Before Sherman made his name by marching to the sea in Georgia, he was one of Grant's cammanders in the west early in the war. On 29 December 1862, after 2 days of prpearations, Sherman attacked the Confederate positions at Chickasaw Bluffs as part of the attempt to take Vicksburg, Mississippi. It was a total failure for the Union and one of very few for Sherman. Sherman's was to have been a diversionary attack for Grant's main force to the east, but Grant was held up by Confederate cavalry cutting off his supplies.

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Motorcycle Ride

Try US 61 from Leland, Mississippi to Vicksburg to get a feel for the lowlands on the east side of the Mississippi River. This swampy low area is what made Vicksburg such a hard nut to crack.

Maps