THE BATTLE OF
Chickasaw Bayou

"We will loose 5,000 men before we take Vicksburg, and may as well loose them here as anywhere else."
-- Major General William T. Sherman, 29 Januray 1862.

"You'll loose 17,000 men before the war is over and think nothing of it. We'll have Vicksburg yet, before we die."
-- Rear Admiral. David A. Porter, 1 January 1863.

"I reached Vicksburg at the time appointed, landed, assaulted, and failed."
-- Major General William T. Sherman, following the Battle of Chickasaw Bayou, Januray 1863.

Principal Commanders

Union: Major General William T. Sherman Rear Admiral David A. Porter Brigadier General Frederick Steele Brigadier General George W. Morgan Bigadier General Andrew J. Smith Brigadier General Francis P. Blair Brigadier General John M. Thayer Colonel John DeCourcy Colonel Giles A. Smith Colonel Thomas Kilby Smith			Confederate: Lieutenant General John S. Pemberton Brigadier General Stephen D. Lee Brigadier General Seth Barton Brigadier General John Gregg Briagdier General John Vaughn
Sherman	Steele		S.D. Lee	Gregg
Morgan	A.J. Smith
Blair	Thayer
G.A. Smith	T.K. Smith

Physical Features

The area where the Chicasaw Bayou can be found is a large, low-lying area northest of Vicksburg. Rough ground and twisted swamps lead up to the Walnut Hills, also called Chickasaw Bluffs. The bluffs served to cover approaches to Vicksburg along the Yazoo River. Confederate rifle pits, abatis, and redoubts dotted the bluffs. At the base of the bluffs, where they met the swampland, Confederates had built water barriers. The most formidable barrier was Chickasaw Bayou itself. Sluggish and choked with trees, it was about fifty yards wide and chest deep. The entire area was was in the midst of swampy woods, making it easy to loose directions. During the battle, Union officers reported that the bluffs could only be approached at four points, all covered by artillery fire. The remainder of the area was barred by water.

Description of the Battle

Christmas Day, 1862, brought little respite to the men of Sherman's command as they moved from Milliken's Bend near the mouth of the Yazoo. Looking across the low swampland, they must surely have seen the Confederate positions on the high bluffs, bristling with rifles and artillery. As Sherman's men disembarked on the 26 December to face the distant bluffs, Porter's gunboats moved upstream to shell confederate batteries at Haynes' Bluff on the Confederate right flank. On 27 December, Sherman's ground troops pressed forward through the swampland under heavy artillery fire, probing for a weekness. It was slow going as whole units got separated from each other, misdirection and counter marches became common, and even a bridge was built over the wrong shallow bayou.

No attempt to secure the bluffs came until 28 December when Brigadier General Frederick Steele's Division advanced on the Confederate right. He failed to make it through heavy artillery fire and abatis that defended the bluffs. The next day, Sherman launched his main attack with a show of force along his entire front. Union artillery began to pound the Confederate positions, and the enemy responed with a vengance. For several hours a fierce artillery duel raged, thought it resulted in little damage.

Sherman then ordered his troops forward at two points of attack, once directly in front of Brigadier General George W. Morgan. The other was where the Chickasaw Causeway approached the Walnut Hills. It was led by Colonel John DeCourcy's brigade in the center, Brigadier General Francis P. Blair on his left, and supported by Brigadier General John M. Thayer. Morgan never got his troops across the bayou, but the brigades at the other point of attack did. I would prove to be unfortunate. They charged along the Chickasaw Bayou causeway and reached the foot of the bluffs. As they approached the Confederate line commanded by Briagadier General Stephen D. Lee, they encountered a murderous fire so severe that it dessimated the Union ranks and the brigades staggered back -- leaving 500 killed, wounded, or captured. The swampy ground foiled attempts to bring forward artillery to support the ground troops, and the Confederate positions gave them a clear field of fire. Lee launched a counter-attack and captured 332 prisoners. Some Union troops made it to the base of the cliff, but could go neither up nor back due to the withering enemy fire. They dug shelters into the base of the cliff, and waited until dark to be withdrawn one at a time.

