At the Center of the Battle
At daybreak, the Union soldiers who camped here found themselves in the midst of a rugged landscape of ridges and ravines. As it happened, they were also at the center of what would become the battlefield. From this knoll, Generals Grant and McClernand could direct the battle as it unfolded during the morning hours of May 1, 1863.
Grant spent most of the early hours of the fighting on this rise from which he could see separate battles on the Rodney Road ridge and the Bruinsburg Road ridge.
Ulysses S. Grant, "Personal Memoirs of U.S. Grant"
Photo Captions
Left Lower
Although this photograph (looking east from the Magnolia Church site) was taken after the war, the landscape probably appeared much as it had during the war, with the forest cleared and the ridges visible.
Right
This plantation road allowed communication between the two wings of the battle. The fighting north of here, along Bruinsburg Road, eventually pushed the Confederates toward Grand Gulf. More information about the eastern phase of the battle, also known as the Battle of Magnolia Church, is found at the Magnolia Church site.
Confederates burned the bridge over little Bayou Pierre as they retreated north from Port Gibson. The
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Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the Former U.S. Presidents: #18 Ulysses S. Grant series list. A significant historical date for this entry is May 1, 1863.
Location. 31° 56.89′ N, 91° 2.16′ W. Marker is in Port Gibson, Mississippi, in Claiborne County. Marker can be reached from Shaifer Road, 1˝ miles west of Bessie Weathers Road, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Port Gibson MS 39150, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Field Surgery on the Porch (here, next to this marker); The Quandary of Freedom (here, next to this marker); Reconciliation and Reunions (a few steps from this marker); The Shaifer Farmstead (a few steps from this marker); From This Site (within shouting distance of this marker); Battle of Port Gibson (within shouting distance of this marker); A Fight at Midnight (within shouting distance of this marker); Magnolia Church and the Battle along the Rodney Road (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Port Gibson.
More about this marker. Located on the grounds of the A.K. Shaifer House Mississippi Historic
Credits. This page was last revised on December 27, 2019. It was originally submitted on December 27, 2019, by Cajun Scrambler of Assumption, Louisiana. This page has been viewed 300 times since then and 42 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on December 27, 2019, by Cajun Scrambler of Assumption, Louisiana.
