Book Review: The Inland Campaign for Vicksburg: Five Battles in Seventeen Days, May 1-17, 1863

The Inland Campaign for Vicksburg: Five Battles in Seventeen Days, May 1-17, 1863. By Timothy B. Smith. Lawrence, KS: University Press of Kansas, 2024. Hardcover, 531pp. $54.99.

Reviewed by Robert M. Dunkerly

The Inland Campaign for Vicksburg: Five Battles in Seventeen Days, May 1-17, 1863, Timothy B. Smith’s fifth and final volume in his highly acclaimed series on the Vicksburg Campaign, offers readers an excellent overview of the overland portion of this key operation to open the Mississippi River. One of the unique features of this part of the campaign are the five battles fought before the Union army approached and laid siege to Vicksburg. Smith’s book focuses on the significance of these engagements, without which the siege may not have occurred.

A crucial variable of the Vicksburg Campaign was the ground itself, and with this study, Smith provides a good analysis of the area’s geography. Rivers, swamps, bayous, and other topographical features limited access to the strategic river city, and determined how and where Union forces could approach it. Geography also influenced the movements of the two armies as they maneuvered in the interior of Mississippi. The Big Black River, for example, was at times both a barrier and a buffer as the armies shifted.

Logistics were another important factor, and Gen. Ulysses S. Grant faced numerous challenges in moving and supplying his army. Just getting at Vicksburg was a significant issue, given the city’s location and its surrounding geography. Conversely, Smith analyzes Gen. John C. Pemberton’s options as he made decisions about how to defend Vicksburg, and in his attempts to counter Grant’s maneuvering.

Every military operation involves working within the existing bureaucracy and command structure. Smith discusses how Grant worked with his superior, Gen. Henry Halleck, and how Pemberton interacted with his, Gen. Joseph E. Johnston, and President Jefferson Davis in Richmond. We also learn about the military personalities, tendencies, and traits of each commander, with Grant being more aggressive and Pemberton being largely reactive.

While the Vicksburg campaign was underway operations in other areas were also in full swing. Smith carefully shows how Grierson’s Raid, the campaign against Port Hudson, and even the distant yet concurrent Chancellorsville Campaign, all impacted and were influenced by events in central Mississippi.

Throughout the book, Smith analyzes the planning, decisions, and reactions of the commanders, providing a fair and balanced evaluation of their performances. He does this while keeping in mind the limitations of military intelligence, communication capabilities, and other variables. Moving brigades and divisions, for example, proved to be a challenging process in unfamiliar territory and without a reliable road network. Often commanders had to spend an inordinate amount of time on such frustrating and mundane details, sometimes coming up short and causing problems with effective troop deployment and supply. Smith clearly explains the decision process and occasionally limited choices that officers labored under, given the terrain and geography they were working with. How a commander adapted to fluid situations and the challenging terrain was key to success.

Similarly, sometimes situations called for caution; other times aggressiveness. Once moving his army across the Mississippi River, for example, Grant had to consolidate his forces and ensure proper supplies were on hand. Then he could strike forward, as was his preference. Like adaptability and learning the ground, finding the right balance was crucial in either winning or losing the campaign.

As is the case with all of Smith’s books, his writing here is clear and engaging as he describes the movement of troops and the ebb and flow of the five battles. Readers who enjoy narratives involving maneuver and battle actions will find much to like in The Inland Campaign for Vicksburg. Each battle (Port Gibson, Raymond, Jackson, Champion Hill, and Big Black River) is explained in detail, describing how they developed and their ramifications.

The Vicksburg Campaign is one of the most complicated and important of the Civil War. Crucial to the city’s siege and fall were the five battles fought beforehand and that Smith covers here. Before going to Vicksburg, and before visiting these sites, be sure to read The Inland Campaign for Vicksburg.