Battle of Port Gibson

On the night of April 29, 1863, Grant began crossing the Mississippi River with his Union army at Bruinsburg, Mississippi and by noon on the 30th was preparing to move inland with Union General McClernand Corps headed for Port Gibson. A small force of Confederates under Major General John S. Bowen moved to Grand Gulf to intercept the Union forces, but was outflanked by McClernand’s move on Port Gibson, hurried to intercept the invaders. Steadily pushed back the Confederates retired to Port Gibson and then evacuated the town. Isham W. Garrott was a law-yer from Perry County, Alabama who commanded the 20th Alabama Infantry, but on this day command of the Brigade fell to Garrott with the death of General Edward D. Tracy. Garrott’s report below describes the Alabama Regiments part in the battle.

Report of Col. Isham W. Garrott, Twentieth Alabama Infantry, Commanding Second Brigade Stevenson’s Division.

Camp near Warrenton, May __, 1863.

Sir: By order of Brigadier-General Barton, commanding Stevenson’s division, nine companies each of the Twentieth, Twenty-third, Thirtieth, and Thirty-first Regiments of Alabama Volunteers left camp, near Warrenton, about 7 p.m. on the evening of April 29; crossed the Big Black at Hankinson’s Ferry that night, and continued the march next day in the direction of Grand Gulf. When we arrived within 4 miles of the latter place, we were directed to move toward Port Gibson; crossed Bayou Pierre on the suspension bridge between Port Gibson and Grand Gulf, and halted a little beyond, where the men, who had been without food all day, obtained raw rations and immediately proceeded to cook them. Before the cooking was done, however, the order to march was given, and the troops proceeded down the bayou to a point 5 or 6 miles in front of Port Gibson, where we were formed in line of battle on the night of the 30th, the brigade having march 40 miles in twenty-seven hours.
The troops slept on their arms until aroused by the fire of artillery on our left about 2 o’clock next morning, when they promptly fell into line. An officer sent by General Green stated to General Tracy that General Green had sent him to ask at least one regi-ment and one section of Captain [J. W.] Johnston’s battery to re-enforce him on the left, strenuously urging that if the left was not sustained the right would be cut off from all chance of retreat, and stating to General Tracey that it was General Green’s opinion that he could not sustain his position on the left fifteen minutes unless re-enforced. General Tracy reluctantly ordered the nine companies of the Twenty-third Alabama (then on the field) and two of the four guns of Captain Johnston’s battery to his relief. This was about sunrise, and before the infantry had become engaged. The balance of the brigade then on the ground—consisting of nine companies each of the twentieth, Thirtieth, and Thirty-first Alabama Regiments—were then placed in the position for battle pointed out by General Green, who, as understood, was sent by General Bowen to discharge this duty. The battery was placed on the ridge about the center of our line and near some negro houses. The Thirtieth Alabama was posted on either side of the battery. The left wind of the Twentieth Regiment formed line on the right, stretching out obliquely to the front to a skirt of woods on the east side of the ravine, which is west of the negro houses. Two of the four remaining companies of the Twentieth Regiment were posted at very long inter-vals, and the other two were deployed as skirmishers to protect our right flank, the dis-tance between the right flank of our little force and Bayou Pierre, which was intended to be protected by these four companies, being not less than 800 yards. The nine companies of the Thirty-first Alabama Regiment were placed in line on Colonel [Charles M.] Shel-ley’s left, in a gorge or ravine grown up with reeds, bushes, and some few small trees. The distance between the left flank of this regiment and the nearest troops on its left was at least 1 mile.
The battle was commenced on the right a little before 7 o’clock in the morning, the en-emy first attacking the center of our brigade with artillery and small-arms. The attack was coolly and promptly met by the section of Captain Johnston’s battery above men-tioned and the Thirtieth Alabama Regiment. The contest here soon became warm and bloody. The battery was in range of the enemy’s sharpshooters, and in a short time a number of officers, men, and horses had been killed or wounded.
A little before 8 o’clock our brave and gallant commander General Tracy, fell near the front line, pierced through the breast, and instantly died without uttering a word. The command of the brigade then devolved upon the undersigned, and the fight was contin-ued by our troops with unabated ardor. I knew nothing of the plan of battle except what I had casually learned that morning from General Tracy, the substance of which is herein before stated. The enemy was in our front, and I knew of no order to retire. A messenger was immediately sent to the commanding general for instructions, who, on account of the distance to be traveled, did not return until 11 o’clock, when he brought the order that our position was to be held at all hazards.
