Hey everyone, thanks for tuning in to episode number 286 of our Civil War Podcast.

I'm Rich.

And I'm Tracy.

Hello y'all.

Welcome to the podcast.

Alright, so as you will recall, we spent the last couple of shows looking at events

downriver from Vicksburg, particularly with regard to what major general Nathaniel

Banks was up to in Louisiana.

In fact, at the end of the last show, it was May 7th, 1863.

And Banks, successful Bayou Tesh campaign, had taken him to Alexandria on the Red River

where he found David Dixon Porter and half a dozen federal iron clads, which delighted

him.

But, then Porter told Banks that the help Banks was anticipating, was counting on, was

expecting from Grant.

Um, yeah, that wasn't going to be happening.

Instead Porter told Banks that Grant had crossed his entire force to the east side of the

Mississippi below Vicksburg and then marched off to the east away from the river into the

interior of Mississippi.

Banks was well stunned by this news.

But on earth was Grant doing.

If we backtrack a bit to the night of March 28th, 1863, we find that thunderstorms were

drenching the federal camps and anchorages opposite Vicksburg.

...