The Battle of Cloutierville
Though far from the fighting for most of
the Civil War, the Red River Campaign in
the spring of 1864 brought the war and
its destruction to Magnolia Plantation.
Retreating Confederates contributed to
the first wave of destruction in late
March, burning gins and thousands of
bales of cotton to keep the valuable crop out of the hands of United States troops.
The second wave was the work of
retreating U.S. soldiers after the
disastrous Battle of Mansfield and the
inconclusive Battle of Pleasant Hill on
April 8 and 9. Retreating troops burnt
buildings and crops as they moved south.
On April 22-23 the two sides skirmished at Magnolia Plantation. U.S. forces in
Cloutierville under General Thomas
Kilby Smith defeated Confederate
cavalry attacking over the plantation's
fields. By the time U.S. forces left the
area, Magnolia's main house had been
burnt to the ground and the
plantation's overseer killed.