Overview
The Battle of Chickasaw Bayou was fought from December 26–29, 1862, during the Union campaign to capture Vicksburg, Mississippi. Control of Vicksburg was important because the Confederate stronghold helped the South maintain control of a major section of the Mississippi River. Earlier in 1862, Union forces captured New Orleans and Memphis, strengthening Federal control of the river, but Vicksburg remained a major obstacle.
Vicksburg stood on high bluffs along the eastern side of the Mississippi River. Swamps and bayous protected the city from the north, while a line of forts armed with 172 guns defended its eastern approaches. These natural and constructed defenses made Vicksburg extremely difficult to attack.
In December, Ulysses S. Grant divided the Army of the Tennessee and launched his first attempt to capture the city. Grant led about 40,000 soldiers south from Memphis while William T. Sherman took about 30,000 troops by boat down the Mississippi and up the Yazoo River. Three of Sherman’s divisions landed at Johnson’s Plantation on December 26, and the fourth landed farther upstream the next day.
Confederate commanders John C. Pemberton and Stephen D. Lee positioned more than 13,000 soldiers at Chickasaw Bluffs. Sherman’s troops had to cross swamps, deep water, and defensive barriers to reach them.
On December 28, Sherman tried to turn the Confederate right flank, but Confederate artillery stopped the attack. On December 29, Union artillery bombarded the Confederate defenses for several hours before Sherman ordered a frontal assault. Confederate troops repulsed the attack and several additional assaults. Sherman abandoned further attacks and withdrew.
Essential Facts
- Also Known As: Battle of Chickasaw Bluffs, Battle of Walnut Hills.
- Date: December 26–29, 1862.
- Location: Northeast of Vicksburg, in Warren County, Mississippi.
- Participants: The United States of America (USA) and the Confederate States of America (CSA).
- USA Commanders: William T. Sherman.
- CSA Commanders: John C. Pemberton, Stephen D. Lee.
- Who Won: The Confederate States won the Battle of Chickasaw Bayou.
- Campaign: Vicksburg Campaign.
- Era: Civil War, January–June, 1863.
Statistics
United States of America
- Casualties: 1,776 (208 killed, 1,005 wounded, and 563 captured or missing).
- Forces Engaged: Right Wing, 13th Army Corps.
- Troop Strength: Roughly 30,000.
Confederate States of America
- Casualties: 207 (63 killed, 134 wounded, and 10 captured or missing).
- Forces Engaged: Department of Mississippi and East Louisiana.
- Troop Strength: Roughly 13,700.
Significance
The Battle of Chickasaw Bayou is important to American History because it was the first major engagement of the Union campaign to capture Vicksburg. Although William T. Sherman’s force outnumbered the Confederates by more than two to one, difficult terrain and strong Confederate positions helped defeat the Union attacks. Sherman suffered more than eight times as many casualties as the Confederates. Combined with Ulysses S. Grant’s stalled overland offensive, the Confederate victory ended the Union’s first major attempt to capture Vicksburg.
History
After the Union successes at Fort Henry and Fort Donelson, the Federals turned their attention to the Mississippi River. If the Union could gain control of the Mississippi, the Confederacy would lose easy access to supplies from the Gulf of Mexico and territories in the American West. Admiral David Farragut captured the port city of New Orleans on May 18, 1862, closing down Confederate access to the Gulf. In June, the Union tightened its grip on the Mississippi when Federal forces captured the river city of Memphis, Tennessee. Still, the Confederacy controlled traffic on much of the river because of its strong fortifications at Vicksburg, Mississippi.
Vicksburg Geography
Vicksburg sits on a high bluff on the eastern side of the Mississippi River, south of the mouth of the Yazoo River. Known as “The Gibraltar of the Confederacy,” the city seemed to be impregnable. The height of the cliff on which it sat protected it from amphibious assaults. To the north, nearly impenetrable swamps and bayous protected Vicksburg. To the east, a ring of forts, mounting 172 guns, shielded the city from overland assaults. The land on the Louisiana side of the river, opposite Vicksburg, was rough, etched with poor roads and many streams.
