Jackson
Civil War Mississippi

American Civil War
May 14, 1863

On May 9, 1863, General Joseph E. Johnston received a dispatch from the Confederate Secretary of War directing him to "proceed at once to Mississippi and take chief command of the forces in the field".

As he arrived in Jackson on the 13th, from Middle Tennessee, he learned that two Army Corps from the Union Army of the Tennessee —the XV, under Major General William T. Sherman, and the XVII, under Major General James Birdseye McPherson—were advancing on Jackson, intending to cut the city and the railroads off from Vicksburg.

Johnston consulted with the local commander, Brigadier General John Gregg, and learned that only about 6,000 troops were available to defend the town. Johnston ordered the evacuation of Jackson, but Gregg was to defend Jackson until the evacuation was completed.

By 10:00 am, both Union army corps were near Jackson and had engaged the enemy. Rain, Confederate resistance, and poor defenses prevented heavy fighting until around 11:00 am, when Union forces attacked in numbers and slowly but surely pushed the enemy back.

In mid-afternoon, Johnston informed Gregg that the evacuation was complete and that he should disengage and follow. Soon after, the Yankees entered Jackson and had a celebration, hosted by Major General U.S. Grant who had been travelling with General Sherman's corps, in the Bowman House.

They then burned part of the town and cut the railroad connections with Vicksburg. Johnston's evacuation of Jackson was a tragedy because he could, by late on the 14th, have had 11,000 troops at his disposal and by the morning of the 15th, another 4,000.

The fall of the former Mississippi state capital was a blow to Confederate morale.

Result(s): Union victory

Location: Hinds County and Jackson County

Campaign: Grant's Operations against Vicksburg (1863) next battle in campaign previous battle in campaign

Date(s): May 14, 1863

Principal Commanders: Major General Ulysses S. Grant [US]; General Joseph E. Johnston and Brigadier General John Gregg [CS]

Forces Engaged: Army of the Tennessee [US]; Jackson Garrison [CS]

Estimated Casualties: 1,136 total (US 286; CS 850)


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Civil War Mississippi Book Titles

Vicksburg 1863: Grant Clears the Mississippi
The 1863 Vicksburg campaign was to prove decisive to the outcome of the American Civil War. Known as the "Gibraltar of the West", Vicksburg was the last Confederate stronghold on the Mississippi River. In a masterly campaign, the Union General Ulysses S Grant used riverboats and steamers to land his army south of the city, where he defeated the armies of Generals "Joe" Johnston and John C. Pemberton. Pemberton's men became bottled up in Vicksburg, where they endured an epic 47 day siege
The Third Battalion Mississippi Infantry and the 45th Mississippi Regiment: A Civil War History
This is the story of the soldiers of Hardcastle's 3rd Battalion Mississippi Infantry from enlistment to the end of the war. It includes their mid-war incarnation as the 45th Mississippi Regiment and the role they played in Cleburne's fabled division during almost every major engagement of the Army of Tennessee. The battles are discussed and analyzed in their strategic context with emphasis on the battalion's role in the outcome, including the specific Federal units they fought against.
Political Culture and Secession in Mississippi 1830 - 1860
 This groundbreaking study of the politics of secession combines traditional political history with current work in anthropology and gender and ritual studies. Christopher J. Olsen has drawn on local election returns, rural newspapers, manuscripts, and numerous county records to sketch a new
picture of the intricate and colorful world of local politics.
Mississippi River Gunboats of the American Civil War 1861-65
At the start of the American Civil War, neither side had warships on the Mississippi River and in the first few months both sides scrambled to gather a flotilla, converting existing riverboats for naval use. These ships were transformed into powerful naval weapons despite a lack of resources, trained manpower and suitable vessels. The creation of a river fleet was a miracle of ingenuity, improvisation and logistics, particularly for the South. This title describes their design, development and operation throughout the American Civil War.

Sources:
U.S. National Park Service
U.S. Library of Congress.