CWFSG Annual Tour 2013 Preliminary Itinerary Our first day (Thursday, February 7) and last day (Saturday,

February 9) day of touring with be with Terry Winshel, longtime member and recently retired historian of Vicksburg National Military Park. Terry is the author of several books relating to the Vicksburg Campaign, as well several articles of various aspects of the campaign. Our first day of touring will be in the immediate vicinity of Vicksburg. That day we will tour the Confederate defenses (9 major forts) and several of the still extant Federal approaches. We will also visit the remaining vestige of the Williams-Grant Canal, which is across the river from Vicksburg. If time permits that day we will also visit the remaining vestige of Fort Grant, which was the Union defense line around the city constructed in the late summer of 1863 following the siege. The second day (see below) we will travel south to Port Hudson where Mike Fraering and his staff will conduct the tour. Our third day we will either travel south to see the Confederate fortifications at Grand Gulf (Forts Wade and Cobun, along with the rear defense line) and works at Rodney, Mississippi, that were constructed by USCTs late in the war, or (if I can get permission from local land owners) we will see some the remaining earthworks from Grant's Exterior Line which protected his rear against attempts by Joe Johnston to raise the siege.

Fort Desperate on the Port Hudson battlefield. (Blue & Gray website) The fortification was held by men of the 15th Arkansas who gave the place its name.

CWFSG 2013 Vicksburg and Port Hudson

Our second day of touring (Friday, February 8) will be led by Mike Fraering, historian and curator of the Port Hudson State Historic Site. The anticipated itinerary is as follows: These locations are inside the park will be toured: Confederate: 1.) Fort Desperate Fort Desperate was a lunette occupied by the 15th Arkansas Infantry Regiment. Unlike other fortifications where units were rotated in and out during the course of the siege the 15th Arkansas occupied this position for the duration. There were two 12-pounder howitzer inside the fort at the beginning crewed by Battery B, 1st Mississippi Artillery Regiment. One of these cannons was destroyed at the beginning of the siege and the other was placed in reserve for the remainder of the time. From that point on Fort Desperate was defended entirely by infantry. Fort Desperate is the only location on the battlefield to have been assaulted during both major attacks. 2.) Alabama/Arkansas Redoubt This redoubt derives its name from having been occupied by the 1st Alabama Infantry and the 18th Arkansas Infantry for the most of the siege. Other infantry units occupied this area for only a few days. Historical accounts say that this section of the Confederate line during the siege was nothing more than a rail fence with dirt piled on top. It is theorized that the Federals improved it during their post siege occupation of Port Hudson. 3.) Commissary Hill The greatest concentration of Confederate artillery at Port Hudson was Commissary Hill. The reason why they placed so much emphasis here was because this battery overlooked and guarded the Confederate commissary complex. There were five pieces of artillery here; one 24-pounder rifled gun (Company A, 1st Alabama Infantry), two 6-pounder guns (Battery F, 1st Mississippi Artillery) and two 12-pounder Blakely rifle guns (Maury Tennessee Battery). 4.) Bennetts Redoubt This redoubt was named for Major W. K. Bennett of the Confederate Commissary Department, who had his headquarters nearby. The 10th Arkansas Infantry Regiment and two cannons of Watsons Louisiana Battery occupied this redoubt for most of the siege. The colonel of the 10th Arkansas was captured early in the siege and unfortunately the regiment suffered from a lack of good leadership. A lack of confidence in the unit caused a great deal of anxiety to the Confederate leadership. 5.) Mississippi Redoubt The name of these defenses has nothing to do with the Mississippi River. It was named for the 39th Mississippi Infantry Regiment which, along with the 9th Louisiana Partisan Ranger Battalion, occupied these works during the siege. This section of the line was relatively quiet and saw very little action. These trenches extend to the west and south beyond the parks boundaries. That section of the line, outside the park, was assaulted on May 27 by the 1st and 3rd Louisiana Native Guards.

