The Vicksburg Campaign – Vicksburg is Key!

(March-July 1863)

The American Civil War, a conflict that cleaved the nation in two, hinged on numerous strategic locations and resources. Among these, the Mississippi River held paramount importance. It served as the economic artery of the nation, a vital waterway facilitating the transport of goods and agricultural products. However, with the secession of the Southern states, Confederate forces seized control of the river, effectively shutting it down to Union navigation and threatening to cripple the North’s economic engine. The Union recognized the necessity of reopening the Mississippi, and the key to achieving this goal lay in capturing Vicksburg.

President Abraham Lincoln, acutely aware of the strategic implications, emphasized the importance of The Vicksburg Campaign. He famously declared to his advisors, "See what a lot of land these fellows hold, of which Vicksburg is the key! The war can never be brought to a close until that key is in our pocket…We can take all the northern ports of the Confederacy, and they can defy us from Vicksburg." Lincoln further asserted his familiarity with the region, stating, "I am acquainted with that region and know what I am talking about, and as valuable as New Orleans will be to us, Vicksburg will be more so." His words underscored the critical role that the city played in the overall war strategy.

The imperative for the Union administration in Washington, D.C., was clear: regain control of the lower Mississippi River. This would not only reopen this crucial commercial route, allowing the agricultural wealth of the Northwest to reach global markets, but also achieve several other critical objectives. Seizing the river would effectively split the Confederacy in two, severing a vital Confederate supply line. Furthermore, it would accomplish a major goal of the Anaconda Plan, a strategic blueprint designed to suffocate the South by blockading its ports and controlling its waterways. Ultimately, securing the Mississippi and taking The Vicksburg Campaign would significantly hasten the fall of Richmond, Virginia, the Confederate capital.

In the spring of 1863, Major General Ulysses S. Grant, a rising star in the Union Army, launched the The Vicksburg Campaign with his Army of the Tennessee. His objective was to seize Vicksburg and deliver to President Lincoln the key to a Union victory. This campaign, a testament to Grant’s strategic acumen and relentless determination, would become a defining moment in the Civil War and cement his place in military history.

Grant’s initial strategy involved a two-pronged assault. Major General William T. Sherman, a trusted subordinate, was tasked with advancing to the Yazoo River and attempting to approach Vicksburg from the northeast. Simultaneously, Grant would lead the remaining forces down the Mississippi Central Railroad. However, both of these initial efforts were met with failure, highlighting the formidable defenses of Vicksburg and the challenges of the terrain.

Undeterred, Grant embarked on a series of "experiments" or expeditions, collectively known as Grant’s Bayou Operations. These initiatives aimed to establish waterborne access to the Mississippi River south of Vicksburg, bypassing the city’s heavily fortified artillery batteries. Despite their ingenuity and the resources committed, all five of these attempts ultimately proved unsuccessful. The Confederates, under the command of Lieutenant General John C. Pemberton, proved adept at defending the waterways and thwarting the Union advances.

A turning point arrived when Union gunboats and troop transport vessels daringly ran the gauntlet of the Vicksburg batteries. These ships, braving a hail of Confederate fire, successfully navigated the river and rendezvoused with Grant’s troops, who had marched overland through Louisiana. On April 29th and 30th, 1863, Grant’s army crossed the Mississippi River and landed at Bruinsburg, Mississippi. Deception played a crucial role in this operation, as an elaborate series of demonstrations and diversions successfully misled the Confederates, allowing the landings to occur without significant opposition.

Over the subsequent seventeen days, Grant skillfully maneuvered his army inland, engaging in a series of battles and skirmishes that gradually tightened the noose around Vicksburg. These engagements included battles at Snyder’s Bluff, Port Gibson, and Raymond. Grant’s forces captured Jackson, the capital of Mississippi, disrupting Confederate supply lines and morale. They then pressed onward to Champion Hill and the Big Black River Bridge, ultimately leading to the assault and siege of Vicksburg, which commenced on May 18, 1863.

The Vicksburg Campaign, spanning from December 26, 1862, to July 4, 1863, was a complex and multifaceted operation. It encompassed numerous naval actions, intricate troop movements, and several failed initiatives, punctuated by eleven distinct battles. Military historians generally divide the campaign into two formal phases: Operations Against Vicksburg (December 1862 – January 1863) and Grant’s Operations Against Vicksburg (March – July 1863).

The culmination of the campaign arrived on July 4, 1863, when Lieutenant General John C. Pemberton’s Confederate army surrendered to Grant. Five days later, on July 9th, Port Hudson, Louisiana, another key Confederate stronghold on the Mississippi, also surrendered. With these two victories, the entire Mississippi River fell under Union control. These events are widely regarded as a pivotal turning point in the Civil War, significantly weakening the Confederacy and bolstering Union morale. Grant’s Vicksburg Campaign is rightfully considered a masterpiece of American military strategy and a testament to his leadership.

Key Battles of the Vicksburg Campaign:

Following the setbacks of his bayou operations, Grant made a daring decision to march his army down the western bank of the Mississippi River, south of Vicksburg. The objective was to directly attack the fortress city or capture Port Hudson, Louisiana, using a combination of overland and naval forces. This strategic shift set the stage for a series of crucial battles.

• Grand Gulf (April 29, 1863): The opening battle of the campaign took place in Claiborne County, Mississippi. Union Rear Admiral David D. Porter led seven ironclad warships in an assault on the Confederate fortifications and batteries at Grand Gulf, aiming to silence the Confederate guns and secure the area for the landing of Union troops from McClernand’s XIII Army Corps. The attack commenced at 8:00 a.m. and continued until approximately 1:30 p.m. The ironclads, moving within a mere 100 yards of the Confederate guns, successfully silenced the lower batteries of Fort Wade. However, the Confederate upper batteries at Fort Cobun remained out of reach and continued to fire. Ultimately, the Union ironclads and transports were forced to withdraw. Under the cover of darkness, the ironclads re-engaged the Confederate guns while the steamboats and barges ran the gauntlet. Meanwhile, Grant marched his men overland across Coffee Point to a point below Grand Gulf. After the transports passed, they embarked the troops at Disharoon’s Plantation and disembarked them on the Mississippi shore at Bruinsburg, below Grand Gulf. The men immediately began marching inland toward Port Gibson. While the skirmish resulted in a Confederate victory, it only slightly altered Grant’s offensive plans. Union casualties were estimated at 80, while the Confederate losses remain unknown.

• Snyder’s Bluff (April 29-May 1, 1863): Also known as the Battle of Snyder’s Mill, this engagement occurred in Warren County. Union Major General William T. Sherman and Confederate Brigadier General Louis Hébert commanded their respective forces. To prevent Confederate troops from being diverted to Grand Gulf, a joint Union Army-Navy force conducted a feigned attack on Snyder’s Bluff, Mississippi. On April 29th, Lieutenant Commander K. Randolph Breese, with eight gunboats and ten transports carrying Major General Francis Blair’s division, moved up the Yazoo River to the mouth of Chickasaw Bayou. At 9:00 a.m. the next day, the force continued upriver to Drumgould’s Bluff and engaged the enemy batteries. The Choctaw gunboat sustained over fifty hits during the fighting, but suffered no casualties. Around 6:00 p.m., the troops disembarked and marched along Blake’s Levee toward the Confederate guns. As they approached Drumgould’s Bluff, a battery opened fire, causing havoc and casualties. The Union advance was halted, and the men re-embarked on the transports after dark. The following morning, other troops were disembarked, but the swampy terrain and heavy enemy artillery fire forced them to retreat. The gunboats resumed firing around 3:00 p.m. on May 1st, causing some damage. Later, the boats’ fire slackened and ceased altogether after dark. With orders to land his troops at Milliken’s Bend, General Sherman ordered the gunboats to return to their anchorages at the Yazoo River’s mouth. The number of casualties in this Confederate victory is unknown.

