Passing the Batteries: A Necessary Danger

By: Anthony Colucci

May 17, 2013









A Union attempt on the Confederate stronghold at Vicksburg, Mississippi
seemed eminent as the events of the Civil War began to unravel. Because of its
valuable strategic location, both to the Union and the Confederacy, it was only a
matter of time before a fight for Vicksburg ensued. The inevitable Battle of
Vicksburg occurred and the Union prevailed. Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant
accepted the Confederate surrender on July, 4
th
1863. The siege of Vicksburg
could not have been accomplished without the success of earlier Union efforts,
namely the Union passing of the batteries along the citys Western bank on the
Mississippi River.
Maj. Gen. Grant believed that such an operation could not be undertaken
until the waters receded.
1
He believed that if the United States Army planned on
capturing the city, they would need the cooperation of the Navy because
Vicksburgs western border is the Mississippi River. The Navy was so essential
because it was the only means of protection for the Army if they hoped to pass the
fourteen miles of batteries along the citys western border.
2

The Confederate President Jefferson Davis was aware of the citys
strategic value and he was not entirely confident in the citys preparedness for
defense in the event of an attack. In response to this concern, Davis decided to
promote Major General John Clifford Pemberton to Lieutenant General. The

1
Grant, Ulysses S. "Memoirs of General Grant, Complete." www.gutenberg.org. David
Widger. June 1, 2004. http://www.gutenberg.org/files/4367/4367-h/4367-h.htm#ch30 (accessed
May 5, 2013).
2
Grant, produced by Project Gutenberg, 2004.
promotion was accompanied by his placement in command of the Department of
Mississippi and East Louisiana.
3
In a telegram dated January 24
th
, 1863,
Confederate suspicions intensified regarding a Union assault on the city. Lt. Gen.
Pemberton alerted General Joseph E. Johnston
4
that a Book captured from
Yankee colonel killed yesterday says Vicksburg must be taken.
5

Maj. Gen. Grant and Rear Admiral David D. Porter, who took command
of the Mississippi Squadron in October 1862, began to cooperate with each other
and began the preparation for their hazardous passage of the enemys batteries.
6

Both men agreed that their plan could only be executed if the vessels were
incognito. One of their major concerns was that the fires of the boilers might
attract unwanted Confederate attention, so they tried to conceal the light from the
fires by placing bales of hay and cotton next to the fires.
7
Also, to protect the
ships from attack they decided to strategically place the boilers between guards to
act as cover for the vessels.
This plan was extremely dangerous and there was little guarantee that it
could be executed without suffering damage that would doom the siege of

3
Davis, Jefferson. Jefferson Davis to Gov. John J. Pettus, September 30, 1862. ser. I,
vol. 17, pt. II, In The War of Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and
Confederate Armies, 716. Ithaca, New York: Cornell University Library.
4
Pemberton, J. C. General J. C. Pemberton to General Joseph E. Johnston. ser. I, vol. 24,
In Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, 710. Ithaca,
New York: Cornell University Library.
5
General J. C. Pemberton to General Joseph E. Johnston. In Official Records of the
Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, 710.
6
Grant, produced by Project Gutenberg, 2004.
7
Ibid.
Vicksburg. The Union General-in-Chief H. W. Halleck expressed his concerns
regarding Grants plan to move below the city. He disapproved of Grants
method to spread out his forces around the vicinity of Vicksburg. In a letter to
Grant, Halleck explains:
While working upon the canal, the division of your forces into several
eccentric operations may have been very proper for the purpose of
reconnoitering the country; but it is very important that, when you strike
any blow, you should have your troops sufficiently concentrated to make
the blow effective. The division of your army into small expeditions
destroys your strength, and, when in the presence of an enemy, is very
dangerous.
8

Halleck also says that the President has been growing very impatient with the
progress in the west, and a successful strike must be completed before the
Confederates are able to strengthen their position any more.
9

In a letter dated two days later on April 4
th
, 1863, Grant responds to these
doubts and explains his logic. Grant explains that surveillance has revealed the
Confederates are planning an attack on Rosecrans, which will probably be rapidly
followed by a move into West Tennessee.
10
Grant explains how he and Adm.
Porter have collaborated and consented to spread out troops to defend against
such an attempt by the Confederates. Grant also says that another reason for

8
Halleck, H. W., H. W. Halleck to Ulysses S. Grant, April 2 1863. ser. I, vol. 24, pt. I, In
The War of Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate
Armies, 25. Ithaca, New York: Cornell University Library.
9
Ibid.
10
Grant, Ulysses S. Ulysses S. Grant to H. W. Halleck, April 4, 1863. ser. I, vol. 24, pt. I,
In The War of Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate
Armies, 25. Ithaca, New York: Cornell University Library.
spreading his troops is so that the Confederates are distracted to the west.
11

