Tuesday, March 31, 1863

Around noon today, the J.C. Snow reached Milliken's Bend, about twenty miles above Vicksburg, on the Louisiana side.  The 130th Illinois Infantry went into camp.  They selected a site near the levee that ran all along the lowlands next to the river.  This levee had been built to protect the adjacent plantations in times of high water.  In many places these levees were broken, and the lowlands were flooded.  With the addition of the flood waters, the bayous and lagoons became large lakes.

Tuesday, March 31,1863 - part 1

An advance force under General McClernand, commanded by General Osterhaus, had been sent to scout  the route from Milliken's Bend to New Carthage.  They left Milliken's Bend on March 29th.  Today, some of the advance troops, the 69th Indiana and a section of artillery under Col. T. W. Bennett, arrived at Richmond.

Troops from Major Isaac F. Harrison's 15th Louisiana Cavalry held the town.  Bennett's men crossed Roundaway Bayou in yawls (small 2-masted sail boats) and quickly scattered the Harrison's troops in a short skirmish.

Monday, March 30, 1863

General Grant's plan was to march his troops through Louisiana, to a point below the Vicksburg guns.  Then he would ferry the troops across the Mississippi River and march overland to the rear of Vicksburg.

A route was laid out from Milliken's Bend and Young’s Point via Richmond, LA to New Carthage, about 30 miles below Vicksburg.  (Click on the map from the Library of Congress.  It will be a useful reference tool for th e next 30 days)
 
Before the march began there was yet another attempt to make use of a canal.  By excavating a 2 mile long canal a short distance below Duckport, the Mississippi could be connected with the Walnut Bayou.  This would open up a passage for small, shallow draft boats to transport troops and supplies from Duckport, along the Walnut Bayou, then along the Roundaway Bayou to New Carthage.

However, the gunboats and heavy transports would have to run the gauntlet of the Vicksburg batteries.

The canal was opened and one steamboat and several barges passed through the channel.  But when the river level began to fall rapidly, the route became useless.  However, it really wasn't needed, as the receding waters made it possible to march across the countryside.

Sunday, March 29, 1863

Besides ironclads, the men of the 130th also encountered another kind of warlike vessel on the Mississippi River.  These were called tinclads - ordinary steamboats protected with thin iron plating that was impervious to musket balls.  These boats were armed with several light pieces of artillery and manned with a sharpshooters.

They also saw several other transport boats loaded with troops heading down the river.

Saturday, March 28, 1863

This morning the sun came out bright and warm, as the winter storm moved on to the east.

As the J.C. Snow continued down the river, the men of the 130th Illinois Infantry took great interest in the gunboats that passed by.  The men on these patrol boats always came near and shared the points where passing vessels were most likely to be fired on by guerrillas.

Charles Johnson observed that,

 The sailors on the gunboats always seemed clean and well dressed, and the deck and all parts of the vessel in sight appeared neat and orderly. In more than one instance, too, it was noticed that Jack, having just done his washing, had hung it out to dry upon a line stretched upon the gunboat deck.

Most of the gunboats were heavily covered with iron.  However these ironclads were not all covered with the same pattern.

Friday, March 27, 1863

Today, the 130th Illinois Infantry was ordered to board the J.C. Snow for transport to Milliken’s Bend, Louisiana as part of the Vicksburg campaign.  They were now assigned to the 2nd Brigade, 10th Division, 13th Army Corps, Army of the Tennessee.  They would stay at Milliken’s Bend until April 25th.

It took the entire day to get organized and loaded on the riverboat.  As nigh drew near a severe snowstorm hit Memphis.  The J.C. Snow finally got underway about midnight.

Wednesday, March 25, 1863

The pace of activity in Memphis increased greatly as March began to wind down.  Preparations were being made as supplies and equipment were organized. Much of this activity took place along the banks of the Mississippi River, where it was loaded onto riverboats and sent down the river.

Sunday, March 22, 1863

Two months had now been wasted on efforts to find a way to get the Union army to a point below or in the rear of Vicksburg.  Although disappointed, General Grant was not totally discouraged.  He and his advisors carefully considered the situation again and three new plans were developed:  first, a direct assault on the Confederate works; second, to return to Memphis and reopen a campaign in the rear of of Vicksburg; or third, to find a way through the bayous and swamps on the western side of the Mississippi River and then cross the river and attack Vicksburg from the south.

The idea of a direct assault was rejected as too hazardous, with defeat being almost certain.  General Sherman urged the adoption of the second method as the most feasible, but the newspapers and the public in the North wanted aggressive action.  Grant was being characterized as failure in the newspaers, and many were urging the president to relieve him of his command.  And so, Grant ruled out a return to Memphis, as it would look like a retreat.

Grant knew the third option was full of risk, but it was his only real option.

Saturday, March 21, 1863

Admiral Porter sent word of his predicament to General Sherman.  Troops were quickly moved forward and today a sharp skirmish ensued.  The Confederates were driven back and Porter was no longer in danger.  However, the expedition turned back and  headed for the Mississippi River.  And so the Union forces suffered yet another failure on their efforts to gain a favorable position on Vicksburg.

Thursday, March 19, 1863

Private James T. Akers, from Fuller's Point, and assigned to Company G, died today in Memphis.

Wednesday, March 18, 1863

Two more soldiers from the 130th Illinois Infantry died today.  They were both from Company C and from Cairo:  Private Frederick Myers died in Memphis, and Private Benjamin Wilson died in St. Louis.

Today, Admiral Porter felt great progress had been made and began to believe this expedition would be successful.  However, the Confederates had learned of the expedition and remained a step ahead of them.  They sent a brigade of infantry, with several pieces of artillery, to head off the expedition.  A gun battery was planted along the route, and an attempt was made to get in the rear of Porter, with the hopes of cutting off his retreat and capturing his gunboats. 

Monday, March 16, 1863

Andrew Redding, a Private in Company E from Old Ripley, died today in Memphis.

While Ross and Quimby were working their way back to the Mississippi, Grant was informed that Loring was being reinforced from Vicksburg.  Fearing the Union expedition be surrounded and captured, Grant planned an expedition to relieve him and at the same time reach the Yazoo above Haynes' bluff.

The route selected was up the Yazoo and through a variety of sloughs, bayous, and backwaters.  Rear Admiral Porter, with the Pittsburg, Louisville, Mound City, Cincinnati and Carondelet, four mortar boats and two tugs, accompanied by General Sherman, with one division of his corps, started up the Yazoo today, preceded by the 8th Missouri troops who were to remove trees and other obstructions from the water.

Sunday, March 15, 1863

The Mississippi Flotilla was an important part of the army's campaign on Vicksburg.  The fleet was under the command of Rear Admiral David D. Porter.

The flotilla included his flag ship Benton; the gunboat Essex; the ironclads DeKalb, Cairo, Carondelet, Cincinnati, Louisville, Mound City, Pittsburg, Choctaw, Lafayette, Chillicothe, Indianola and Tuscumbia; the Rodgers gunboats Conestoga, Lexington and Tyler; the Ellet rams Fulton, Horner, Lancaster, Lioness, Mingo, Monarch, Queen of the West, Sampson and Switzerland; the tinclads Brilliant, Cricket, Forest Rose, Glide, Juliet, Linden, Marmora, Petrel, Rattler, Romeo and Signal; the mortar boats Abraham, Clara Dolsen, Gen. Lyon, Grampus, Great Western, Judge Torrence, New National and Red Rover, and the dispatch boat William H. Brown.

Over the last two days, a large number of boats belonging to the West Gulf Squadron commanded by Rear Admiral David G. Farragut, passed the batteries at Port Hudson, Louisiana and steamed north to take part in the Vicksburg campaign.

