In May of 1863, as Major General Ulysses S. Grant’s army was advancing on Vicksburg, Mississippi, another Federal force was surrounding the only other Confederate stronghold left on the Mississippi River at Port Hudson, Louisiana, about 110 miles to the south. Major General Nathanial Banks’ 19th Corps with over 30,000 troops, faced roughly 7,000 Confederates [...]
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After the Emancipation Proclamation went into effect in January 1863, the northern states began recruiting African American regiments for military service. The first northern regiment of African American soldiers to head south was the 54th Massachusetts Infantry, the unit featured in the 1989 film Glory. Although the enlisted men in these regiments were black, the [...]
150 Years Ago in the Civil War As May 1863 opened, the armies were on the move as important campaigns in both in the East and West were underway. There was significant action on the very first day of the month in Virginia and Mississippi. Battle of Chancellorsville On May 1st, General Robert E. Lee put most of [...]
Continue reading about Chancellorsville, Vicksburg, and Port Hudson Campaigns: May 1863
