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PORTER’S FORGOTTEN ARMADA: IRONCLADS, TINCLADS & TIMBERCLADS ON THE RED RIVER IN 1864

HERE IS WHAT YOU WOULD HAVE SEEN IF YOU HAD BEEN STANDING ON THE BANKS OF THE RED RIVER IN 1864!

162 YEARS AGO, WARSHIPS CAME UP THE RED RIVER!!

Yep, that’s right! And one thing we’ve realized while doing our Twin Blends Porter’s Fleet presentations is that most people have never even heard of Porter’s Fleet or the incredible naval force that came up the Red River in 1864.

But imagine standing on the banks of the Red River and suddenly seeing THIS coming toward you…

In March of 1864, United States Navy Rear Admiral David Dixon Porter started up the Red River with an overpowering naval force. His fleet consisted of ironclads, tinclads, timberclads, high-speed rams, three river monitors with revolving turrets, and numerous support vessels.

The fleet carried 210 heavy guns and numbered around 108 boats!

ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHT BOATS!!

Just stop and imagine what that must have looked like coming up the Red River.

Iron and steel warships, gunboats, rams and monitors stretching as far as you could see.

And where were they headed?

SHREVEPORT.

But why was Shreveport so important?

COTTON.

Cotton was a major factor in the Union’s interest in the Red River Campaign. The Red River Valley was an important cotton-producing region, and the Union hoped that capturing Shreveport and controlling the Red River would help them seize Confederate cotton and weaken the South’s ability to finance and supply the war.

Shreveport was also strategically important because of its location and its connection to the Confederate Trans-Mississippi Department.

So Porter’s massive fleet wasn’t simply coming up the Red River for a sightseeing trip.

They were coming for Shreveport — and the cotton, supplies and strategic advantages that came with it.

But the Confederates had a plan of their own.

To stop Porter’s Fleet from reaching Shreveport, the Confederates scuttled the giant steamboat New Falls City crossways in the river, creating a massive obstruction from one side of the river to the other.

Then, as the water level of the Red River continued to fall, Porter’s massive fleet found itself trapped farther and farther downstream.

The Confederates had also diverted much of the Red River’s flow into Bayou Pierre by blowing the dam at Tone’s Bayou just below Shreveport, making the situation even worse.

Eventually, Porter’s Fleet was forced to retreat.

Think about that for a moment…

One of the largest naval forces ever to come up the Red River was stopped short of Shreveport.

And yet, so many people today have never heard this story. One reason is because after the war the Confederates had just been defeated and they weren't in a position to boast. The Union, on the other hand, was not proud of the fact that their mission up the Red River had failed so they were not eager to brag about it.

That’s one of the reasons we love doing these presentations. We’re trying to bring these incredible pieces of Shreveport and Northwest Louisiana history back to life.

Warships. Cotton. Shreveport. The Red River.

All of these things came together in one of the most incredible—and often forgotten—chapters of Civil War history.

To see and hear Gary Joiner’s and our presentation on Porter’s Fleet, click the following link:

WATCH THE PRESENTATION ON YOUTUBE
www.youtube.com/watch?v=rM684Pp_iko

(Our full video will be available in the future.)

And if you want to learn even more about the Red River Campaign, be sure to check out Gary Dillard Joiner’s books on the campaign. They are an incredible resource for understanding what happened right here in our own backyard.

History is all around us. Sometimes we just have to look for it.

****If your group would like to here our Porter's Fleet presentation let us know!!!

(This post was written with the help of A.I. All photos are original photos just colorized)

#TwinBlends #PortersFleet #PortersForgottenArmada #RedRiverCampaign #RedRiverCampaign1864 #ShreveportHistory #LouisianaHistory #CivilWarHistory #CivilWarNavy #Ironclads #Tinclads #Timberclads #CottonHistory #KingCotton #Vicksburg #VicksburgHistory #SiegeOfVicksburg #VicksburgCampaign #MississippiCivilWar #TransMississippi #ShreveportCivilWar #RedRiverHistory #DavidDixonPorter #ForgottenHistory #HistoryComesAlive ... See MoreSee Less

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SHREVEPORT TIME CAPSULE DISCOVERED!

*****TIME CAPSULE OPENING CEREMONY COMING SOON!!

Something remarkable has been discovered inside the Shreveport Police Department building— a time capsule sealed away in 1958, nearly 70 years ago!

But the story of this building actually goes back even further…

BACK IN 1945, the City of Shreveport was searching for a location for a new Civic Center to replace the existing City Hall and Municipal Building.

An idea was floated by then-Mayor Sam S. Caldwell to build the new Civic Center on Grand Avenue, across from the Shreveport Municipal Auditorium.

Obviously, that plan never came to fruition.

Then, in August of 1954, the city purchased the old Charity Hospital property as the site for the new Civic Center.

(To see our post about Charity Hospital, be sure to search Facebook for “Twin Blends Charity Hospital.”)

Construction began in 1957 on what would become the new Shreveport Civic Center.

The complex housed City Hall, City Court and police facilities, becoming an important center of city government and law enforcement.

And here’s where this story gets REALLY interesting…

In 1957, Shreveport photographer Thurman C. Smith was on hand to document the construction of the new Civic Center.

Thurman captured these incredible photographs while the building was rising from the ground—giving us a remarkable look at the construction of a building that would become such an important part of Shreveport history.