These included the flagship, Hartford, and Mississippi, Monongahela, Richmond, Genesee, Kineo, Albatross, Estrella and Arizona.  Also several various gunboats participated in some of the operations, including Alexandria, Argosy, Black Hawk, Champion, Covington, Curlew, Hastings, Exchange, Key West, Kenwood, Moose, New Era, Naumkeag, Pawpaw, Peosta, Prairie Bird, Queen City, Reindeer, St Clair, Silver Cloud, Silver Lake, Springfield, Tawah and Victory.

Saturday, March 14, 1863

Quimby began a short bombardment of Fort Pemberton, but again, there was little damage.  Quimby decided to send for a pontoon bridge, hoping he could cross the Yallabusha River and gain an advantage behind the rear of the fort.  But before the movement could be executed Grant ordered the entire force to return to the Mississippi River.

Friday, March 13, 1863

Confederate spies kept General Pemberton well informed of every movement Grant made.  When it became obvious the Union army was preparing to advance by the Yazoo, the Confederates took steps to slow them down.  Yazoo pass, as well as the Coldwater River, ran through a forest.  The Confederate army cut down a large number of trees, letting them fall  into the water.  This greatly slowed the advance of the Union boats, as the obstructions had to first be removed.

After testing the pass with some advanced troops, Grant ordered General McPherson to move his whole corps, about 30,000 men, down to Yazoo City, while two divisions of cavalry moved to the east to cut the Confederate's communications.

In the meantime, Confederate General Pemberton sent General Loring, with about 2,000 men and 8 heavy  guns to the mouth of the Yallabusha to halt the Union passage of the Yazoo.  About 5 miles below the mouth of the Yallabusha River, the waters of the Yazoo and Tallahatchie are within a short distance of each other because of a sharp bend.  Here Loring constructed a line of works, and called it Fort Pemberton.

The obstructions encountered by the Union troops gave Loring plenty of time to construct the fort and make preparations.  When the Union gunboats and transports arrived before the fort on March 11, 1863, they found the Confederates well prepared for battle.  The ground in front of the fort was filled with water, and so a troop assault was out of the question.  The only thing the Union gunboats could do was to fire on the Confederate's guns.

Yesterday the Union army established a land battery about 800 yards from the fort, and today the bombardment continued.  However, the union could do no damage to the fort.  Seeing no other options, General Ross moved his troops buck up the river until he met General Quinmby's division.  Quinby, being the senior officer, assumed command and ordered the whole expedition back to Fort Pemberton.

Thursday, March 12, 1863

After the failure of the Williams Canal, attention was turned to the Lake Providence route.  This route had been examined by engineers and thought to be practical.  The canal would be completed on March 16th, connecting Lake Providence with the Mississippi River.  But Grant would never use this route.  

Grant believed the route via the Yazoo pass, the Coldwater and the Tallahatchie rivers was the best of the two remaining options.  This route would allow Grant to gain the high ground on the Yazoo above Haines Bluff.

Yazoo pass was a bayou, connecting the Mississippi, through Moon Lake, with the Coldwater River.  In earlier times it had been used by boats from Memphis to Yazoo City, but before the beginning of the war it had been closed by a strong levee to reclaim a large tract of land that frequently flooded.

This route had been under consideration for some time.  Even before the failure of the Williams Canal, on February 3, 1863, the levee was blown up by a mine.  Four days later, on February 7th a Union gunboat entered the pass.

Wednesday, March 11, 1863

George F. Curry, a Private in Company G, from Fuller’s Point, died in Memphis today.

Tuesday, March 10, 1863

All of this activity marked the start of the Vicksburg campaign.  At the beginning of the campaign there were about 43,000 men in the Union ranks.  In a little over two months General Grant's army will swell to 75,000 men around Vicksbug.  

The strength of the Confederate forces at the beginning of the Vicksburg campaign was estimated to be between 40,000 to 60,000 men.  By the time Vicksburg surrendered, there was just over 31,000 Confederate soldiers. 