In the mean time the fire of the enemy had become much heavier, and the Thirty-first Alabama and the left wing of the Twentieth had become engaged. Skirmishing had also been for some time kept up with the detached companies on the right. Two other pieces of Captain Johnston’s battery had arrived on the field, and had been ordered to relieve the two which had been placed in positioning the morning. Two of the four pieces had by this time been disabled. Lieutenant [Phillip] Peters and several men had been killed and others had been wounded, and a considerable number of the horses were disabled. Cap-tain Johnston had exhibited distinguished gallantry, and his command had bravely stood by their guns; but by 10 o’clock the enemy’s fire of artillery and sharpshooters had be-come so deadly that it seemed impossible for them to remain longer on the field without being sacrificed, and I ordered them to retire, which they did with the only two pieced capable of being carried from the field. The enemy had massed heavy forces in front of our center and of the left wing of the Twentieth Regiment, and they had for some time been receiving a deadly fire. The enemy had even attempted more than once to charge this position in heavy force, but as they emerged from their cover they were repulsed by a deliberate and well-aimed fire.
The Forty-sixth Alabama Regiment, belonging to this brigade, after a most exhausting march during the afternoon of the preceding day and night, had arrived on the field by 8 o’clock with about 160 effective men, and formed on the left of the Thirty-first Alabama Regiment.
After 11 o’clock heavy columns of the enemy could be distinctly seen, and it appeared evident that if they could be brought up to make a charge that our slender force would be overwhelmed by vastly superior numbers. The ammunition of the Thirtieth Regiment was now becoming exhausted, and that of the left wing of the Twentieth was growing short. Adjutant [John S.] Smith, of the Twentieth Regiment, was then dispatched to Brigadier-General Bowen to advise him of our situation, and to ask for instructions and re-enforcements, and that ammunition might be sent us. The general being on a distant part of the field, the adjutant did not return until about 2 o’clock, when he brought the order that our position must be held at all hazards and that re-enforcements would be sent. The enemy had attempted to make, up to this time, several charges on our center, defended by the Thirtieth and left wing of the Twentieth Alabama Regiments, and had been each time heroically repulsed. The Thirtieth Regiment, commanded by the cool, brave, and gallant Colonel Shelley, and the five left companies of the Twentieth Regi-ment, under the immediate command of the fearless and chivalrous Lieutenant [E. W.] Pettus, had obstinately resisted every effort of the enemy to dislodge them.
Finding that the enemy were advancing in the direction of the skirt of woods to our right and front, Captain [J. McKee] Gould and Lieutenant [J. W.] Parish, of the Twentieth Alabama Regiment, with their companies, had been sent forward to prevent their obtain-ing possession of this wood, and well and bravely did Captain Gould and the said compa-nies discharge this duty. Learning after 12 o’clock that these two companies were se-verely pressed, Captain [R. H.] Pratt, of the Twentieth Alabama, with his company, was sent to their support, and they promptly and cheerfully advanced to the assistance of their comrades. The enemy’s fire on the center not being at all diminished, it became neces-sary to order one company from the right, which was not so heavily engaged, to sustain it, and Captain [B. D.] Massingale, with his company, was ordered on this duty, and ad-vanced in good order under the enemy’s fire, and took the position previously occupied by Captain Pratt’s company. The four companies on the right, under the immediate command of Captain [J. N.] Dedman, after the death of General Tracy, had resisted all attempts of the enemy to flank us on the right, and after the withdrawal of Captain Mass-ingale’s company still maintained their ground, but a little after 3 o’clock large bodies of the enemy could be distinctly seen advancing on our slender forces on the right, our cen-ter being still heavily pressed.
In the mean time the Sixth Missouri Regiment had formed near the left of our brigade, and the Forty-sixth Alabama not yet being engaged, no alternative was left but to be overwhelmed by the masses of the enemy or re-enforce the center and right with that regiment. Five companies were therefore ordered to re-enforce the extreme right, and the other five the center. Colonel [M. L.] Woods being placed in command on the right, this regiment, thus divided, promptly and eagerly advanced to their positions under a galling fire from the enemy. The enemy having now reached the woods near the line on the right, Colonel Woods, with half his regiment, was posted at the road a little beyond the gap near the bayou, where embankments furnished good defense against small-arms, and the three companies of the Twentieth Regiment on the right were directed to form there with him, which they promptly did, having retired in good order from their respective former positions, about 200 yards in front of this place. The enemy advanced in great force against this latter position, but Colonel Woods and his command bravely met their attack, and held them at bay until ordered to retreat, as hereafter stated. The Thirty-first Alabama Regiment had well sustained their position on the left of Colonel Shelley, and resisted every effort of the enemy to advance in their front.
At 12 o’clock, Colonel [D. R.] Hundley, having ventured too far in front of his line in search of a better position nearer the enemy, was severely wounded, and the command devolved on Lieutenant-Colonel [T. M.] Arrington, a copy of whose report is herewith submitted. * [*report not found]
