Overview
The Battle of Port Gibson was fought on May 1, 1863, during General Ulysses S. Grant’s Vicksburg Campaign, which sought to capture Vicksburg, Mississippi. Previous Union attempts to approach Vicksburg had failed because of the city’s strong defenses, difficult terrain, and Confederate resistance. Earlier Union attempts against Vicksburg had failed, including the attack at the Battle of Chickasaw Bayou (December 26–29, 1862).
In the spring of 1863, Grant developed a new plan. He moved the Army of the Tennessee south along the Louisiana side of the Mississippi River and relied on Admiral David Dixon Porter’s fleet to pass the Confederate batteries at Vicksburg. On April 29, Grant tied to land Major General John A. McClernand’s troops at Grand Gulf. Porter bombarded Fort Cobun for five and one-half hours but failed to silence the Confederate guns.
Grant responded by moving further south. McClernand and General James B. McPherson marched to Bruinsburg, while Porter moved ships past Grand Gulf. On April 30, roughly 23,000 Union soldiers crossed the Mississippi River and landed at Bruinsburg without opposition. Grant then sent his troops toward Port Gibson along Bruinsburg Road and Rodney Road.
General John S. Bowen commanded between 6,000 and 8,000 Confederate soldiers in the area. Because the Union army advanced along two roads, Bowen divided his force. General Martin E. Green defended Rodney Road, while General Edward D. Tracy defended Bruinsburg Road.
Fighting intensified after daybreak on May 1. Tracy was killed at about 8:00 a.m., and Confederate troops fell back as Union forces pressed forward. Confederate reinforcements established additional defensive lines, but the Federals continued their advance. After two Confederate counterattacks failed late in the afternoon, Bowen ordered a retreat.
The Union victory led Bowen to evacuate Fort Cobun at Grand Gulf. Grant then advanced deeper into Mississippi, eventually isolating Confederate forces at Vicksburg.
Essential Facts
- Date: May 1, 1863.
- Location: Claiborne County, Mississippi, roughly 30 miles south of Vicksburg.
- Participants: The United States of America (USA) and the Confederate States of America (CSA).
- USA Commanders: Ulysses S. Grant, John A. McClernand, James B. McPherson.
- CSA Commanders: John C. Pemberton, John S. Bowen.
- Who Won: The United States won the Battle of Port Gibson.
- Campaign: Vicksburg Campaign.
- Era: Civil War, January–June, 1863.
Statistics
United States of America
- Casualties: 875, including 131 killed, 719 wounded, and 25 missing or captured.
- Forces Engaged: Army of the Tennessee, 2 corps.
- Troop Strength: Roughly 23,000.
Confederate States of America
- Casualties: 787, including 60 killed, 340 wounded, and 387 missing or captured.
- Forces Engaged: Bowen’s Division.
- Troop Strength: Roughly 6,000–8,000.
Significance
The Battle of Port Gibson is important to American History because it established a strong Union presence in western Mississippi during the Vicksburg Campaign. After failing to land at Grand Gulf, Ulysses S. Grant moved roughly 23,000 troops across the Mississippi River at Bruinsburg in the largest American amphibious offensive before the Normandy Invasion of World War II. The victory at Port Gibson forced John S. Bowen to retreat and evacuate Fort Cobun. Grant then moved deeper into Mississippi, preventing Joseph E. Johnston from joining forces with John C. Pemberton.
History
At the onset of the American Civil War, the State of Tennessee comprised most of the northern border of the Confederate States of America in the West. Defending that border was difficult for the Confederacy because three major rivers (the Mississippi, which flows south to the Gulf of Mexico, and the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers, which flow north to the Ohio River) provided relatively easy access to the South.
Grant Captures Fort Henry and Fort Donelson
By late 1861, President Abraham Lincoln was pressuring Union commanders in the West to invade the South. On January 30, 1862, the Western Theater commander, General Henry Halleck, reluctantly approved Brigadier General Ulysses S. Grant’s request to attack Fort Henry on the Tennessee River. Within six weeks, Grant captured Fort Henry and Fort Donelson on the Cumberland River, establishing federal control of both waterways.
Federals Focus on the Mississippi River
With two of the three main rivers connecting the North and South under Union control, the Federals turned their attention to the Mississippi River. If Union forces could gain control of the Mississippi, they could deny the Confederacy 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. Nevertheless, the South still controlled traffic on much of the river because of its strong fortifications at Vicksburg, Mississippi.
