The Big Black River near the site of the May 17, 1863, fighting
Yesterday, May 17, marked the anniversary of the fight at the Big Black River bridge during Grant’s Mississippi overland campaign. The fight quickly flushed out the Confederates and gave Grant and his army access to the west back, with the gates of Vicksburg beyond. Grant would knock on the city’s door–too rashly–on May 19 and again on May 22 before settling into a siege.
Last year, historian Jim Woodrick was kind enough to spend a couple days tracing most of the Vicksburg Campaign with me, and we shot some videos together. It was a fantastic trip, and I’m grateful to Jim for his hospitality and knowledge, which he was kind enough to share with us–take a look!
The Battle of Grand Gulf:
The Battle of Port Gibson:
The Shaifer House at Port Gibson:
(We couldn’t hit Raymond, unfortunately….)
The Battle of Jackson:
The Old Capitol Museum in Jackson:
The Coker House @ Champion Hill:
The Battle of Champion Hill:
Battle along the Big Black River:
You can get more from Vicksburg by looking at the full Vicksburg playlist.