And now, nearly seven decades later, those photographs take on an entirely new meaning.

LOOK CLOSELY AT THE ARROWS IN THESE PHOTOS!

The arrows point to the location where the 1958 time capsule was found.

Shreveport Police Chief Wayne Smith recently revealed that the location of the time capsule was identified with the help of original building plans uncovered during a renovation project.

To see KTBS's story on the time capsule click on the following link! KTBS's story on the time capsule!

www.facebook.com/share/p/1JngoEyqSK/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Think about that…

In 1958, someone intentionally placed something inside this building knowing that it might not be seen again for generations.

And now, nearly 70 years later, we know exactly where it was hidden.

What did they put inside?

See attached article for information on what went inside!

Who placed it there?

What did the people of Shreveport in 1958 think was important enough to preserve for future generations?

And perhaps most fascinating of all…

Thurman C. Smith was there to photograph the building as it was being constructed in 1957—and today, those photographs can help us visualize the very spot where that time capsule was hidden.

When City Hall eventually moved out of the building, the facility became home to the Shreveport Police Department, adding yet another chapter to the building's history.

This is why we love digging into Shreveport's past.

Sometimes history is found in an old photograph.

Sometimes it's found in an original blueprint.

And sometimes…

THE PAST LEAVES A MESSAGE SEALED INSIDE A WALL, WAITING NEARLY 70 YEARS FOR SOMEONE TO FIND IT.

#ShreveportHistory #Shreveport #TimeCapsule #TwinBlends #ThurmanCSmith #NorthwestLouisianaHistory #ShreveportPolice #ShreveportCivicCenter ... See MoreSee Less

What a GREAT presentation today by our buddy, Joseph Littlejohn at the East Shreveport Rotary Club meeting at Copeland’s of New Orleans restaurant!

Joseph took us back in time and shared stories from his days as a manager of the legendary Captain Shreve Hotel. And let us tell you… this man had some STORIES!

Mark and I have always wondered, “How in the world was Joseph able to be the manager of the Captain Shreve Hotel way back then”?

Well, today we got our answer — he was a manager at just 25 years old!

Joseph had us laughing, remembering, and completely captivated as he shared his experiences and gave us a glimpse into what it was like working at one of Shreveport’s most historic hotels.

When the presentation was over, Mark and I looked at each other and didn't even have to say much. We both agreed…

That was honestly one of the BEST presentations we’ve ever heard!

A huge thank you to Joseph for inviting us to be on hand as he shared his memories, his stories, and a little piece of Shreveport history!

These are the stories that make history come alive! This is exactly why we do what we do.

Thank you, Joseph! You knocked it out of the park! ... See MoreSee Less

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SHREVEPORT STREETCAR HISTORY SAVED!

This is a PERFECT example of what we mean when we talk about TEammates!

Back in 2022, something incredible happened near downtown Shreveport.

While repairing a water main leak at the corner of Southern Avenue and Jacob Street, Jeff Smith with the Shreveport Water Department uncovered something that had been hidden beneath the streets for decades…

SHREVEPORT STREETCAR TRACKS!

One of our teammates, Kanski Bingham, spotted the discovery and immediately contacted us.

And just like that, it became a race against time to save a piece of Shreveport history!

We knew those tracks were scheduled to be covered back up and paved over within just a few days. After sitting beneath the street for roughly 80 years, this could have been our only chance to rescue a piece of them.

So we went to work.

100-degree heat.

A ticking clock.

A massive piece of railroad rail buried beneath the pavement.

Saving history is NEVER easy—and this one was almost impossible.

We worked feverishly trying to cut through the rail. Then, just when we thought we were getting close…

The oxygen on the acetylene tank ran out!

It looked like we might have lost our chance.

But our teammate Frank Head wasn't about to give up. He brought out his small edge grinder and worked the rail to the point where we could finally use a car hoist to lift it.

Then it happened…

SNAP!

The rail broke free!

You would have thought we had just won the Super Bowl!

Because that sound wasn't just a piece of metal breaking.

That was the sound of HISTORY being saved!

A large section of that original streetcar rail was donated to the Shreveport Railroad Museum on North Common, where it will be put on display in the near future.

And Frank even cut smaller pieces of the rail for all of us to keep as souvenirs—a little piece of Shreveport history that we can actually hold in our hands.

This is exactly why TEAMMATES matter.

One person sees something.

Another person makes a phone call.

Others show up.

Everyone pitches in.

And together, something that could have disappeared forever gets SAVED.

Much thanks to Kanski Bingham, Frank Head, Gloria Gill Owens, Randy Bradford, Dan Thurston, Dr. Gary Dillard Joiner, and Dave Bland for helping make this happen.

This is what being a Twin Blends Teammate is all about.

We don't just remember Shreveport history…
WE SAVE IT!

SHREVEPORT STREETCAR HISTORY — SAVED!

#TwinBlends #ShreveportHistory #ShreveportStreetcars #LouisianaHistory #HistoryHunters #SaveOurHistory #Teammates #LostShreveport #ShreveportRailroadMuseum

History doesn’t save itself.

Sometimes, it takes a bunch of crazy people willing to work in 100-degree heat until they hear that beautiful SNAP!

That’s being a Twin BlendsTeammate!

#TwinBlends #NorthwestLouisianaHistory #ShreveportHistory #StreetcarHistory ... See MoreSee Less