At the same time, an attempt was made to take the center of the Confederate line held by Brigadier General Seth Barton and Brigadier General John Gregg. Two brigades under the command of Bigadier General Andrew J. Smith moved forward -- their crossing of the bayou was covered by Colonel Giles A. Smith and Colonel Thomas Kilby Smith. Five attempts were made to take the Confederate line, but without success. On the Union far right, a similar attempt was made by Colonel William J. Landrum's brigade through thick abatis, but Confederate Briagdier General John Vaughn easily repulsed the attack.

Sherman was far from willing to admit defeatt. He had still not received word that Grant had turned back to Memphis, and was still attempting to fulfill his part of the plan. He decided to reload Steele's division on transports and move them further up the Yazoo for a diversionary attack on Hayne's Bluff, possibly forcing the defenders to spread their line out more. As the new year was being ushered in, the vessels set out. Sherman alerted his commanders to listen for the attack upstream and be ready for a second all-out assault on the hills. It never came. What came instead was a message form Steele that the boats were fog-bound and could not proceed. It had started to rain, and Sherman noticed water marks on the trees ten feet above his head. With no word from Grant, facing a heavily entrenched enemy, and in unenviable terrain, he finally called a halt to the operation.

On 2 January 1863, Sherman withdrew back down to the mouth of the Yazoo River. Waiting for him there was Major General John A. McClerland with fresh troops of volunteers and word that Grant had turned back to Memphis. Sherman knew the situation was now hopless and on 3 Janurary withdrew back to Milliken's Bend. Outranking Sherman, McClerland took command of the Union forces.

Results

• Confederate victory.
   
• Sherman was disgusted with Morgan after the battle. Pointing out where Morgan was to attack, Morgan had replied that ten minutes after the signal was given he would be on the hills. Yet he had not even made it across the bayou. It may have saved Sherman even greater loss. Had Morgan succeeded, it is doubtful they would have fared any better than the remainder of Sherman's command. Even Sherman had to admit, after finding out that Grant had not come, that even if they had taken the hills they would have been in a far worse position -- trapped and only waiting to be descended upon by the full force of Pemberton's army. Perhaps the greatest military decision Sherman made during the course of the war was to retreat from Chickasaw Bayou.

Additional notes, interesting incidents, and fate of the principals

• The northern press blamed Sherman for the defeat. However, Sherman had performed his part of the plan dilligently. Poor reconnaissance that indicated there would only be light Confederate resistance and the failure of Grant to effect his overland stategy contributed significantly. In fact, two of the brigades that Sherman faced had only recently been inserted into the Confederate line as part of the reinforcements sent to the bluffs. Still, this would not be the last time Sherman faced the bluffs of Walnut Hills. He would once again attack the region, as a diversion, during Grant's Second Vicksburg Campaign.
   
• While the press blamed Sherman, McClerland blamed only Grant. He felt that Sherman had done all that he could, but that the operation was poorly designed, that Grant had proceeded to quickly in order to usurp the glory that McClerland felt rightfully would have belonged to himself, and that he had failed to fulfill his part as promised. Annoyed at having his recruits pulled off as soon as he sent them down, he felt that he had been superseded by Grant. He complained to President Lincoln, but the fighting was over. McClerland took what little solice he could from the fact that he was spared from sharing in the fiasco.

1. Faust, Patricia, L., ed. Historical Times Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Civil War. 1986.
2. Foote, Shelby. The Civil War, A Narrative. 1986.
3. Kennedy. Frances H. The Civil War Battlefield Guide. 1998.
4. Long, E.B., and Long, Barabara, eds. The Civil War Day by Day. 1971.
5. McPherson, James M., ed. The Atlas of the Civil War. 1994.

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