Mississippi flood of 1973 The Morganza Spillway was opened, flooding portions of the Atchafalaya River basin in Louisiana and causing the deaths of thousands of head of livestock and white-tailed deer. The 1973 flood was notable for nearly causing the failure of the Old River Control Structure above the Mississippi River Delta, which would have sent the Mississippi's main channel flowing into the Atchafalaya River and bypassing most of the delta region including the major port of New Orleans, Louisiana. In spite of record high flows, flood stages were not as high as past events. Red River Landing, Louisiana reached 58.22 feet on May
1st Missouri Regiment of Colored Infantry of Morganza, Dept. of the Gulf, to September 1864. 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, United States Colored Troops, District of Morganza, Dept. of the Gulf, to September 1864. Port Hudson, La., Dept. of the Gulf, to September 1864. Brazos Santiago, Texas, to October, 1864. 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, United States Colored Troops, Dept. of the Gulf, to December 1864. Brazos Santiago, Texas, to June 1865. Dept. of Texas to March 1866. Ordered to Baton Rouge, La., March 23, 1864, and duty there till June. Ordered to Morganza, La., and duty there till September. Expedition from Morganza to Bayou Sara September 6–7.