CWFSG 2013 Vicksburg and Port Hudson

Federal 1.) Fort Babcock A ridge, opposite from Alabama/Arkansas Redoubt, was seized early on the morning of May 27. It was named Fort Babcock in honor of the lieut. colonel of the 75th New York Infantry Regiment. This was the closest permanent lodgment made by the Federals during the first assault. The Federals fortified this ridge by digging rifle pits into the backside of it and using the crest as a parapet. They also placed logs on top of the ridge and cut port holes for their muskets for sharpshooting. 2.) Artillery Ridge On the morning of May 27 the Federal infantry forced the Confederate skirmishers off of this ridge, pursued them across Foster Creek and into their earthworks. The Federals quickly brought up their artillery and emplaced several batteries along its length. The batteries, from east to west, were Battery No. 5, four 6-pounder rifled guns (1st Maine Battery), Battery No. 4, one 30pounder Parrott (Battery G, 1st Indiana Heavy Artillery Regiment) and one 10-inch and three 8inch siege mortars (4th Massachusetts Battery). These batteries pounded the Confederate defenses for the rest of the siege. The mortar battery, in particular, harassed the defenders of Bennetts Redoubt. 3.) Artillery Positions The Federals had a preponderance of artillery at Port Hudson. By the end of the siege they had almost 120 cannons encircling the Confederate defenses. The following is list of these batteries inside the park: Battery No. 1, one 30-pounder Parrott (Battery B, 1stIndiana Heavy Artillery Regiment), Battery No. 6, six 12-pounder Napoleons (Battery F, 1st US Artillery Regiment), Battery No. 7, two 30-pounder Parrotts (Battery G, 1st Indiana Heavy Artillery Regiment) and Battery No. 8, four 12-pounder Napoleons (6thMassachusetts Battery), four 12-pounder Napoleons and two 3-inch rifles (Battery A, 1st US Artillery Regiment) 4.) Telegraph Road (This area is park property but is not connected to the original site) This road came out of the town of Port Hudson on its northwest side and ran up to Bayou Sara/St. Francisville. It derived its name from the telegraph line that paralleled the road and connected Port Hudson with Bayou Sara. On May 27 the 1st and 3rd Louisiana Native Guards charged down this road to attack the Confederate defenses north of the town. They were supported by two 12-pounder howitzers of the 6th Massachusetts Battery and one company each from the 8th New Hampshire Infantry and 1st Louisiana (US) Cavalry. These locations outside the park will be toured (as as time allows): 1.) Battery No. 10 Less than a quarter of a mile south of the park entrance, on the east side of Highway 61, is the location of Federal Siege Battery No. 10. This battery contained four 9-inch Dahlgren guns from the USS Richmond. Lt. Commander Ed Terry commanded these guns and they bombarded the Confederate Priest Cap.

CWFSG 2013 Vicksburg and Port Hudson

2.) Priest Cap The Priest Cap got its name from its shape; it looked like a priest miter or cap. This was the main objective of the second major Federal assault that took place on Sunday, June 14. The reason why the Federals chose to attack this particular point was because they had neutralized all of the artillery in the area. This turned into a debacle for the attackers. (This is private property but we will see if we can secure permission to tour the site.) 3.) Battery No. 11 Across Highway 61 from the Priest Cap is a power station for Dixie Electric Membership Coop. This is the location of Federal Siege Battery No. 11. Captain Albert Macks 18th New York Battery was here and they had six 20-pounder Parrott guns. 4.) Battery No. 14 At the intersection of Highway 61 and the Plains/Port Hudson Road is the approximate location of Federal Siege Battery No. 14. This battery had six 6-pounder Sawyer guns with the 2nd Vermont Battery. 5.) Confederate Defenses Less than a quarter of a mile down the West Plains/Port Hudson Road the road will pass through the Confederate defenses. They will be visible on the right. 6.) Confederate Field Hospital A little further down the road and on the right is a series of ravines. The Confederates used these for their field hospital. Both Confederate and captured Union soldiers were treated here. 7.) Federal Garrison Works Site managers residence is at the end of the road. After the Federals captured Port Hudson they kept a garrison here until July 1866. The garrisons duty was to retain Federal control of the Mississippi River, prevent the Confederates from reoccupying Port Hudson, and act as a recruiting station for African-American soldiers. The Federals built their own earthworks around the town. 8.) Port Hudson Residence Port Hudson was a Mississippi River port. A combination of the war and the change in the course of the river doomed the town to extinction. People still live in the area but not enough to justify calling it a town. This house is one of two left that date back to the Civil War. 9.) Port Hudson River Defenses When the Confederates occupied Port Hudson in August 1862 they positioned nineteen heavy guns in eleven batteries on a mile and a quarter of the river front. Their job was to prevent Federals ships from going up stream, while Vicksburg to the north was to keep them from going down stream. The Federals leveled all of these batteries after they captured Port Hudson. 10.) Devils Elbow The southern end of the Confederate defenses, where the land and river earthworks met was a place called the Citadel. One of the earthworks in this area was nicknamed the Devils Elbow
CWFSG 2013 Vicksburg and Port Hudson

for its unique shape. Boones Louisiana Battery and Miles Louisiana Legion occupied these defenses. The Devils Elbow, along with the Citadel, was assaulted on June 14, and also saw very heavy siege activity until the end of the battle. (This property belongs to the GeorgiaPacific Paper Mill. We will see if we can get permission to tour this site.)

CWFSG 2013 Vicksburg and Port Hudson