The Gibraltar of the Confederacy
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 high bluff upon which the city sits made it nearly impossible to assault from the river. Farragut made two attempts to do so in May and June 1862, but both excursions failed. To the north, nearly impenetrable swamps and bayous protected Vicksburg. To the east, a ring of forts, mounting 172 guns, shielded the city from an overland assault. The land on the Louisiana side of the river, opposite Vicksburg, was rough, etched with poor roads and many streams.
Grant Tries to Capture Vicksburg
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 launched his first attempt to capture Vicksburg. He sent three divisions, commanded by his most trusted subordinate, General William T. Sherman, down the river from Memphis to attack Vicksburg from the north. Meanwhile, Grant approached the city with the bulk of his army from the east, but Confederate cavalry cut his supply lines, forcing him to retreat before launching an assault. Unaware that Grant had pulled back, Sherman attacked, but Confederate forces defeated him at the Battle of Chickasaw Bayou (December 26–29, 1862).
Grant Switches Tactics
During the winter, Grant made several unsuccessful attempts to approach Vicksburg from other directions. When spring arrived, he set a new plan into motion. On March 29, 1863, Grant put part of his army to work erecting bridges, draining bayous, and constructing a road past Vicksburg on the west side of the Mississippi. By mid-April, his men had carved a path through the Louisiana wilderness that would enable Grant to march the Army of the Tennessee past Vicksburg, cross the river, and then attack the city from the south.
Porter Runs the Gauntlet
To complete the river crossing, however, Grant needed the help of his naval forces. On the night of April 16, seven gunboats and three supply ships under the command of Rear Admiral David Dixon Porter ran the gauntlet of Confederate batteries along the river. Despite heavy Confederate fire, Porter passed the city, losing only one ship. On April 22, six more boats made it through, bringing Grant the supplies he needed to launch his assault on Vicksburg.
Diversionary Operations
To divert attention from his main operations, Grant ordered Sherman to feign an attack against Confederate forces stationed at Snyder’s Bluff, upriver from Vicksburg, from April 29 through May 1. Grant also ordered Colonel Benjamin Garrison to stage a daring cavalry raid through central Mississippi, which forced Confederate Commander of the Army of Mississippi, John C. Pemberton, to divert troops away from Vicksburg.
April 29, 1863 — Battle of Grand Gulf
On April 29, 1863, Grant put his grand scheme into action. With the aid of Admiral Porter’s gunboats, Grant attempted to move Major General John A. McClernand’s 13th Army Corps down the Mississippi River on transport barges and execute a landing on the east bank at Grand Gulf, at the juncture of the Mississippi and the Big Black River roughly thirty miles below Vicksburg. Five-and-one-half hours of shelling by Porter’s squadron failed to silence Fort Cobun, a Confederate artillery stronghold guarding the Mississippi River. Grant then called an end to the Battle of Grand Gulf. The Confederate victory proved inconsequential, however.
Grant Bypasses Grand Gulf
Later that night, Grant ordered McClernand and Major General James B. McPherson to march their 13th and 17th Army Corps down the Louisiana side of the Mississippi past Grand Gulf. Meanwhile, Grant’s troop barges, protected by Porter’s gunboats, ran past Fort Cobun. McClernand and McPherson then rendezvoused with Porter at Bruinsburg, fewer than ten miles downriver from Grand Gulf.
Grant Crosses the Mississippi River
The federal soldiers clambered aboard the barges at Disharoon’s plantation on the Louisiana side of the river, crossed over, and disembarked at Bruinsburg on the Mississippi side. The invasion of Mississippi by roughly 23,000 Union soldiers on April 30, 1863, was the largest amphibious offensive in American history prior to the invasion of Normandy, France, during World War II.
Pemberton Remains in Vicksburg
Despite the thousands of Federals involved, the Confederate forces in the area still outnumbered them. Lieutenant General John C. Pemberton, commander of Confederate troops near Vicksburg, had roughly 30,000 soldiers under his authority. Fortunately for Grant, Pemberton took his orders to defend Vicksburg at all costs literally. Rather than moving forward to confront the Union invasion force at Bruinsburg, where it was most vulnerable, Pemberton kept most of his troops in garrison at Vicksburg. As a result, the landing was unchallenged, and the only Confederates nearby were Major General John S. Bowen’s force of 6,000-8,000 soldiers who had marched to Port Gibson after thwarting Grant’s landing at Grand Gulf the previous day.