Monday, March 9, 1863

First Lieutenant William H. Miller, Company A, from Waterloo, died today.

Sunday, March 8, 1863

General Sherman's defeat at the battle of Chickasaw Bluffs in late December demonstrated the strength of the Confederate position on the north side of Vicksburg. General Grant then decided the best strategy was to gain a foothold below the city and attack from the south. 

To do this it would be necessary to transport the army and its supplies to some point down the river. The Queen of the West ran past the batteries in front of Vicksburg on the night of February 2nd, and the Indianola on the night of February 13th. Although these single vessels had passed safely, it was considered far too hazardous to attempt the passage of a large number of transports loaded with men and supplies. So, a channel for the boats was sought elsewhere. 

Three routes were considered. The first was the canal that had been excavated by General Williams across the southern part of the peninsula opposite Vicksburg in June of 1862. The second was to connect Lake Providence near the Arkansas line, with the Mississippi by a canal about a mile long and send the fleet through Louisiana via the Tensas, Black and Red rivers to a point on the Mississippi below Natchez. The third option was the Yazoo pass route on the eastern side of the river.

Work was commenced on the Williams canal early in February of 1863. The plan was to change the course of the original canal to insure a better current. The work preceded vigorously, despite the rainy weather that had set in. Unfortunately, on March 7, 1863, (yesterday) just as the canal was almost completed, the levee gave way, flooding the canal and the camps to the west of it.

The Williams canal was no longer an option.

Saturday, March 7, 1863

Vicksburg was called the Gibraltar of the West. Still today, the town rises sharply about 200 feet up the eastern bluff of the Mississippi. The west side of the river is low bottom land. Directly opposite Vicksburg is a long, narrow peninsula, formed by an abrupt horseshoe bend in the river just north of the city. This gave the Vicksburg batteries the chance to see their targets coming well before they fired down upon them.

At the bend the bluffs turn away from the river into a range called the Walnut Hills, leaving another bottom land through which the Yazoo river and numerous bayous flow. About seven miles below Vicksburg, the bluffs again recede from the river at Warrenton.

This terrain made Vicksburg a location that was easily defensible. It was protected on three sides by the river and its low bottoms. A line of troops from the Warrenton ridge on the south to the Walnut hills on the north, was all that was needed to guard against an attack from the east. 

Additionally, the plateau formed by the bluffs was full of deep ravines, which made it extremely difficult to maneuver troops.

At this time Vicksburg was the last remaining Confederate stronghold on the Mississippi River. In order for the Union Army to freely use the Mississippi for transportation of troops and supplies, the capture of Vicksburg was essential.

http://www.msgw.org/maps/cw-vicksburg.jpg 

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Friday, March 6, 1863

Yet another soldier from the 130th died today.  Private William W. Brown, assigned to Company E, died today.  He was from Pochahontas.

Thursday March 5, 1863

Garrison duty in Memphis also allowed the men of the 130th to attend church services.  Their presence in the local churches was probably accepted by some.  However, it's likely that many local residents resented the attendance by the "northern aggressors."

Charles Johnson had this to say:

I remember frequent attendance at an Episcopal Church in the city. The pastor had but one eye, and was a very plain man in appearance, but was an able preacher, Here I first saw General J. B. McPherson.  His division was at the time encamped near the city, and he improved the opportunity for attendance at a church which is said to be a favorite denomination with regular army officers. His handsome person, graceful carriage and affable manners are well remembered. 
 

Wednesday, March 4, 1863

Private Walter Wilbern from Selbysport, Maryland, died today at Memphis.  He was assigned to Company G. 

Tuesday, March 3, 1863

Private Josiah L. Livingston from Hutten died today in Memphis.  He was assigned to Company G.

Sunday, March 1, 1863

The 130th Illinois Infantry started off the new month with another desertion.  Private Charles Vandervest, Company H, from Claremont, was listed as deserted today.