Chapter 6:
- Tennesseeans in Mississippi -- at Chickasaw Bayou -- Gregg's brigade at Raymond -- one Tennessee brigade combats an army corps -- the brigades of Reynolds and Vaughn at Vicks— Burg -- the First regiment heavy artillery -- the State's Representation at Port Hudson, La.
On the 8th of December, 1862, Major-General Grant, from his headquarters at Oxford, Miss., ordered Maj.-Gen. W. T. Sherman, then at Memphis, to proceed with his forces ‘down the river to the vicinity of Vicksburg, and with the cooperation of the gunboat fleet, under command of Flag—Officer Porter, proceed to the reduction of that place.’ Accordingly, on Christmas, Sherman's forces, 32,000 strong, with the whole Federal naval squadron of the Mississippi, ironclads and wooden boats, were at the mouth of the Yazoo. On the 26th the land and naval forces proceeded up the river twelve miles to the point selected for debarkation. On landing, Sherman moved his army out in four columns and ordered working parties to unload from his transports ‘all things necessary for five days operations,’ this being considered ample time to enable him to execute General Grant's order. Sherman's plan was by a prompt and concentrated movement to break the Confederate center near Chickasaw bayou. On the 29th of December the assault was made with the division commanded by Gen. George W. Morgan, together with the brigades of Blair and Thayer of Steele's division; but, according to Sherman's report, his forces ‘met so withering a fire from the rifle-pits, and cross-fire ’
