While this cruise is not a Civil War Themed cruise, there are opportunities to learn about the civil war battles on the various excursions. Today’s is Port Hudson, the longest siege of the civil war – 48 days, longer than Vicksburg. Why? The confederates held off the union army until Vicksburg fell and then they knew there would be no way they could win so they surrendered the next day. Vicksburg is 160 miles to the north and once they surrendered, the Union army would be coming for Port Hudson.

This battle was an incredible show of determination and will to live. There were 30,000 Union troops and 6,800 Confederates. At the end of the battle, 10,000 men lost by the Union and 1,000 lost by the Confederates.

The siege started on May 27, further major attack on June 14, and continue bombardment until July 9, 1863. Because the Confederates were cut off for 48 days, they lived on mules, horses, dogs, and rats.

The park has a trail that takes you along the Union side of the battlefield up to Fort Desperate. Here there is a wooden boardwalk that provides a better view of the area of the fiercest fighting. Fort Desperate is an earthen crescent- shaped fort built to maintain the defense line. It is as it was with a deep mote/pit in front about 8 feet deep. The troops would cover themselves up with wooden roofs. The landscape was incredibly dense with forest and ravines.

The line that surrounded Port Hudson is 4 miles long built up earthworks with men spaced out 5 feet.

There is a museum filled with items that were found as they did archeological digs on the land when they were turning it into a historic park. Our guide and the museum guides were excellent. We even had a demonstration of the 9 step load of the rifles used by both sides. Definitely worth a visit.

We drive back to where we are docked in St. Francisville. There were some good ol’ boys going fishing on a Sunday afternoon.

At this location on the Mississippi River site, there was a ferry service that transported cars and people across the river until a bridge was built in 2012.