Category: Chickasaw Bayou (Campaign Series)

December 27th Safely ashore and anticipating the arrival of BG A. J. Smith’s division from Milliken’s Bend Sherman formulated a plan to seize crossings of Chickasaw Bayou on the 27th,but his initial plan was altered when Smith’s troops were delayed. Restructuring the plan Sherman ordered BG Steele to detach Blair’s brigade and embark his remaining […]

December 26 Early on the 26th the transports headed for the Yazoo under guard of the gunboats. The convoy ran unopposed to the vicinity of Johnson’s Plantation where they tied up to disembark. BG George Morgan’s division led the expedition ashore at the eastern limit of the Johnson property. After a brief bombardment by the […]

Scouting the River While the land component was conducting operations at Milliken’s Bend, Admiral Porter’s fleet began the reconnaissance of the Yazoo River. Porter directed Lt Commander William Gwin to take his powerful vessel, Benton, along with the timber-clad gunboats Lexington and Tyler, the tin-clads Romeo and Juliet, and the ram Lioness to sweep the […]

Movement to Contact The last of the Memphis contingent (A. J. Smith’s division) departed Memphis at noon on December 21st and arrived at friars Point at dark. Because the transports for MG Frederick Steele’s Arkansas based troops were not due to arrive until early on the 22nd Smith’s troops has a layover at Friars Point. […]

Sherman Prepares Designated by Grant to front the expedition Sherman’s task to assemble the necessary resources for the strike at Vicksburg was complicated by several factors. The impending arrival of MG John McClernand left command of the expedition in doubt. McClernand, a political ally of the President, had been given command of any river operations […]