The morning sun came up warm and bright, much to the pleasure of those who slept without their blankets and shelter. The soldiers were making some strong coffee when word came that the Confederates had been defeated and retreated from their front. The orders were to follow them immediately.
Charles Johnson related this story of the morning's events.
At this time a young Confederate soldier turned up, but from just where no one knew. One of our surgeons, however, tapped him on the shoulder, saying: "You are my prisoner." He was "willin'," and was at once turned over to the proper authorities.The army fell into line and began to march along the road to Port Gibson. They saw the place where the Confederates made their last stand, while the rest retreated. It was on the top of a hill. Charles Johnson describe the scene:
By the roadside, near a pile of rails, lay a dead Confederate. He seemed to have been a tall, lanky fellow, a typical specimen, and though the weather was as warm as June in the North, there was yet on his head a heavy fur cap. A little farther on, under a mulberry tree, lay the body of a good-looking young Confederate. He was rotund in figure, and had on what seemed to be a new suit of gray jeans. Already the blue flies were hovering about the dead body; but his late enemies, thus soon becoming familiar with violent forms of death, complacently gathered mulberries from the tree above him. Most of the Confederate dead were said to have been collected before the retreat and buried in a ravine. Those seen were what fell from the few left behind to cover the retreat. Thus, a few scattered dead Federal soldiers by the roadside were seen when coming upon the battlefield eighteen hours before, and now several Confederate dead, fallen by the wayside, were come upon when leaving the field....
At about 9 o'clock they reached Port Gibson. Over several houses flew red flags, indicating the buildings were occupied as hospitals. At the door of one of these was an friendly and talkative enlisted Confederate soldier. The enthusiastic Southerner warned the Union soldiers, "o, you never will take Vicksburg in the world. It will turn out just like your On to Richmond. The South will gain her independence, and Southern Illinois and Southern Indiana will yet become a part of the Confederacy."
This man was dressed in gray jeans and spoke quite intelligently. He did not have a Southern accent but hooted derisively at Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation as utterly futile.
The 13th Army Corps entered Port Gibson in triumph, the. Their enemy had hastily fled the previous night, burning the bridge across the Bayou Pierre in order to slow the pursuit of the Federal. It was therefore necessary for the Union regiments to remain Port Gibson for some time, until a pontoon bridge could be constructed.
With his victory at Port Gibson, General Grant had completely flanked Grand Gulf. That Confederates evacuated Grand Gulf and moved to Vicksburg. As soon as he learned this, General Grant made arrangements for changing his base of supplies from Bruinsburg to Grand Gulf.
This man was dressed in gray jeans and spoke quite intelligently. He did not have a Southern accent but hooted derisively at Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation as utterly futile.
The 13th Army Corps entered Port Gibson in triumph, the. Their enemy had hastily fled the previous night, burning the bridge across the Bayou Pierre in order to slow the pursuit of the Federal. It was therefore necessary for the Union regiments to remain Port Gibson for some time, until a pontoon bridge could be constructed.
With his victory at Port Gibson, General Grant had completely flanked Grand Gulf. That Confederates evacuated Grand Gulf and moved to Vicksburg. As soon as he learned this, General Grant made arrangements for changing his base of supplies from Bruinsburg to Grand Gulf.