April 30, 1863 — Federals March toward Port Gibson
As the Union forces came ashore, they secured a beachhead and began marching toward Port Gibson by late afternoon on April 30. The Federals divided their forces and moved along two roughly parallel roads that converged near their objective, about ten miles to the east. McPherson’s Corps marched along Bruinsburg Road. A few miles to the south, McClernand’s Corps traveled along Rodney Road.
Bowen Divides His Forces
Forced to defend two approaches to Port Gibson, Bowen divided his already heavily outnumbered forces. Bowen deployed Brigadier General Martin E. Green’s Brigade west of Port Gibson along Rodney Road, and he stationed Brigadier General Edward D. Tracy’s brigade across Bruinsburg Road.
May 1, 1863 — Clash at Port Gibson
As McPherson’s troops moved along Rodney Road in the dark, they encountered light opposition from Green’s advance patrols until stopping at about 3 a.m. The action intensified on both roads at dawn as the Federals resumed their push toward Port Gibson. At roughly 8 a.m., a Union musket ball pierced General Tracy’s breast, killing him instantly, but his men held on until about 10 a.m. when their lines crumbled.
Confederates Retreat
When Confederate reinforcements arrived from Brigadier General William E. Baldwin’s and Colonel Francis M. Cockrell’s brigades, the Confederates established a succession of new lines while being forced back steadily. As the situation deteriorated, Bowen wired his superiors: “We have been engaged in a furious battle ever since daylight; losses very heavy. The men act nobly, but the odds are overpowering.” After two desperate Confederate counterattacks failed in the late afternoon, Bowen recognized the futility of further resistance against the Union onslaught and ordered a retreat, leaving behind several hundred prisoners.
Aftermath of the Battle
The Union victory at the Battle of Port Gibson cost Grant 875 casualties (131 killed, 719 wounded, and 25 missing). Bowen lost 787 soldiers (60 killed, 340 wounded, and 387 missing). Under threat of being surrounded, Bowen also evacuated the formidable Fort Cobun at Grand Gulf, yielding control of the area to Grant’s Army of the Tennessee.
In the battle’s aftermath, Grant turned his army east and drove General Joseph E. Johnston’s forces away from the state capital at Jackson, Mississippi, on May 14, 1863. Johnston’s removal prevented him from uniting his forces with Pemberton, now isolated at Vicksburg. Grant then returned his attention to Vicksburg. Resounding Union victories at the Battle of Champion Hill (May 16) and the Battle of Big Black River Bridge (May 17) forced Pemberton to take refuge within the City of Vicksburg proper. After a prolonged siege of Vicksburg, Grant eventually forced Pemberton to surrender Vicksburg on July 4, 1863.
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 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, 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, December 26–29 — Confederate forces won the Battle of Chickasaw Bayou.
- 1963, January 9–11 — Union forces won the Battle of Arkansas Post.
- 1863, March 11–18 — Confederate forces won the Battle of Fort Pemberton.
- 1863, March 29 — Grant ordered his troops to construct bridges and roads and drain bayous along the Louisiana side of the Mississippi River.
- 1863, April — Grant’s men completed a route through Louisiana that allowed the Army of the Tennessee to move south of Vicksburg.
- 1863, April 16 — David Dixon Porter led seven gunboats and three supply vessels past the Confederate batteries at Vicksburg.
- 1863, April 22 — Six additional Union vessels passed Vicksburg.
- 1863, April 29 — Confederate forces won the Battle of Grand Gulf.
- 1863, April 30 — Roughly 23,000 Union soldiers crossed the Mississippi River and landed at Bruinsburg.
- 1863, May 1 — Union forces won the Battle of Port Gibson.
AP US History
Definition
Battle of Port Gibson (1863) — The Battle of Port Gibson was fought on May 1, 1863, during the Vicksburg Campaign. After failing to land troops at Grand Gulf, Ulysses S. Grant moved roughly 23,000 of them across the Mississippi River at Bruinsburg. John S. Bowen divided his smaller Confederate force to defend two roads leading to Port Gibson. After hours of fighting and two failed Confederate counterattacks, Bowen ordered a retreat. The Union victory secured Grant’s position in western Mississippi and advanced his campaign against Vicksburg.
Alignment
The Battle of Port Gibson is part of the following AP US History sections:
