Hey everyone, welcome to the 285th episode of our Civil War Podcast.

My name is Rich.

And yes, as you might have guessed, those crickets where we would normally hear Tracy's voice

means that she's not going to be with us for this show.

I know, I know, I share your disappointment, but she's off visiting family and left me

to hold down the fort so to speak.

And so, well you know what that means.

Yep, pizza and ice cream every night for the next week.

But more to the point, it means I'll be flying solo for this episode.

So let's get to it, shall we?

Well, as you all were recall, we used the last show to talk about events downriver from

Vicksburg, including Nathaniel Banks taking command of the Federal's Department of the

Golf, and David Farragut attempting to run past the Confederate position at Port Hudson

with his ships.

However, only two of the Federal ships actually made it up to Mississippi past Port Hudson.

Well naturally, Farragut was disappointed by that result, but not at all discouraged,

and so he pressed on with only Albatross and Hartford.

As Farragut made his way upriver, rebel steamboats fled in all directions, spreading the

news that Yankee warships were once again loose between Vicksburg and Port Hudson.

Farragut dropped anchor off the lower end of the Tisoto point canal on March 20, 1863,

and for the rest of the struggle for the Mississippi River, Ulysses S. Grant, Upstream, and Nathaniel

Banks, Downstream, would be in direct, although sometimes tenuous, communication, thanks to

...