• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
Heart of Louisiana Logo

The Heart of Louisiana

  • Staycations
  • Regions
    • New Orleans Region
    • Capital Region
    • Acadiana
    • Southwest Louisiana
    • Central Louisiana
    • Northshore
    • North Louisiana
    • Bayou Region
  • 60 Second Road Trips
  • TV Stories
  • History
  • Recent Posts
  • Show Search
Hide Search
Home/New Orleans/Fort Jackson – Louisiana Battleground
red brick archways interior of Fort Jackson Louisiana

Fort Jackson – Louisiana Battleground

Fort Jackson, a nearly two-century old stronghold on the Mississippi River in southeastern Louisiana, was the site of a ferocious Civil War battle with the Union Navy. The fortress, occupied by Confederate troops, failed to stop the Union advance. That led to the surrender of New Orleans and Union control of the lower Mississippi River.

Watch this 60 second tour of Fort Jackson

Work began on the brick star-shaped fort in 1822. Fort Jackson is located on the west bank of the Mississippi River 70 miles below New Orleans, Louisiana. Huge cypress timbers buried in the soft ground support the fort’s 8-foot-thick brick walls , according to Plaquemines Parish historian James Madere. Fort Jackson opened in 1830 when Andrew Jackson was President of the United States.

close up of flames shooting out of cannon barrel
Flames shoot from barrel of Civil War era cannon

louisiana’s Fort Jackson under siege

Fort Jackson endured 12 days of fierce bombardment during the American Civil War. Confederate troops occupied Fort Jackson and the older Fort St. Philip located on the opposite side of the Mississippi River. A Union fleet, commanded by Admiral David Farragut, sailed up the river and attacked the Louisiana forts in April of 1862. Madere says the Confederate troops took a unique approach to defending the forts. “They strung a chain along barges from Fort St. Philip to Fort Jackson, just to be able to slow down Farragut’s fleet,” Madere explained. But the Union attack set the barges on fire and the chains sank to the river bottom. And after pounding the forts with thousands of cannon balls, the fleet was able to sail past the forts and capture the city of New Orleans.

drawing of civil war ships firing cannon at Fort Jackson Louisiana
Union navy attacks Forts Jackson & St. Philip – courtesy Fort Jackson Museum
drawing of star-shaped Fort Jackson
Drawing of star-shaped Fort Jackson – courtesy of Fort Jackson Museum

fort jackson featured on tv

Watch Heart of Louisiana TV story on Fort Jackson
brick furnace inside Fort Jackson Louisiana
Fort Jackson’s brick furnace used to heat hot shot cannon balls

hot shot cannon balls

Fort Jackson contained a furnace for heating “hot shot” cannon balls. “They would roll the cannon balls through the very hot coals,” Madere says. “They came out the other end cherry red and fired at wooden ships on the river.”

black cannon ball and iron tongs
Iron tongs for handling hot shot cannon balls

nearby St. Philip built by the spanish

Fort St. Philip is located directly across the Mississippi River from Fort Jackson. The forts are located on a bend in the river, which required a slow and difficult maneuver for naval ships trying to sail upstream and avoid cannon fire. In the War of 1812’s Battle of New Orleans, Fort St. Philip successfully halted the advance of the British Navy on the Mississippi River.

TV feature on fort st. philip

Watch this story on Fort St. Philip and the Battle of New Orleans

Fort jackson bombarded by louisiana hurricanes

20th Century hurricanes continued to pound Fort Jackson. Storm surges from Hurricanes Betsy (1965), Camille (1969), and Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005 put the fort under 20 to 30 feet of water.

water floods interior of brick walled fort
Hurricane floodwater inside Fort Jackson

The hurricanes caused major damage to the brick walls and foundation. The interior of Fort Jackson is closed to visitors. But a park area around the fort is open. And the Fort Jackson Museum is located a short distance away.

moat surrounds red brick walls of fort
Part of the star-shaped outer wall of Fort Jackson

Getting to fort jackson and museum

Fort Jackson is located at 38039 LA-23, Buras, Louisiana. The museum and welcome center is located a half-mile before the fort on the river side of LA-23. The museum is normally open 8am-4pm weekdays, but call ahead to check status. 504-934-3783.

explore nearby history

A line of British Army red coat reenactors fire their muskets

Battle of New Orleans

    swing bridge in Jean Lafitte, Louisiana

    A Pirate’s Story in Lafitte

      Louis Armstrong's cornet in the Jazz Museum New Orleans

      Birthplace of Jazz

        Written by:
        Dave McNamara
        Published on:
        August 9, 2021
        Thoughts:
        2 Comments

        Categories: Featured, History, New Orleans

        Reader Interactions

        Comments

        1. Mark D. Vizzini

          August 13, 2021 at 3:44 pm

          I wish there was more reading material on Fort St. Philip. There is a lot of history there, also. Although in sad disrepair, nothing is known about its ownership or if there are are any efforts of preservation.

          Reply
        2. Rebecca Clay

          September 4, 2021 at 11:21 pm

          Why has there never been the construction of a bridge across the Mississippi River at St. Joseph, Louisiana? One has to travel quite a distance free this area to cross over into Mississippi.

          Reply

        Leave a Reply Cancel reply

        Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

        Heart of Louisiana logo

        Footer

        Copyright © 2022 Heart of Louisiana ยท Web Design

        • Facebook
        • Instagram
        • Twitter
        • YouTube
        • About Dave McNamara
        • Contact
        • Advertising Opportunities
        • Archives
        • Privacy Policy
        • Site Map