Grant Divides His Forces
In July 1862, President Abraham Lincoln summoned Major General Henry W. Halleck to Washington to serve as chief of all Union armies. Halleck’s departure left Major General Ulysses S. Grant in charge of operations in the Western Theater.
In December, Grant divided his Army of the Tennessee into two wings and launched his first attempt to capture Vicksburg. Grant personally led about 40,000 Union soldiers who marched south out of Memphis. To the west, Major General William T. Sherman commanded about 30,000 soldiers who traveled by boat down the Mississippi River to the mouth of the Yazoo River. The flotilla then traveled up the Yazoo to Johnson’s Plantation, where three of Sherman’s four divisions disembarked on December 26. On December 27, the fourth division landed farther upstream.
Confederates Opposition
Upon landing at Johnson’s Plantation, Sherman began probing for weaknesses in the Confederate defenses protecting Vicksburg from the north. Reports from reconnaissance patrols were not promising. Lieutenant General John C. Pemberton and Brigadier General Stephen D. Lee had entrenched over 13,000 Confederate soldiers between Sherman and Vicksburg at Chickasaw Bluffs (also known as Walnut Hills). To assault the Confederate defenses, Sherman’s soldiers would have to cross an area of swampland and the chest-deep waters of Chickasaw Bayou. To make matters worse, the Confederates had constructed defensive barriers at the base of the bluffs.
December 27, 1862 — Sherman Attacks
On December 27, the Federal soldiers began moving through the swamplands toward Chickasaw Bluffs. On December 28, Sherman ordered one division to turn the right flank of the Confederate lines, but Confederate artillery fire repulsed the attempt. Seeing no other option, Sherman ordered a frontal assault on December 29.
At about 7 a.m. on December 29, Union artillery began bombarding the Confederate defenses. The barrage lasted until about 11 a.m. but had little effect. At noon, the Union soldiers began their assault. Stiff resistance from the Confederate defenders forced them to fall back. Several other attacks later in the day also failed. By evening, the Confederates had inflicted over 1,700 casualties upon the Federals, compared with just over 200 of their own.
Sherman planned to continue the assault the next day, but overnight he thought better of it and withdrew, ending the battle.
Outcome
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 Confederates. The Southern victory, coupled with Grant’s stalled overland offensive to the east, ended the Union’s first attempt to capture Vicksburg.
Timeline
- 1861 — President Abraham Lincoln pressured Union commanders in the West to invade the South.
- 1862, February 16 — Ulysses S. Grant received promotion to Major General after his victories at Fort Henry and Fort Donelson.
- 1862, May 18 — Admiral David Farragut captured New Orleans, cutting off a major Confederate connection to the Gulf of Mexico.
- 1862, June — Union forces captured Memphis, Tennessee, strengthening Federal control of the Mississippi River.
- 1862, July — President Abraham Lincoln called Henry W. Halleck to Washington, leaving Ulysses S. Grant in charge of operations in the Western Theater.
- 1862, December — Grant divided the Army of the Tennessee and launched his first attempt to capture Vicksburg.
- 1862, December 26 — Three of Sherman’s four divisions landed at Johnson’s Plantation.
- 1862, December 27 — Sherman’s fourth division landed further upstream, and Union troops moved through the swamps toward Chickasaw Bluffs.
- 1862, December 28 — Sherman ordered an attempt to turn the Confederate right flank, but Confederate artillery repulsed the attack.
- 1862, December 29
- Union artillery bombarded the Confederate defenses before Sherman launched a frontal assault.
- Confederate forces repulsed several Union attacks and inflicted more than 1,700 casualties on Sherman’s army.
AP US History
Definition
Battle of Chickasaw Bayou (1862) — The Battle of Chickasaw Bayou was fought from December 26–29, 1862, during the Vicksburg Campaign and resulted in a Confederate victory. William T. Sherman landed about 30,000 Union soldiers north of Vicksburg, where Confederate forces occupied strong positions at Chickasaw Bluffs. Sherman’s attempt to turn the Confederate right flank failed on December 28. The next day, Union artillery bombarded the defenses before Sherman launched several unsuccessful frontal attacks. The defeat ended the Union’s first major attempt to capture Vicksburg.
Alignment
The Battle of Chickasaw Bayou is part of the following AP US History sections:
