CAJUN COAST DAY TRIPS
tracks. Visit Fort Brashear and
the breastworks where Union
soldiers defended their position.
Visit the remaining portion of
Fort Brashear on the grounds
of the Atkinson Memorial
Presbyterian Church at 212
Fourth Street in Morgan City. A
historical marker is located on
the breastworks of the fort.
Leaving Morgan City going
west, travel to Patterson. The
Battle of Bisland took place
on April 12-13, 1863. A Union
force of 30,000 under Major
General Nathaniel P. Banks
marched through the sugarcane
fields to reach the Confederate
battle line and Fort Bisland on
the Bayou Teche. Imagine the
roar of cannons as a contingent
of 5,000 Confederate soldiers
defended their homeland
against the Union. Visit the
historical marker on Hwy.
90 west of Patterson near the
Calumet Cut.
Traveling further west
to the sugarcane fields above
Franklin, visit the site of the last
Confederate defenses against the
Union army in St. Mary Parish.
From Main Street in Franklin
turn right onto Sterling Road
near the Franklin Cemetery;
this road merges into Irish
Bend Road. On April 14, 1863,
Confederate forces under Major
General Richard Taylor attacked
General Cuvier Grover’s division
of the XIX Union Army
Corps at Irish Bend. You can
still view Nerson’s Woods, from
which the Confederates began
their attack on the Yankees in
the sugarcane fields. But the
Union forces recovered and the
Confederates retreated, leaving
the battlefield to the Union.
This Union victory, along with
that of the Battle of Bisland,
opened western Louisiana to
the Union army. A historical
marker is located on Irish Bend
Road near Nerson’s Woods and
the cane fields where the battle
occurred. Be sure to stop at
Grevemberg House Museum
and Shadowlawn to see Civil
War artifacts and Young
Sanders Center, a repository
of Civil War history.
DAY TRIPS
While visiting the Cajun Coast, enjoy these
other interesting attractions in the area.
HOUMA-THIBODAUX AREA
Houma Area Convention & Visitors
Bureau, (985) 868-2732, Web: www.
houmatourism.com • Visit the
Louisiana University Marine
Consortium, where researchers
study wetlands, or the Bayou
Terre-bonne Wildlife Museum.
In Thibodaux, visit Laurel
Valley Village, a rural life sugar
plantation museum or the
Center for Traditional Boat
Building at Nicholls State.
NEW IBERIA AREA
Iberia Parish Convention & Visitors
Bureau, (888) 942-3742, Web: www.
iberiatravel.com • New Iberia is the
hot side of French Louisiana.
Visit the Konriko Company
Store, Rip Van Winkle Gardens
and Shadows-on-the-Teche.
Then travel to Avery Island and
tour the Tabasco® Pepper Sauce
Factory and Jungle Gardens.
LAFAYETTE AREA
Lafayette Convention & Visitors
Commission, (800) 346-1958, Web:
www.lafayettetravel.com • You won’t
want to miss Lafayette, the
heart of Cajun Country, with
its authentic Cajun and zydeco
music, Cajun food, cultural
attractions, museums and lively
festivals.
BATON ROUGE AREA
Baton Rouge Convention & Visitors
Bureau, 1-800-LA ROUGE, (225) 383-
1825, Web: www.visitbatonrouge.com •
Visit the state’s capitol and tour
the Old State Capitol building
which documents Louisiana’s
political history.
NEW ORLEANS AREA
New Orleans Metropolitan Convention &
Visitors Bureau, (800) 672-6124, Web:
www.neworleanscvb.com • A blend of
distinctive architecture, unique
cuisine and cool jazz, only 1 1/2
hours away.
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/houmatourism.com
/iberiatravel.com
/www.lafayettetravel.com
/www.visitbatonrouge.com
/www.neworleanscvb.com