On May 22, 1863, US Major General Ulysses S. Grant ordered a major attack against the Confederate works at Vicksburg, Mississippi.(i) Grant did not want a siege – he wanted a breakthrough. Grant had enjoyed a string of successful battles leading to his current position outside of Vicksburg. The campaign thus far had been ingenious. Using the naval fleet of Rear Admiral David Dixon Porter, Grant would cross his Army of the Tennessee into Mississippi, below Vicksburg, on April 29. He would defeat Confederate forces at Port Gibson (May 1), Raymond (May 12), Jackson (May 14), Champion Hill (May 16) and Big Black River Bridge (May 17). On May 19, Grant would launch his first assault against CS Lieutenant General John Pemberton’s garrison at Vicksburg. He would be bloodily repulsed. Grant’s army was now arrayed around Vicksburg. Holding the right flank was US Major General William T. Sherman’s XV Corps, the center by US Major General James B. McPherson’s XVII Corps and the left flank by US Major General John McClernand’s XIII Corps.
At 6 AM, on the morning May 22, Porter’s gunboats, and Grant’s artillery, would start a heavy barrage against the Confederate works. Using 200+ artillery pieces, their fire, while not causing major damage, caused significant demoralization of the Rebels’ fighting elan. At 10 a.m., Grant attacked with infantry, along the entire front. Sherman’s XV Corps, comprising the right 
flank, attacked up the Graveyard Road. A small detachment of 150volunteers, called Forlorn Hope, went in first, with ladders, to allow the infantry to climb the parapets of Stockyard Redan. Following “Forlorn Hope” were the XV Corps divisions of US Major General Francis P. Blair and Brigadier General James Tuttle – marching in a long column of regiments. Heavy musketry from the Confederates prevented Sherman from dislodging the defenders. Two Second Division brigades under colonels Giles Smith, T. Kilby Smith, were able to get within 100 yards of the redan, but no closer. On Sherman’s right flank, US Major General Frederick Steele’s First Division was unable to get into position to attack.
In the army’s center, McPherson’s XVII Corps would attack west along the Jackson Road. Similar to Sherman’s attack, to the north, McPherson’s attack was not successful. US Brigadier General John McArthur’s Sixth Division, on McPherson’s right flank, was unable to approach any closer than 100 yards from the Rebel works. McArthur’s Second Brigade, command by US Brigadier General Thomas E.G. Ransom, made it the furthest, until they received enfilade fire from Green’s Redan, on their right. US Major General John A. Logan’s Third Division, the center of McPherson’s line, pushed due west along the Jackson Road toward Third Louisiana Redan. His First Brigade, commanded by US Brigadier General John Smith, was able to push to the Confederate lines, where they found their ladders were too short to reach the parapet. They would be forced to huddle, below the works, dodging hand grenades and musketry. On McPherson’s left flank, US Brigadier General Isaac Quinby’s Seventh Division moved only a short distance before confusion reigned amongst the division’s commanders.
John McClernand’s XIII Corps, positioned on Grant’s left flank, pushed west along the Baldwin Ferry Road and the Southern Railroad. Their goal was the Railroad Redoubt, the 2nd Texas Lunette and the Square Fort. US Brigadier General A.J. Smith’s Tenth Division was on McClernand’s right flank. It was ordered to take the 2nd Texas Lunette. US Brigadier General Eugene Carr’s Fourteenth Division was in McClernand’s center and its objective was the Railroad Redoubt. US Brigadier General Peter Osterhaus’ Ninth Division was on the left flank and was ordered towards the Square Fort. Taking off with the rest of the Army of the Tennessee, the XIII Corps pushed rapidly towards their objectives. Carr’s division achieved a small breakthrough at the redoubt. Reaching the ditch, in front of the redoubt, soldiers from Iowa entered the redoubt through a hole created by artillery fire. An infantryman in the 22nd Iowa described the action at the Railroad Redoubt.
“At once the Confederates opened with grape and cannister, plowing grape through our ranks. Steadily, we pushed on up the slope into the ditch and over the parapet, placed the flag on the fort, and kept it there for some time. Thirteen prisoners were taken out of the fort, only a few of our boys got into the fort and they had to come out of it, and remained in the ditch outside. By this time the Confederates that fled or were driven away returned with re-enforcements, so we now had to protect ourselves the best we could. That was done by all kinds of devices. On the open (area) we dug holes for our bodies in the ground, or in the wall of the ditch with our bayonets, or maybe a friendly stump protected us. As the regiment moved forward, it was met with a torrent of shot and shell and minnie balls. The rebels for a moment stood on the top of their rifle pits, pouring their deadly shot into us.”(ii)
Carr made a request for reinforcements, which McClernand forwarded to Grant. Grant, believing the real Confederate pressure was on McPherson’s front, refused, instructing McClernand to send in his reserve division. Near noon, after realizing the best opportunity was on his left, Grant ordered McPherson to send Quinby’s division to McClernand.
Sherman, would order two more assaults in his sector, at 2:15 PM and 3:00 PM, respectively. Once again, no headway could be made against the Confederate defenses. Sherman, watching Tuttle’s repulse stated, “This is murder; order those troops back.”(iii) By 4:00 PM Steele was finally able to maneuver his troops into position. They would attack near the 26th Louisiana Redoubt and would suffer the same fate as Sherman’s other two divisions. An Iowa captain said this about their charge, “the men fell so fast that the other regiments refused to follow and support us.”(iv)
Fighting would slowly dissipate as the afternoon progressed. Little had been gained during the day’s fighting, and Grant determined to break Pemberton’s defenses through a siege. Grant would suffer nearly 3,200 casualties on May 22. While not officially reported, Pemberton’s losses were estimated at less than 500. Over the coming weeks, the Federal siege would be endured by soldiers, and civilians, alike.
(i) Siege of Vicksburg, at Wikipedia, and Vicksburg at BattlefieldPortraits.com, were used to research this article.
(ii) Ballard, Michael B., Vicksburg: The Campaign That Opened the Mississippi, published by The University of North Carolina Press 2004, Pg. 341.
(iii) Ballard, Michael B., Vicksburg: The Campaign That Opened the Mississippi, published by The University of North Carolina Press 2004, Pg. 345.
(iv) Ballard, Michael B., Vicksburg: The Campaign That Opened the Mississippi, published by The University of North Carolina Press 2004, Pg. 346.