Big Black Battlefield Panorama

Vicksburg Campaign - Grants Map

Big Black River Bridge Battle Map

Big Black River Bridge Battlefield Map

Isaac Newton Babb served in Co. A 60th Infantry Regiment (CSA) in the rank of Corporal. He was captured on May 17, 1863 at the Battle of Big Black River.

Other Battle Names: Big Black

Location: Hinds and Warren Counties

Campaign: Grant’s Operations against Vicksburg (1863)

Date: May 17, 1863

Principal Commanders: Maj. Gen. John A. McClernand [US]; Brig. Gen. John S. Bowen [CS]

Forces Engaged: XIII Army Corps, Army of the Tennessee [US]; Bridgehead Defense Force (three brigades) [CS]

Estimated Casualties: 2,273 total (US 273; CS 2,000)

Summary: Reeling from their defeat at Champion Hill, the Confederates reached Big Black River Bridge, the night of May 16-17. Lt. Gen. John C. Pemberton ordered Brig. Gen. John S. Bowen, with three brigades, to man the fortifications on the east bank of the river and impede any Union pursuit. Three divisions of Maj. Gen. John A. McClernand’s XIII Army Corps moved out from Edwards Station on the morning of the 17th. The corps encountered the Confederates behind breastworks and took cover as enemy artillery began firing. Union Brig. Gen. Michael K. Lawler formed his 2nd Brigade, Carr’s Division, which surged out of a meander scar, across the front of the Confederate forces, and into the enemy’s breastworks, held by Vaughn’s East Tennessee Brigade. Confused and panicked, the Rebels began to withdraw across the Big Black on two bridges: the railroad bridge and the steamboat dock moored athwart the river. As soon as they had crossed, the Confederates set fire to the bridges, preventing close Union pursuit. The fleeing Confederates who arrived in Vicksburg later that day were disorganized. The Union forces captured approximately 1,800 troops at Big Black, a loss that the Confederates could ill-afford. This battle sealed Vicksburg’s fate: the Confederate force was bottled up at Vicksburg.

Result(s): Union victory
 

Details: On May 16, 1863, the Union Army under the command of Ulysses S. Grant fought the largest and most significant battle of the Vicksburg Campaign. The Union forces were victorious at the battle of Champion's Hill. As a result of this battle, Confederate troops were retreating west in the direction of Vicksburg. In the course of this retreat, they came upon the Big Black River. The Big Black River was located twelve miles east of Vicksburg and ten miles west of the Champion's Hill battlefield. Upon reaching the Big Black River on the evening of 16 May 1863, Lt. General John C. Pemberton made the decision to defend a bridgehead on the east bank of the river. Unbeknownst to Pemberton, Major General William W. Loring's "lost" Confederate division was marching in another direction, attempting to reunite with the forces of General Joseph E. Johnston.

The Confederates forces built an entrenchment line in a north-south direction, across a one mile neck of land formed by a loop in the river. The river and the bridges were to the rear, or west, of the Rebel position. The Confederate position was anchored at each extremity by the river. The Rebels were able to construct a strong defense line utilizing earth-covered cotton bales, with it's flanks protected by the Big Black River. That evening Pemberton ordered General John Bowen to defend the bridgehead until the arrival of Major General William Loring's division. General Bowen had between 4,500 and 5,000 soldiers and eighteen artillery pieces under his command. The artillery pieces were rendered immobile when the horses, needed to mobilize them, were sent toward Vicksburg. Bowen knew that he would soon be heavily outnumbered and that sooner or later the troops under his command would be forced to retreat to the safety of the west bank of the Big Black River, three quarters of a mile to his rear. 

In the early morning of 17 May, Union General Eugene Carr's division, a part of Major General John A. McClernand's XII Corps, was in pursuit of Pemberton's retreating forces. About 5:30 a.m. Carr's division made contact with the Confederate position and halted to prepare for deployment. Carr understood that a frontal assault against such a fortified position would cost the Union many casualties. Not only because of the actual defenses, but also because of the waist deep bayou and marshy ground in front of the Confederate position. He also realized that flanking the Rebel position would be impossible because of the river at each end. 

