Steele's Bayou expedition facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Steele's Bayou expedition
Part of the American Civil War
Operations against Vicksburg and Grant's Bayou Operations.      Confederate      Union
Date March 14–27, 1863 Location Northwestern Mississippi Result Confederate victory
Belligerents
United States (Union)	CSA (Confederacy)
Commanders and leaders
Rear Admiral David D. Porter, USN Major General William T. Sherman, USA	Colonel Winfield S. Featherston, CSA
Strength
5 gunboats 4 mortar rafts 2 brigades	1 brigade (2500 men)

The Steele's Bayou expedition was a military operation during the American Civil War. It involved both the Union Army and Navy. The goal was to move Union forces from the Mississippi River to the Yazoo River. They wanted to get behind the Confederate defenses at Vicksburg.

This expedition tried to find a secret path through small waterways. These waterways were in the flooded lands east of the Mississippi River. This way, they hoped to avoid the strong Confederate cannons near Vicksburg.

The Navy's ships and the Army's soldiers moved separately but worked together. The Navy's ships entered Steele's Bayou on March 14, 1863. Army transport ships followed them.

Moving through Steele's Bayou was not too hard. But the next part, along Deer Creek, was very difficult. The creek was narrow and had many sharp turns. This made the ships move extremely slowly.

Confederate soldiers made things even harder. They cut down trees to block the creek. This stopped the Union ships about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) from their next goal, Rolling Fork. The Union ships wanted to turn back. However, Confederate troops also blocked their escape route on Deer Creek by felling more trees.

Rear Admiral David D. Porter, who led the Navy ships, realized his vessels were trapped. He sent an urgent message to the Army for help. He also told his captains to be ready to destroy their ships. This was to prevent them from falling into enemy hands.

Major General William T. Sherman led the Union soldiers. They marched quickly to rescue the Navy. On March 22, they reached the trapped ships. The soldiers easily pushed back the Confederate patrols. This allowed Porter and his ships to move back into Steele's Bayou.

By March 27, the entire expedition was back on the Mississippi River. They had not achieved their main goal. The Steele's Bayou expedition was the last time General Ulysses S. Grant tried to attack Vicksburg from the right side. After this failure, he changed his plans. He then focused on attacking the Confederate left side. This new plan eventually led to the capture of Vicksburg.

Why Did the Union Try This Route?

The fight to capture Vicksburg, Mississippi, was stuck. Vicksburg was a very important Confederate stronghold. It was the last major place stopping the Union from controlling the entire Mississippi River. This was happening in the winter of 1862 and 1863.

General Ulysses S. Grant of the Union Army had tried several ways to get around the Confederate defenses. He wanted to keep his soldiers busy. He also hoped to find a weak spot. Grant later wrote that he wasn't sure these plans would work. But he was ready to use any success they might bring.

These early operations had not worked well. One of them, the Yazoo Pass expedition, was even in danger of being captured. So, Grant and Admiral David D. Porter started one more operation. This was the Steele's Bayou expedition. Its goal was to get around the enemy. It also aimed to help the other trapped expedition.

Admiral Porter himself went with the Navy ships. General Sherman personally led the Army. This was to make sure everyone worked together. Grant's orders to Sherman showed he wasn't fully confident. He told Sherman to explore the route to see if an army could get through. The goal was to find a good spot to attack Vicksburg.

The Tricky Mississippi Delta

The expedition's success depended a lot on the land. This area is called the Mississippi Delta. It's a flat, low-lying flood plain in northwestern Mississippi. Much of this land is actually lower than the river itself.

The region has many marshes, swamps, and small waterways. These include bayous, lakes, and creeks. In the past, the Mississippi River would overflow into these waters. This made them useful for boat travel. But by the mid-1800s, levees (raised banks) were built to control the river. This drained some of the land.

When the war started, a levee was broken for an earlier expedition. This flooded the land again. Small waterways became like small rivers. This made Union leaders think their gunboats could travel on them.

Admiral Porter believed his ships could go up Steele's Bayou. Then they would go through Black Bayou into Deer Creek. From there, they would reach Rolling Fork, and finally the Sunflower River. The Sunflower River met the Yazoo River. This was not far from where a big Union attack had failed in late 1862.

Porter used old maps and advice from local people. But these sources didn't fully explain the problems of moving heavy warships. Deer Creek was especially difficult. The straight-line distance was about 13 miles (21 km). But the actual path along the winding creek was 26 miles (42 km)!

He also didn't know about the thick trees hanging over the water. And there was plants under the water that would grab the ships' hulls. These problems slowed the gunboats down a lot. They sometimes moved as little as 1 mile (1.6 km) every two hours.

The Expedition Gets Stuck

Admiral Porter realized his ships might get trapped. Even though they weren't in immediate danger, the Confederates could cut off their supplies. He sent a message to General Sherman. He asked Sherman to hurry and rescue them. Meanwhile, Porter told his captains to prepare to destroy their ships. He didn't want them to fall into enemy hands.

The Union soldiers were still at the start of Black Bayou. They hadn't even entered Deer Creek yet. They had faced unexpected problems moving from the Mississippi River. So, they were still more than 20 miles (32 km) away from the trapped ships by land.

When Sherman heard the sounds of fighting, he quickly moved his troops. After marching for a day and a half, they arrived just as the Confederates were attacking. The Confederates were caught by surprise from behind. They quickly pulled back. The sailors were very happy to see their rescuers.

With the Army's help, Porter and his ships were now safe. The retreat continued. There were only small skirmishes as they left. By March 27, the ships were back on the Mississippi River. They waited there for Grant and Porter's next plan.

What Happened Next?

After the Steele's Bayou expedition failed, General Grant had no more chances to attack the Confederate right side. Most people, including Admiral Porter, thought the Union forces should go back to Memphis. They believed they should regroup and plan again.

But Grant didn't want to retreat. He decided to attack the Confederate left side instead. Admiral Porter quickly agreed with Grant's new plan. He immediately started advising Grant on how the Navy could help. This close teamwork between Grant and Porter became very important for the rest of the Vicksburg campaign.

Porter's easy agreement showed how much he had grown as a military leader. A historian named Chester Hearn said that earlier in his career, Porter might have blamed others for the failure. But this time, he understood that everyone had done their best. He also saw that success would come if the Army and Navy worked together completely.

So, even though the expedition failed, it was an important step. It helped Grant and Porter learn to work together. This teamwork was key to their final victory at Vicksburg.

Site coordinates

• Entrance to Steele's Bayou 32°26.9′N 90°53.5′W / 32.4483°N 90.8917°W / 32.4483; -90.8917
• Deer Creek–Rolling Fork junction 32°54.4′N 90°52.7′W / 32.9067°N 90.8783°W / 32.9067; -90.8783