The Jackson Expedition, also known as the Siege of Jackson, occurred in the aftermath of the surrender of Vicksburg, Mississippi, in July 1863.

Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...

Maj. Gen. Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

William Tecumseh Sherman William Tecumseh Sherman ( ; February 8, 1820February 14, 1891) was an American soldier, businessman, educator, and author. He served as a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War (1861–1865), achieving recognition for his com ...

led the expedition to clear General

Joseph E. Johnston Joseph Eggleston Johnston (February 3, 1807 – March 21, 1891) was an American career army officer, serving with distinction in the United States Army during the Mexican–American War (1846–1848) and the Seminole Wars. After Virginia seceded ...

's relief effort from the Vicksburg area. The mission was successful and helped ensure that the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it f ...

remained in Union possession for the remainder of the war.

Background

In the

Vicksburg Campaign The Vicksburg campaign was a series of maneuvers and battles in the Western Theater of the American Civil War directed against Vicksburg, Mississippi, a fortress city that dominated the last Confederate-controlled section of the Mississippi Riv ...

, one of the intermediate battles was the battle of Jackson on May 14, 1863, in which Maj. Gen.

Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant ; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was an American military officer and politician who served as the 18th president of the United States from 1869 to 1877. As Commanding General, he led the Union Ar ...

Army of the Tennessee An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...

captured the capital city of

Jackson, Mississippi Jackson, officially the City of Jackson, is the Capital city, capital of and the List of municipalities in Mississippi, most populous city in the U.S. state of Mississippi. The city is also one of two county seats of Hinds County, Mississippi, ...

, but then evacuated it to move west toward Vicksburg. During the

siege of Vicksburg The siege of Vicksburg (May 18 – July 4, 1863) was the final major military action in the Vicksburg campaign of the American Civil War. In a series of maneuvers, Union Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and his Army of the Tennessee crossed the Missis ...

, Johnston had been gathering troops at Jackson, intending to relieve pressure on Lt. Gen.

John C. Pemberton John Clifford Pemberton (August 10, 1814 – July 13, 1881) was a career United States Army officer who fought in the Seminole Wars and with distinction during the Mexican–American War. He resigned his commission to serve as a Confederate Stat ...

's beleaguered garrison. Johnston cautiously advanced his 30,000 soldiers toward the rear of Grant's army surrounding Vicksburg. In response, Grant ordered Sherman to deal with Johnston's threat.

Expedition

By July 1, 1863, Johnston's force was in position along the Big Black River. Sherman used the newly arrived

IX Corps 9 Corps, 9th Corps, Ninth Corps, or IX Corps may refer to: France * 9th Army Corps (France) * IX Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars Germany * IX Corps (German Empire), a unit of the Imperial Germ ...

to counter this threat. On July 5, the day after the surrender of Vicksburg was made official, Sherman was free to move against Johnston. Johnston hastily withdrew his force across the Big Black River and Champion's Hill battlefields with Sherman in pursuit. Sherman had with him the IX Corps,

XV Corps 15th Corps, Fifteenth Corps, or XV Corps may refer to: *XV Corps (British India) * XV Corps (German Empire), a unit of the Imperial German Army prior to and during World War I * 15th Army Corps (Russian Empire), a unit in World War I *XV Royal Bav ...

, XIII Corps, and a detachment of the XVI Corps.

Siege of Jackson

On July 10, the Union Army had taken up position around Jackson. The heaviest fighting came on July 12, during an unsuccessful Union attack.

Brig. Gen. Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

Jacob Gartner Lauman Jacob Gartner Lauman (January 20, 1813 – February 9, 1867) was a prominent American businessman from Iowa and a controversial general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He commanded an infantry brigade in the Army of the Tennessee ...

advanced a brigade under Col.

Isaac C. Pugh Isaac Campbell Pugh (November 23, 1805 – November 19, 1874) was a United States volunteer soldier who was a veteran of the Black Hawk War, the Mexican–American War and the American Civil War; rising to the rank of Brevet brigadier general ...

too close to the Confederate works manned by Brig. Gen.

Daniel Weisiger Adams Daniel Weisiger Adams (May 1, 1821 – June 13, 1872) was a lawyer and a brigadier general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War (Civil War). Early life and career Adams was born in Frankfort, Kentucky,Eicher, John H. ...

's brigade, which resulted in heavy casualties. As a result, Lauman was relieved of command for failing to properly carry out the orders of his superior, Maj. Gen.

Edward Ord Edward Otho Cresap Ord (October 18, 1818 – July 22, 1883) was an American engineer and United States Army officer who saw action in the Seminole War, the Indian Wars, and the American Civil War. He commanded an army during the final days of th ...

. Gue, Benjamin F.br>
''History of Iowa from the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century''. Volume 4. New York, Century History Co, 1903. 1903. p. 164. Biographical sketch of Jacob G. Lauman. Instead of risking entrapment, Johnston chose to evacuate the state capital and withdrew on July 16. Sherman's forces occupied the city on the following day. The re-capture of the city effectively ended the last threat to Vicksburg.

Notes

References

* Ballard, Michael B. ''The Civil War in Mississippi: Major Campaigns and Battles''. Jackson, MS: University of Mississippi Press, 2011. . * Dyer, Frederick H

''A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion'' Des Moines, IA: The Dyer Publishing Company, 1908. * Gue, Benjamin F.br>
''History of Iowa from the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century''. Volume 4. New York, Century History Co, 1903. 1903. p. 164. Biographical sketch of Jacob G. Lauman. * Korn, Jerry, and the Editors of Time-Life Books. ''War on the Mississippi: Grant's Vicksburg Campaign''. Alexandria, VA: Time-Life Books, 1985. . * Thompson, Seymour D

''Recollections with the Third Iowa''. Cincinnati: Published for the author, 1864. Online version . * Woodrick, Jim. ''The Civil War Siege of Jackson, Mississippi''. Charleston, SC: The History Press, 2016. .

External links

Map of Union and Confederate works around Jackson, Plate 37

{{authority control Vicksburg campaign Battles of the Western Theater of the American Civil War Union victories of the American Civil War Hinds County, Mississippi Joseph E. Johnston William Tecumseh Sherman Conflicts in 1863 1863 in Mississippi Battles of the American Civil War in Mississippi July 1863 events