Brigadier General Michael Lawler's Union brigade did not fight in the previous day's battle and therefore did not share in the glory of the Union victory at Champion's Hill. Because Lawler's brigade was well-rested and ready for action, Carr selected them to spearhead the Union advance. General Eugene Carr issued orders to Lawler to advance cautiously and reconnoiter the Rebel left. One of Lawler's regimental commanders discovered that a section where the rebels had placed obstructions had been washed away by the recent heavy rains. He promptly sent word of this information back to his commander. Using this sheltered depression, a column of four abreast could reach the Rebel works relatively unnoticed. 

Lawler ordered four regiments to take part in the attack on the Confederate left. The 21st and 23rd Indiana led out with the 11th Wisconsin in close support and the 22nd Iowa held in reserve. As the 21st and 23rd Indiana were advancing over their respective avenues, Lawler used a diversionary force further to the south to confuse the Rebel defendants. The advance began about 9:00 a.m. on the 17th. 

The attack on the Confederate left caught Bowers by surprise. The 23rd Indiana charged out of the depression, through the marshy ground, and over the Confederate defensive works. The Union advance was able to break through the defense line and fired a deadly enfilading fire up and down the Confederate line causing the Confederate forces to scatter, helter skelter. As the 23rd Indiana caused havoc and chaos on the Rebel left, the 21st Indiana and the 11th Wisconsin charged across less concealed terrain in an effort to get to the defensive works. The Union troops had to leap into stagnant bayou water directly in front of the Rebel position and then make their way towards the breastworks. The Union forces surged forward and upon reaching the Confederate line, they too were able to create and exploit a breach in the defensive line. 

Three additional Union Regiments were able to quickly exploit the breach. The 22nd Iowa, charged through the opening, then turned right and proceeded to push the Confederates toward the river, causing many to either flee or surrender. The 49th and 69th Indiana Regiments charged through the gap and then turned to the South and rolled up the Confederate line, causing the center of the Rebel position to collapse. By 10 a.m. the Confederate defense was hopeless and Pemberton ordered a retreat toward Vicksburg. The eighteen pieces of artillery were abandoned as the Rebels retreated. Of course, Major General William W. Loring's division never did arrive to reinforce Pemberton's Confederate forces as hoped. As Pemberton's troops fled, the Confederates did manage to destroy the bridges across the Big Black River, causing the Union Army's pursuit to be delayed. Unfortunately, Pemberton, still afraid that Grant would find a way to get between his forces and Vicksburg, ordered his army to retreat all the way to Vicksburg instead of establishing a line of defense in the hills west of the Big Black River. As a result, the path to Vicksburg would lay unhindered for Grant's army.

Elements of McClernand's Corps were the only Union forces engaged during the battle of Big Black River. The Union forces numbered around 10,000, while the Confederates numbered around 4,500. The casualties for the battle included 1,751 Confederates killed, wounded or captured and Union losses of 279 killed, wounded or missing. The Union forces also captured eighteen artillery pieces.

Additional Details: Pemberton ordered Bowen's division and a fresh brigade commanded by Brigadier General John Vaughn to hold the bridges across Big Black River long enough for Loring to cross. Unbeknownst to Pemberton, however, Loring was not marching toward the river. Instead, Federal troops appeared early in the morning and prepared to storm the defenses. McClernand's XIII Corps quickly deployed astride the road and artillery opened on the Confederate fortifications with solid shot and shell.

Believing that his men could cover the intervening ground quickly and with little loss, Lawler boldly ordered his troops to fix bayonets and charge. With a mighty cheer the Federals swept across the open ground, through the bayou, and over the parapets. From beginning to end, the charge lasted three minutes.

Overwhelmed by the charge, Confederate soldiers threw down their rifle-muskets and ran toward the bridges across the river. In the panic and confusion of defeat, many Confederate soldiers attempted to swim across the river and drowned. Luckily, Pemberton's chief engineer, Major Sam Lockett, set the bridges on fire effectively cutting off pursuit by the victorious Union army. Badly shaken, the Confederates staggered back into the Vicksburg defenses and prepared to resist the Union onslaught.

Confederate losses at the Big Black River Bridge were not accurately reported, but 1,751 men, 18 cannon, and 5 battle flags were captured by the Federals. Union casualties totaled only 279 men of whom 39 were killed, 237 wounded, and 3 missing. Grant's forces bridged the river at three locations and, flushed with victory, pushed hard toward Vicksburg on May 18.

The Civil War-era bridge which spanned the river at this site was set on fire by the Confederates to prevent pursuit by Grant's victorious army.  The modern railroad bridge is pictured at right.