In order that no means should be spared to resist the advance of the enemy, I sent Adju-tant Smith to the rear, to bring up the two pieces of artillery belonging to Captain Johns-ton’s battery, which had been ordered to retire, as before stated. Lieutenant Peters having bravely fallen while at his post in the desperate fight in the morning, and Captain Johns-ton, who had with undaunted courage and true heroism skillfully managed his artillery had been borne from the field completely exhausted. Adjutant Smith found Sergeant [Francis G.] Obenchain in command of the two remaining pieces, delivered to him the order, and caused him to be planted on a hill some 600 yards in the rear, and directed that they should be ready for any emergency. Sergeant Obenchain, who had in the forenoon exhibited uniform coolness and unflinching nerve, promptly brought forward what was left of his command and took position as directed.
Learning from Colonel Shelley and Lieutenant-Colonel Pettus that the enemy was about occupying a high hill to the right of our center, from which our men had been driven by an overwhelming force, they were ordered to retire with their commands and take a new and strong position behind the crest of a ridge on which our line of battle had been formed early in the morning so soon as their position became untenable, on account of an enfilade-fire of small arms or artillery. Before this last order was executed, I met Briga-dier-General Green on the field, explained to him our position, and the orders under which the battle was then raging. He declined to make any change, and stated that he ex-pected to receive an order from General Bowen in a short time, and would send it to me. He soon afterward (it being about 5 o’clock) did send an order to retreat by the left flank, which was immediately executed as rapidly as possible.
By this time great numbers of the enemy had advanced into the woods in our front and occupied the high hill before referred to, so that the open ridge over which the Thirtieth and Twentieth Regiments were compelled to pass in falling back was very much exposed to a concentrated fire. While retreating across the ridge, the brave and chivalrous Major [A. S.] Pickering, of the Twentieth Regiment Alabama Volunteers, fell it is believed mortally wounded, while nobly discharging his duty in sustaining his command. Ser-geant Earle, color-bearer, here also fell while fearlessly carrying the colors from the field.
Lieutenant-Colonel Pettus, in a most daring attempt to bring off Captain Pratt and a por-tion of his company from their front position, which they yielded with great reluctance, was, with that brave captain and his equally brave men, cut off and captured by the en-emy.
Sergeant Obenchain and his intrepid comrades, by a cool and skillful fire, greatly as-sisted in protecting the retreat. The Twentieth, Thirtieth, Thirty-first, and Forty-sixth Regiments fell back into the road in the rear. Sergeant Obenchain soon brought his pieces into the column, the Thirty-first Alabama Regiment formed in the rear to cover the retreat, and the retreat was then conducted in good order some 4 miles over Bayou Pierre and to the ridge on the north side, where the troops went into camp.
The Sixth Missouri Regiment did not report for orders, but it would be unjust to them not to state that they courageously met the vast odds of the foe, and rendered most essen-tial service in checking any advance he may otherwise have been disposed to make.
Thus for about eleven hours had this most unequal contest continued. Column after column of the enemy had been seen to advance against our line. Several times charges were ordered and attempted, but as soon as the enemy emerged from their cover a delib-erate and deadly fire invariably drove them back. From what was seen on that day by officers of the command who occupied good positions for the purpose, and from what Colonel Pettus (who after his capture was carried across the battle-field in the afternoon of the same day) saw and learned, there is no doubt that from 12,000 to 15,000 men were engaged during the day with the part of our brigade which took part in the action, while our own numbers did not exceed 1,400.
Our loss was 18 killed, 112 wounded, and 142 missing, while the loss of the enemy in killed alone was much greater. Colonel Pettus, who passed over the most hotly contested part of the field, is of opinion that the enemy loss in killed was nearly equal to half of our own number engaged in the battle.
In any attempt which might be made to particularize individual merit injustice may be done. All—officers and men—did their whole duty. It seemed to be impossible for men to behave better; but certain positions gave some better opportunities for distinction than others. This was particularly the case with the Thirtieth Alabama Regiment and the com-panies of the Twentieth Alabama immediately on their right, who, under the cool, coura-geous, and skillful leadership of their commanders, fought through the day in a hot sun with the most obstinate and unflinching bravery.
To Sergeant Major [W. K.] McConnell, of the Thirtieth Regiment, my thanks are due for the prompt and intelligent manner in which he aided me, in carrying reports and mes-sages to, and bringing orders and answers from, the general commanding. Sergeant Pow-ers, of Company I, Twentieth Regiment, rendered most essential service in carrying or-ders to various parts of the field and bringing back information, though exposed to a hot fire from the enemy. To Adjutant Smith I am also indebted for efficient service in carry-ing dispatches, and for the prompt manner in which he caused the Artillery under Ser-geant Obenchain to be placed in position, as before stated. For further information of in-stances of individual merit, I beg leave to refer to accompanying reports.** [**reports not found]
All of which is respectfully submitted.

I. W. GARROTT,
Col. Twentieth Regt. Ala. Vols., Comdg. Second Brig. Of 1st instant

Captain [R. R.] Hutchinson, Assistant Adjutant-General
[P. S.]—There was no pursuit by the enemy