When Louisiana seceded from the Union on January 26, 1861, no one doubted that a battle to control the Mississippi River was imminent. Throughout the war, the Federals pushed their way up the river. Every port and city seemed to fall against the force of the Union navy. �The capital was forced to retreat from Baton Rouge to Shreveport. Many of the smaller towns, like Bayou Sara and Donaldsonville, were nearly shelled completely off the map. It was not until the Union reached Port Hudson that the Confederates had a fighting chance to keep control of the mighty Mississippi.

For nearly a decade, Dennis John Dufrene has worked in the field of history. While earning a bachelor of arts degree in the field of history from Nicholls State University, Dennis completed a plantation internship at Laura Valley Plantation. This internship allowed him to perfect his researching skills and learn the importance of preserving and maintaining collections of historic artifacts. After graduation, Dennis married his wife, Tweety, and the couple moved to St. Francisville, Louisiana. It was during this time that Dennis was hired as an interpretive ranger at Audubon State Historic Site, also known as Oakley Plantation. Dennis began to write numerous history-based articles and press releases, give lectures, create exhibits, etc. Many of his articles were published, and he was even credited as a source in the book A Summer of Birds by Danny Heitman. Dennis served as senior writer for a historical conspiracy website known as Top Secret Writers and jumped at the chance to write his first book on the Civil War from a local perspective. For nearly a year, he conducted research and met with local experts to compile his latest work. It was during this time that he learned about the intricate role that the Civil War played on shaping the Baton Rouge area.

ISBN: 1609493516

6x9 Paperback

131 pages

Published: March  2012