Battle of Chickasaw Bayou Facts

December 26–29, 1862

Chickasaw Bayou Battle facts, including dates, location, casualties, leaders, who won, and more interesting facts you might not know. This fact sheet provides a quick overview of the battle and is for kids doing research and students preparing for the AP U.S. History (APUSH) exam.

Black and white photo of William T. Sherman.

Despite outnumbering his Confederate opponents by a ratio of over two to one, Major General William T. Sherman suffered over eight times as many losses of the Rebels at the Battle of Chickasaw Bayou. [Wikimedia Commons]

Also Known As

  • Battle of Chickasaw Bluffs
  • Battle of Walnut Hills

Date and Location

  • December 26–29, 1862
  • Northeast of Vicksburg, in Warren County, Mississippi

Campaign

Principal Union Commanders

Principal Confederate Commanders

Union Forces Engaged

  • Right Wing, 13th Army Corps

Confederate Forces Engaged

  • Department of Mississippi and East Louisiana

Number of Union Soldiers Engaged

  • Roughly 30,000

Number of Confederate Soldiers Engaged

  • Roughly 13,700

Estimated Union Casualties

  • 1,776 (208 killed, 1,005 injured and 563 captured/missing)

Estimated Confederate Casualties

  • 207 (63 killed, 134 injured and 10 captured/missing)

Result

  • Confederate victory

Significance

  • The Battle of Chickasaw Bayou was the first major engagement of the Federal campaign to capture the Confederate fortress of Vicksburg, on the Mississippi River.
  • The Battle of Chickasaw Bayou was one of the more lopsided victories for either side in the Civil War. Despite outnumbering the Confederates by a ratio of over two to one, Sherman suffered over eight times as many losses as the Rebels.
  • The Confederate victory at the Battle of Chickasaw Bayou, coupled with Grant’s stalled overland offensive to the east, ended the Union’s first attempt to capture Vicksburg.

Timeline of the Vicksburg Campaign

These are the main battles and events of the Vicksburg Campaign in order.