendations for the best single volume book on the Port Hudson campaign and seige.

Many thanks!

 

[u515]

A reliable survey is Edward Cunningham, THE PORT HUDSON CAMPAIGN, 1862-1863 (LSU press, first published 1963, reissued 1991), but it is not a detailed examination.

 

[lupaglupa]

I had an ancestor there during the siege and did research on his experiences. There's not a huge lot written about Port Hudson. I have noted as sources the Cunningham @u515 mentions, Port Hudson: Its History from an Interior Point of View by Lt Howard C. Wright, (first published 1863, reprinted in 1961 by The Committee for Preservation of the Port Hudson Battlefield), and this article at the NPS.gov site:

The Siege of Port Hudson: "Forty Days and Nights in the Wilderness of Death" (Teaching with Historic Places) (U.S. National Park Service)

www.nps.gov

I would love to see a modern look at the siege. It deserves more attention!

 

[H. J. Durgin]

Just some other choices would be, Among the Cotton Thieves-Bacon and Port Hudson Confederate Bastion on the Mississippi-Hewitt. Not saying these books are the best to choose from though they did bring me enjoyment.

 

[delta rifles]

I second Lawrence Hewitt's Port Hudson Confederate Bastion on the Mississippi; however, I recently read Christopher Thrasher's Miserable Little Conglomeration: A Social History of the Port Hudson Campaign, and I highly recommend it.

 

[Ben Ford 987]

Two new books released in 2021 are

The Longest Siege: Port Hudson, Louisiana, 1863 Paperback 2021

by Russell W. Blount Jr. 4 ½ stars 195 pages new PB $35 used PB$30 Kindle $24


Port Hudson: The Most Significant Battlefield Photographs of the Civil War Hardcover – 2021

by Lawrence Lee 5 stars 392pages $46.75

I don't own and have not read either one

 

[lupaglupa]

I second Lawrence Hewitt's Port Hudson Confederate Bastion on the Mississippi; however, I recently read Christopher Thrasher's Miserable Little Conglomeration: A Social History of the Port Hudson Campaign, and I highly recommend it.

Putting in a request for the Thrasher book now! Thanks.

 

[Stryker65]

A major portion of Colonel Richard B. Irwin's "History of the Nineteenth Army Corps" describes Port Hudson, although most of my initial information on the battle came from the Battles and Leaders article of CS Lt. Col. Paul F. DeGournay.

 

[wtexas]

I second Lawrence Hewitt's Port Hudson Confederate Bastion on the Mississippi; however, I recently read Christopher Thrasher's Miserable Little Conglomeration: A Social History of the Port Hudson Campaign, and I highly recommend it.

I purchased Hewitt's book. It's good though there are some mistakes. Overall though, well written.

 

[delta rifles]

I purchased Hewitt's book. It's good though there are some mistakes. Overall though, well written.

The problem with the Port Hudson Campaign in general is a lack of confederate sources. Both Cunningham and Hewitt's are admirable, but the campaign is truly missing a definitive study. I think both tackle the entire 49 day siege and the events leading up to it in about two-hundred pages. Thrasher does a very good job of capturing the human experience of the XIX Corps during the siege and Richard Irwin's History of the Nineteenth Corps gives us a pretty good understanding of the federal situation during the siege, but little has been written on the Confederate movements within the garrison (I believe its Hewitt that admits this in his introduction).

I have two ggggreat grandfathers who were with a detachment left behind by the 30th Louisiana and signed paroles along with the rest of the confederate garrison, but I have found very little information about what they actually did during the siege.

Fortunately, there are a decent amount of federal and to a lesser degree-confederate--memoirs/diaries that describe the siege in detail which has helped me in my studies of the siege tremendously.

Out of curiousity, what mistakes did you find in Hewitt's study of the siege?

 

[AlexPensFan86]

It's 2 volumes and long since out of print, but I really enjoyed David C. Edmonds' "The Guns of Port Hudson"

 

[delta rifles]

It's 2 volumes and long since out of print, but I really enjoyed David C. Edmonds' "The Guns of Port Hudson"

That is another great one. It took me forever, but I finally found the second volume for under $50 a few months ago.
The first volume is fairly easy to come by, but the second volume is usually fairly expensive. Autumn in Acadiana is also great.

