Highlights
- Two Civil War battles occurred at Lafayette’s Pinhook Bridge in 1863, with Confederate forces burning the bridge twice to slow Union advances
- The Battle of Vermilion Bayou on April 17, 1863 saw General Alfred Mouton’s forces use strategic artillery placement to force back Union troops
- Fort Bisland near Patterson and the Battle of Irish Bend near Franklin represent major Acadiana engagements largely forgotten today
- Confederate General Alfred Mouton, grandson of Lafayette’s founder, led troops in multiple Acadiana battles before his death at Mansfield in 1864
- Historical markers exist at some sites, but many Acadiana Civil War locations remain unmarked and unknown to local residents
The Lost Civil War Sites of Acadiana: Forgotten Battlefields and Stories Hidden in Plain Sight
Thousands of Lafayette commuters cross Pinhook Bridge daily, unaware two Civil War battles happened at that exact spot in 1863
LAFAYETTE, La. (KPEL News) — The quiet intersection at Pinhook Road and La Rue France sees thousands of vehicles pass through daily. Commuters grabbing coffee, parents shuttling kids to school, workers heading to downtown offices—all crossing the Vermilion River without a second thought.
But in 1863, this peaceful spot witnessed two Civil War battles that shaped Louisiana’s role in the conflict.
Download the KPEL-FM Mobile App Now
Confederate troops burned the Pinhook Bridge twice that year—once in April, again in October—as Union forces pushed deeper into Acadiana territory. Artillery fire echoed across what’s now a residential neighborhood. Soldiers died where a historical marker now stands, largely unnoticed by modern Lafayette…