Grand Gulf, Bruinsburg, and Port Gibson

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Grand Gulf, Bruinsburg, and Port Gibson

• By
• Derek Pierce

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Agenda

• Grand Gulf
• Successful Confederate defense
• Bruinsburg
• Turning movement bypasses Grand Gulf
• Port Gibson
• Federal victory secures Grants position on east
  side of Mississippi

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Grants Plan

• Grant seeks to bypass Vicksburg and approach from
  the south at Grand Gulf.

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River-Bluff Interface Grand Gulf
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Confederate Defenses

• Fort Wade
• 4 big guns
• Trench
• Fort Cobun
• 4 big guns
• Double line rifle pit

Fort Wade
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Fort Cobun
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April 29, 1863

• Admiral Porters ironclads opened fire on Grand
  Gulf
• Fort Wade was silenced, but Fort Cobun remained
  active
• Porter declares, "Grand Gulf is the strongest
  place on the Mississippi."
• Grant decides to outflank Grand Gulf by moving
  south to Bruinsburg

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Crossing at Bruinsburg

• Unopposed landing of over 17,000 men largest
  amphibious operation in American history until
  the Allied invasion of Normandy during WWII

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Advance on Port Gibson

• Grant advances on Rodney Road toward Port Gibson
• Meets Confederate outposts after midnight and
  subsequent battles ensue for about three hours.
• After 300 am, the fighting stops and Union
  forces renew their advance on Rodney Road at
  dawn.

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Rodney and Bruinsburg Roads
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Battle of Port Gibson

• At 530 am, the Confederates engage the Union
  advance and another battle begins.
• The Confederates establish new defensive
  positions at different times during the day but
  they cannot stop the Union advance.

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Bruinsburg as a Turning Movement
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Turning Movement
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Turning Movement

• A turning movement is a form of maneuver in which
  the attacking force seeks to avoid the enemy's
  principal defensive positions by seizing
  objectives to the enemy rear and causing the
  enemy to move out of his current positions or
  divert major forces to meet the threat.
• A major threat to his rear forces the enemy to
  attack or withdraw rearward, thus "turning" him
  out of his defensive positions.
• Turning movements typically require greater depth
  than other forms of maneuver.

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Result of Port Gibson

• Grant moves by the Rodney and Bruinsburg Roads to
  Port Gibson where he defeats Confederates under
  the command of Brigadier General Bowen
• Victory secures Grants position on Mississippi
  soil and forces the evacuation of Grand Gulf