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.
