Nytram01
First Sergeant
- Joined
- Sep 13, 2007
- Location
- Portsmouth, Hampshire, England
I'm revisiting a concept I brought up a while ago with John Bowen.
The Battle of Synders Bluff is being fought. William T. Sherman with some Federal Naval detatchments is, apparently - as far as the Confederates are concerned, trying to storm the bluff and get a foothold East of the Mississippi and North of Vicksburg.
Simultaniously the Battle of Grand Gulf is being fought. Admiral David D. Porter is attempting to force the Confederates from their positions at Grand Gulf and gain Grant a foothold on the Eastern bank of the Mississippi.
Both attacks are repulsed with relative ease. Sherman's force remains around Snyders Bluff and continues to threaten while Grant's force withdraws south.
John Bowen reports the engagement at Grand Gulf to his commander and then performs reconnaissance with force Southwards to discover if and where the Federal force has landed.
Lacking the Cavalry to determine whether Grant had landed at Bruinsburg or Rodney Bowen took up position at Port Gibson where he could react to a Federal threat from either direction.
Pemberton, more worried about the geographically closer threat of Sherman, sends only one Brigade of reinforcements to Bowen and the result is a brave but ultimately futile defense at Port Gibson followed by a retreat, the abandonment of Grand Gulf and it's attempted destruction and the ultimate doom of Vicksburg.
Question therefore is, what if Pemberton had reinforced Bowen with significant numbers?
The Battle of Synders Bluff is being fought. William T. Sherman with some Federal Naval detatchments is, apparently - as far as the Confederates are concerned, trying to storm the bluff and get a foothold East of the Mississippi and North of Vicksburg.
Simultaniously the Battle of Grand Gulf is being fought. Admiral David D. Porter is attempting to force the Confederates from their positions at Grand Gulf and gain Grant a foothold on the Eastern bank of the Mississippi.
Both attacks are repulsed with relative ease. Sherman's force remains around Snyders Bluff and continues to threaten while Grant's force withdraws south.
John Bowen reports the engagement at Grand Gulf to his commander and then performs reconnaissance with force Southwards to discover if and where the Federal force has landed.
Lacking the Cavalry to determine whether Grant had landed at Bruinsburg or Rodney Bowen took up position at Port Gibson where he could react to a Federal threat from either direction.
Pemberton, more worried about the geographically closer threat of Sherman, sends only one Brigade of reinforcements to Bowen and the result is a brave but ultimately futile defense at Port Gibson followed by a retreat, the abandonment of Grand Gulf and it's attempted destruction and the ultimate doom of Vicksburg.
Question therefore is, what if Pemberton had reinforced Bowen with significant numbers?
Bringing the