Commemoration of Battle of Baton Rouge At Historic Magnolia Cemetery on Aug. 7

The annual Battle of Baton Rouge Commemorative Ceremony will be held in the Historic Magnolia Cemetery at Florida Boulevard and 19th Street,  on Saturday, August 7.  The event will mark the Battle of Baton Rouge during the Civil War, which took place on August 5, 1862.

At 9 a.m., displays will include funeral memorabilia, Civil War artifacts, model ships, period maps and photographs.  At 10 a.m., the guest speaker will be Richard Holloway with the Office of State Parks. 

Holloway will discuss civilian life in Baton Rouge during the War with information from letters from that period which are in his possession. Tents, chairs and water will be placed under the oak trees of the historic cemetery.

Some of the Battle of Baton Rouge took place on the grounds of Magnolia Cemetery. At 4 a.m.  on the day of the battle, Major General John C. Breckinridge and his 2,600 Confederate troops entered Baton Rouge, trying to reclaim the city from Union occupation. 

The Confederate Army forced the Union troops back toward the Mississippi River. An integral part of the Confederate battle plan was the prompt arrival of the ironclad ram, the C.S.S. Arkansas to destroy Union ships on the river. 

However, the Arkansas suffered engine trouble and ran aground. Its crew burned it and set it adrift. 

Unharmed, the U.S.S. Essex and other Union gunboats bombarded the Confederate troops until they withdrew and marched out of Baton Rouge that same day. 

Union Brig. Gen. Thomas Williams and Confederate Lt. Alexander Todd, half-brother of First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln were among the fallen soldiers.

The Magnolia Cemetery, which was established in 1852, fell into disrepair following the war due to the poor economy. Since being restored, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the Civil War Discovery Trail. Sponsors for the event are the Magnolia Cemetery trustees, Preserve Louisiana, Rabenhorst Funeral Homes and  BREC.  For further information, 

contact Chip Landry at 405-7607.