Fort Pemberton Park

Fort Pemberton Park. . , In the 1863 Campaign against Vicksburg, General Grant tried several approaches, one being to send troops on transports down the Tallahatchie and Yazoo Rivers. He cut the Mississippi River levee in February which flooded the several bayous between the Mississippi and Tallahatchie Rivers, making a navigable connection. Twenty-two transports (with 5000 troops), two ironclads, two rams and six light draft gunboats made up the first expedition, which was later reinforced with another brigade and additional vessels. It took several weeks to make the two hundred mile trip as the bayous were narrow and tortuous., Apprised of the Federal plans the Confederate General John C. Pemberton ordered a fort to be constructed to block the enemy forces. The engineers selected a location where the Tallahatchie makes an abrupt turn easterly, the river flowing to this point in a straight stretch. There being room for only two gunboats abreast, thus the Confederates would be shooting down a straight alley. The fort was hastily built of cotton bales covered with earth, and named Fort Pemberton. It had but a few light guns, but one an eight inch rifle, was very accurate. The fort was manned by 1500 men under command of Brig. Gen. W.W. Loring. Cutting the levees had flooded the area and the only approach to the fort was by water. To further impede the enemy the steamship "Star of the West" was sunk in the channel., The Federal Flotilla arrived at Fort Pemberton on March 11th, and the two ironclads attacked at 1000 yards, but both were damaged after several attempts to reduce the fort. The Federal fleet retired to the Mississippi. Grant had failed to reach Vicksburg by the Tallahatachie-Yazoo route, Part of the fort is included in the park and some of the original breastworks may be easily recognized.