Battle of Liberty Place

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Battle of Liberty Place
Part of the Reconstruction Era
The "Louisiana Outrages", as illustrated in Harper's Weekly, 1874
Date September 14–17, 1874 Location New Orleans, Louisiana Result Louisiana state government victory
Belligerents
White League	Louisiana State Government Metropolitan Police State Militia
Commanders and leaders
Frederick Nash Ogden	James Longstreet (WIA)
Strength
5,000	3,500
Casualties and losses
21+ killed 19 wounded[1]	11 killed 60 wounded[2]

The Battle of Liberty Place, or Battle of Canal Street, was an attempted insurrection and coup d'etat by the Crescent City White League against the Reconstruction Era Louisiana Republican state government on September 14, 1874, in New Orleans, which was the capital of Louisiana at the time. Five thousand members of the White League, a paramilitary terrorist organization made up largely of Confederate veterans, fought against the outnumbered New Orleans Metropolitan Police and state militia. The insurgents held the statehouse, armory, and downtown for three days, retreating before arrival of federal troops that restored the elected government. At least 32 people, including at least 21 members of the White League, were killed in the fighting. No insurgents were charged in the action.

This was the last major event of violence stemming from the disputed 1872 gubernatorial election, after which Democrat John McEnery and Republican William Pitt Kellogg both claimed victory.