• Port Gibson (May 1, 1863): Also referred to as the Battle of Thompson’s Hill, this battle pitted Union General Ulysses S. Grant against Confederate Brigadier General John S. Bowen in Claiborne County. Grant initiated his march on Vicksburg in the spring of 1863, moving his army south from Milliken’s Bend on the west bank of the Mississippi River. His initial plan was to cross the river at Grand Gulf, but the Union fleet was unable to silence the Confederate artillery. Grant then marched further south and crossed at Bruinsburg on April 30th. Union forces landed, secured the area, and began marching inland. Advancing on Rodney Road toward Port Gibson, Grant’s force encountered Confederate outposts after midnight and engaged in skirmishes for approximately three hours. After 3:00 a.m., the fighting ceased. Union forces advanced on the Rodney Road and a plantation road at dawn. At 5:30 a.m., the Confederates engaged the Union advance, and the battle ensued. The Federals forced the Rebels to retreat. The Confederates established new defensive positions at different times during the day, but they could not halt the Union advance and withdrew from the field in the early evening. This defeat demonstrated the Confederates’ inability to defend the Mississippi River line and secured the Union’s beachhead. The road to Vicksburg was now open. The Union victory resulted in 861 Union casualties and 787 Confederate casualties.

• Raymond (May 12, 1863): This conflict, fought in Hinds County, involved Union Major General James B. McPherson and Confederate Brigadier General John Gregg. Under orders from Lieutenant General John C. Pemberton, the Confederate commander at Vicksburg, Brigadier General John Gregg led his force from Port Hudson, Louisiana, to Jackson, Mississippi, and then to Raymond to intercept Union troops. Before dawn on May 12, Major General James B. McPherson had his XVII Army Corps on the march, and by 10:00 a.m., they were approximately three miles from Raymond. Gregg decided to contest the crossing of Fourteen Mile Creek and positioned his men and artillery accordingly. As the Union troops approached, the Confederates opened fire, initially inflicting heavy casualties. Some Union troops broke, but Major General John A. Logan rallied a force to hold the line. Confederate troops attacked the line but were forced to retreat. More Federal troops soon arrived, and the Union forces counterattacked. Intense fighting continued for six hours, but the overwhelming Union force prevailed, and Gregg’s men withdrew from the field. Although Gregg’s men lost the battle, they had delayed a much larger Union force for a day. The battle resulted in an estimated 442 Union casualties and 569 Confederate casualties.

• Jackson (May 14, 1863): This battle, fought in Hinds and Jackson Counties, involved Union Major General Ulysses S. Grant, Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston, and Brigadier General John Gregg. On May 9, 1863, General Joseph E. Johnston received orders to "proceed at once to Mississippi and take chief command of the forces in the field." Arriving in Jackson on the 13th from middle Tennessee, he learned that two army corps from the Union Army of the Tennessee – the XV, under Major General William T. Sherman, and the XVII, under Major General James Birdseye McPherson – were advancing on Jackson, intending to cut off the city and its railroads from Vicksburg. Johnston consulted with the local commander, Brigadier General John Gregg, and learned that only 6,000 troops were available to defend the town. Johnston ordered Jackson’s evacuation, but instructed Gregg to defend the town until the evacuation was complete. By 10:00 a.m., both Union army corps were near Jackson and had engaged the enemy. Rain, Confederate resistance, and weak defenses hindered heavy fighting until around 11:00 a.m., when Union forces attacked in strength and steadily pushed the enemy back. In mid-afternoon, Johnston informed Gregg that the evacuation was complete and that he should disengage and follow. Shortly thereafter, the Union forces entered Jackson. They burned a portion of the town and severed the railroad connections with Vicksburg. Johnston’s evacuation of Jackson was a strategic misstep, as he could have had 11,000 troops at his disposal by the late afternoon of the 14th, and another 4,000 by the morning of May 15th. The fall of the Mississippi state capital dealt a blow to Confederate morale. The Union victory resulted in 286 Federal casualties and 850 Confederate casualties.