December 29th, 1862 - The Battle of Chickasaw Bluffs

Conflict: American Civil War

Combatants: Confederates vs. Federals

Location: Mississippi (USA)

Outcome: Confederate victory

Intent on wrestling control of the Mississippi from the Confederacy, General William T. Sherman attempted to seize the Chickasaw Bluffs from the Southerners under command of General John Pemberton. After three days Sherman was forced to retreat with losses of over 1750 men; the Confederates lost only about 200.

Battle of Chickasaw Bluffs, by Harry Fenn

Points of Interest:

• The Federal failure at Chickasaw Bluffs left the Mississippi River from Vicksburg to Baton Rouge under Confederate control.

• William T. Sherman retired from the military in 1884 and, no lover of politics or politicians, declined the Republican nomination to run for President that same year.

General William Tecumseh Sherman by an unknown photographer

Lt. General John C. Pemberton as Commander of the Army of Vicksburg by an unknown artist

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Sources:

Bowman, John S. (Ed.) (1983). The Civil War Almanac. New York: World Almanac.

Catton, Bruce (1955). This Hallowed Ground. Kingsport, Tennessee: Kingsport Press, Inc.

Dupuy, Trevor N., Johnson, Curt, & Bongard, David L. (1992). The Harper's Encyclopedia of Military Biography. New York: Castle Books (HarperCollins).

Dupuy, R. Ernest & Dupuy, Trevor N. (1993). The Harper's Encyclopedia of Military History. New York: HarperCollins.

Eggenberger, David (1985). An Encyclopedia of Battles: Accounts of Over 1,560 Battles from 1479 B.C. to the Present. New York: Dover Publications, Inc.

Hogue, James M. & McPherson, James M. (2009). Ordeal By Fire. New York: MaGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Long, E.B & Long, Barbara (1971). The Civil War Day by Day: An Almanac 1861-1865. New York: De Capo Press, Inc.