cavalry brigade, was sent south, deep
into Mississippi, to destroy the railroads
supplying Vicksburg, confuse Pemberton,
and keep the Confederates off balance.
The raiders rode southward to the east
of Jackson, eventually swinging west to
join up with Union troops at Baton
Rouge, Louisiana. The ruse worked.
Pemberton sent most of his cavalry
and an entire division on a wild goose
chase after the elusive Grierson, while
Grant ferried his army to the Mississippi
shore of the river. Sherman’s corps also
covered this operation, threatening a
new advance on Chickasaw Bluffs.
Grant’s force moved swiftly inland, cut
off from their supply lines, and lived off
the enemy’s land. He defeated a small
Confederate garrison at Port Gibson on
May 1, then marched northeast toward
the state capital at Jackson.Confederate confusion
In a matter of days, Grant’s boldness
had shattered Pemberton’s confidence.
His titular theater commander, Joseph
E. Johnston, was also surprised. Both
had supposed that Johnston would have
several months to assemble an army,
which, combined with Pemberton’s
35,000 men, would allow them to
attack on numerically equal terms at a
time and point of their choosing. Grant
had deprived them of that opportunity
and was moving to strike them in detail
(systematically). Pemberton thought he
was the likely first target, as Grant’s
easy option would have been to march
due north, up the river, with his flank
guarded by Porter’s fleet. Instead, Grant
moved to the east away from Vicksburg.Union victories
The War Department in Richmond
finally ordered Johnston to concentrate
his growing command at Jackson, but
Sherman’s and McPherson’s fast-movingGeneral John C. Pemberton
Pemberton was a Northerner but chose to fight for the
South in 1861—he believed in states’ rights, and his wife
was from Virginia. His unsuccessful defense of Vicksburg
was his only significant part in the war.
corps beat him to the city. Defeating
about 6,000 graycoats entrenched
outside the city on May 14, the Union
soldiers went to work burning railroad
yards, factories, and arsenals. Civilian
homes close to the fires also went up in
flames. Looking on Jackson’s smoking
ruins, Union soldiers derisively dubbed
them “Chimneyville.” This destruction
of the enemy’s infrastructure and civilian
property set a precedent for future Union
operations in the Western Theater.
Undeterred, Johnston urged
Pemberton to move quickly to join his
own remaining 6,000 men. On May 16,
Grant struck hard at Pemberton’sUNION ADMIRAL (1813–91)Born into a distinguished naval family, Porter
served in the U.S. Navy from 1829. In the Civil
War his first notable tasks were, as Farragut’s
subordinate, in helping plan and carry out the
capture of New Orleans and the later Mississippi
operations. His achievements in these brought
him command of the Mississippi River Squadron
in October 1862. In this post he made a major
contribution to Grant’s capture of Vicksburg. He
later commanded Union naval forces in the Red
River expedition of 1864, organizing the retreat
successfully after the land campaign went awry.
Finally, in 1865, he led the successful assault on
Fort Fisher, North Carolina.DAVID DIXON PORTER
advance force at Champion Hill,
between Jackson and Vicksburg. The
Confederates occupied high ground, but
McPherson’s corps relentlessly struck
their left flank, stunning the defenders.
Pemberton’s poor tactical leadership
made matters worse, and by the end of
the day the Confederates were in full
retreat. It was a superb tactical
victory for Grant’s army.Steaming past Vicksburg
On the night of April 16–17, Admiral Porter led 12
Union gunboats and transports south past Vicksburg,
to carry supplies to the position where Grant planned
to cross the river. Only one Union vessel was lost.