Furthermore, Grant explains that troops in the west will deter, if not, stop any
shipment of supplies into Vicksburg. After other various justifications for his
plan, Grant ends this letter by saying that This is the only move I now see as
practical, and I hope it will meet your approval, and that he is satisfied the
greatest confidence of success prevails.
12

On April 10
th
, 1863, Adm. Porter issued orders to his command explaining
how the passing was to be executed.
13
Porter instructed his command to pass
with the utmost swiftness and stealth.
14
He ordered that every precaution should
be made to protect the fleet against fire. Also, he told his men to make sure that
no light was visible on the ships, and as they approach they must turn off their
engines to minimize the noise.
15
Porter goes on to further order that the naval
vessels will pass in the following order: the Benton, the Lafayette, the Price, the
Louisville, the Mound City, and the Pittsburg, followed by the Carondelet.
16

Various transport vessels carrying coal, hay, grain, and other supplies (for the

11
Grant to Halleck, April 4, 1863, 25-26.
12
Ibid.
13
Porter, David D. David D. Porter to Commanders of Benton, Lafayette, Price,
Louisville, Mound City, Pittsburg, Carondelet, and Tuscumbia, April 10, 1863. ser. I, vol. 24:
Naval Forces on Western Waters (January 1, 1863- May 17, 1863), In Official Records of the
Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, 554-555..Ithaca, New York: Cornell
University Library.
14
Ibid.
15
Ibid
16
Ibid.
soldiers already below Vicksburg) would shortly follow the naval vessels past
Vicksburg.
On April 16
th
, 1863 Adm. Porter began this dangerous journey past the
batteries of Vicksburg aboard the Benton.
17
The Unions plan continued as
planned by Adm. Porter only for a short time. The battery between Vicksburg
and Warrenton was the first to open fire. Then the upper batteries began their
bombardment of the Unions fleet, followed by attack from all of the other
batteries along the line.
18

Although Porter was aboard the missions leading vessel the Benton, the
ship was under the command of Lieutenant-Commander James A. Greer. Greer
explains in a report that the mission commenced at 9:15 PM on the 16
th
, and the
upper batteries of the Confederates began to fire upon Union naval vessels with
musketry at 11:10 PM.
19
Greer continues by explaining the events of the mission
as he witnessed them unfold aboard the Benton. Greer recollects that At 11:16
the batteries opened upon us, firing slowly at first, but continuing to fire more
rapidly as we passed by. At 11:23 we opened upon the batteries and town with
the forward and port batteries.
20
Greer continues by explaining that his ship

17
Grant, produced by Project Gutenberg, 2004.
18
Grant, produced by Project Gutenberg, 2004.
19
Greer, James A. James A Greer to David D. Porter, April 17, 1863. ser. I, vol. 24:
Naval Forces on Western Waters (January 1, 1863- May 17, 1863), In Official Records of the
Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, 555-556..Ithaca, New York: Cornell
University Library.
20
Greer to Porter, April 17, 1863, 555-556.
suffered minor damage, entirely on the port side of the vessel; and reports four
casualties, only one of them fatal.
21


Porter's Fleet Running the Vicksburg batteries
22

The minimal damage incurred by the Benton was fairly consistent in
degree with the damage sustained by the other participating Union naval vessels.
Captain Henry A Walke, commander of the ironclad Lafayette, reported his
gunboats journey south from the Yazoo Riverarriving safely under Vicksburg
at Diamond Island Bend.
23
He shares that not a single life was lost onboard, and
the Lafayette managed to avoid damage even after being under fire for one hour
and twenty minutes.
24
The Pittsburg, the General Price, and the Louisville also
managed to avoid casualties.
25
Although all the ships managed to suffer very

21
Greer to Porter, April 17, 1863, 556.
22
Photo from http://www.nps.gov/vick/historyculture/runbatteries.htm (accessed May
11th, 2-13).
23
Walke, Henry A. Henry A. Walke to David D. Porter, April 17, 1863. ser. I, vol. 24:
Naval Forces on Western Waters (January 1, 1863- May 17, 1863), In Official Records of the
Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, 557..Ithaca, New York: Cornell
University Library.
24
Walke to Porter, April 17, 1863.
25
Bertolette, J. C. J. C. Bertolette to David D. Porter, April 17, 1863. ser. I, vol. 24:
Naval Forces on Western Waters (January 1, 1863- May 17, 1863), In Official Records of the
Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, 564-565. Ithaca, New York: Cornell
University Library.
light, there were two transport ships that were disabled, the Henry Clay and the
Forest Queen.
26

Because the Union was able to avoid too much damage, they were able to
continue on to siege the Confederate held Vicksburg. Grant called the passing of
Vicksburgs batteries one of the most important moments in the whole war.
27
The
success of Grants efforts were even personally commended by Abraham Lincoln
after the siege was completed. Lincoln stated, I feared it was a mistake. I now
wish to make the personal acknowledgment that you were right, and I was
wrong.
28
This is only one specific mission that helped determine the outcome of
the Battle of Vicksburg.




Bibliography

26
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Library.
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