 

[USS ALASKA]

Free reading...

"They Fought Splendidly!": the Struggle for Port Hudson
Lawrence Lee Hewitt

Civil War Joint Operations Papers | Naval War - At Sea & Along Inland Waterways

Naval War College Review Volume 49 Number 1 Winter Article 4 1996 A Littoral Frustration: The Union Navy and the Siege of Charleston, 1863-1865 by Robert J. Schneller Jr This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Journals at U.S. Naval War College Digital Commons. It has...

civilwartalk.com

Cheers,
USS ALASKA

 

[Library Lady]

It looks like Port Hudson is really Lawrence Lee Hewitt's "thing." He spoke at my Round Table's yearly banquet a couple years ago and discussed this book which was new at the time.

He talked about the battle. He talked about photographic techniques, both then and now, as he described how he set up the book. Just like having maps is helpful, I would think that for someone deeply interested in the fight at Port Hudson having photographs would also be of value. I was so impressed by his talk that when the library asked what book I'd like them to buy in honor of my 5 years of service I chose this one.

 

[bayouace]

Nice that the Library recognized you! If I remember correctly, Hewitt was a Park Ranger for a time at Port Hudson, and later a history professor at Southeastern Louisiana University some 60 miles away.

 

[USS ALASKA]

Lawrence Lee Hewitt, American Historian. Patron Columbia Theater Players, Hammond; judge Louisiana Science Fair. Fellow Port Hudson Battlefield History Society; member Southern History Association, Louisiana History Association, Southeast Louisiana History Association, Society Civil War Historians, Baton Rouge Civil War Round Table, Port Hudson Campaign Committee, Pelican Arms Collectors Association, Inc., Phi Alpha Theta, Phi Kappa Phi.

Background
Hewitt, Lawrence Lee was born on March 5, 1953 in Louisville.

Education
Associate of Arts, Jefferson Community College, 1973. Bachelor, University Kentucky, 1974. Master of Arts, Louisiana State University, 1977. Doctor of Philosophy, Louisiana State University, 1984.

Career
Historic site manager, Port Hudson State Commemorative Area Louisiana Office of State Parks, Zachary, 1978-1982; historic site manager, Camp Moore State Commemorative Area Louisiana Office of State Parks, Tangipahoa, 1982-1986; instructor department history and government, Southeastern Louisiana U., Hammond, 1985-1986; scholar-in-residence, Center for Regional Studies Southeastern Louisiana U., Hammond, 1986-1987; visiting assistant professor department history and government, Southeastern Louisiana U., Hammond, 1987-1988; assistant professor department history and government, 1988-1989; associate professor department history and government, since 1989; historian, R. Christopher Goodwin & Associations, Incorporated, New York Orleans, 1987; senior historian, R. Christopher Goodwin & Associations, Incorporated, New York Orleans, 1987-1988; projects manager, R. Christopher Goodwin & Associations, Incorporated, New York Orleans, 1988-1989; supervisory historian, R. Christopher Goodwin & Associations, Incorporated, New York Orleans, 1989-1991. Consultant United States C.E. Chicago Public Library., Louisiana State University Press, The Forum Press, Inc., Arlington Heights, Illinois, Gulf Coast History Review, Louisiana History, United States Customs Svc., NewOrleans, higher education-professional division Scott, Foresman, Glenview, Illinois, Louisiana Endowment for Humanities, Conservation Fund, Civil War Battlefield Project, Arlington, Virginia, Journal Confederate History, Confederate Memorial Hall. Lecturer in field.

Achievements
Lawrence Lee Hewitt has been listed as a noteworthy Historian by Marquis Who's Who.

Lawrence Lee Hewitt

Lawrence Lee Hewitt, American Historian. Patron Columbia Theater Players, Hammond; judge Louisiana Science Fair. Fellow Port Hudson Battlefield History Society; member Southern History Association, Louisiana History Association, Southeast Louisiana History Association, Society Civil War...

prabook.com

Cheers,
USS ALASKA

 

[7th Mississippi Infantry]

Lawrence Lee Hewitt, American Historian. Patron Columbia Theater Players, Hammond; judge Louisiana Science Fair. Fellow Port Hudson Battlefield History Society; member Southern History Association, Louisiana History Association, Southeast Louisiana History Association, Society Civil War Historians, Baton Rouge Civil War Round Table, Port Hudson Campaign Committee, Pelican Arms Collectors Association, Inc., Phi Alpha Theta, Phi Kappa Phi.

Background
Hewitt, Lawrence Lee was born on March 5, 1953 in Louisville.

Education
Associate of Arts, Jefferson Community College, 1973. Bachelor, University Kentucky, 1974. Master of Arts, Louisiana State University, 1977. Doctor of Philosophy, Louisiana State University, 1984.

Career
Historic site manager, Port Hudson State Commemorative Area Louisiana Office of State Parks, Zachary, 1978-1982; historic site manager, Camp Moore State Commemorative Area Louisiana Office of State Parks, Tangipahoa, 1982-1986; instructor department history and government, Southeastern Louisiana U., Hammond, 1985-1986; scholar-in-residence, Center for Regional Studies Southeastern Louisiana U., Hammond, 1986-1987; visiting assistant professor department history and government, Southeastern Louisiana U., Hammond, 1987-1988; assistant professor department history and government, 1988-1989; associate professor department history and government, since 1989; historian, R. Christopher Goodwin & Associations, Incorporated, New York Orleans, 1987; senior historian, R. Christopher Goodwin & Associations, Incorporated, New York Orleans, 1987-1988; projects manager, R. Christopher Goodwin & Associations, Incorporated, New York Orleans, 1988-1989; supervisory historian, R. Christopher Goodwin & Associations, Incorporated, New York Orleans, 1989-1991. Consultant United States C.E. Chicago Public Library., Louisiana State University Press, The Forum Press, Inc., Arlington Heights, Illinois, Gulf Coast History Review, Louisiana History, United States Customs Svc., NewOrleans, higher education-professional division Scott, Foresman, Glenview, Illinois, Louisiana Endowment for Humanities, Conservation Fund, Civil War Battlefield Project, Arlington, Virginia, Journal Confederate History, Confederate Memorial Hall. Lecturer in field.

Achievements
Lawrence Lee Hewitt has been listed as a noteworthy Historian by Marquis Who's Who.

Lawrence Lee Hewitt

Lawrence Lee Hewitt, American Historian. Patron Columbia Theater Players, Hammond; judge Louisiana Science Fair. Fellow Port Hudson Battlefield History Society; member Southern History Association, Louisiana History Association, Southeast Louisiana History Association, Society Civil War...

prabook.com

Cheers,
USS ALASKA

Thanks @USS ALASKA !

Seems Mr. Hewitt might know a tad bit more
than others about Port Hudson.

 

[7th Mississippi Infantry]

Forgot to add ... I'm glad anytime Port Hudson is even mentioned.

Personally, I think the entire PH Campaign is one of the most important and ignored chapters in the Union's final capture of the
Mississippi River.

Many (but not all) "mainstream histories" mention Port Hudson only as a footnote to Grant's victory at Vicksburg.

Port Hudson was much more than an adjunct to Vicksburg.

 

[wtexas]

Out of curiosity, what mistakes did you find in Hewitt's study of the siege?

The most glaring mistake was a statement that Brigadier Henry Hopkins Sibley failed to help Gardner's forces at Port Hudson. IIRC, this allegedly occurred in February or March 1863–or at least the was the context.

However, Sibley's Brigade shows up in Louisiana later than that and then they are sent to the Bayou Teche where they participate in the Battle of Fort Bisland.

By the way, I've worked with Larry on a couple projects and have nothing but respect for him.

 

[gary]

Among the active historians Hewitt is the expert. His book Bastion stops short though and needs a second volume.

My favorite is David Edmonds' Guns of Port Hudson, Vol I and II. Both unfortunately are out of print.