Battle of Young's Point

Battle of Young's Point
Part of the American Civil War
Date June 7, 1863 Location Madison Parish, Louisiana Result Union victory
Belligerents
United States of America	Confederate States of America
Commanders and leaders
Elias S. Dennis	James M. Hawes
Strength
brigade	brigade
Casualties and losses
Unknown	Unknown

The Battle of Young's Point was an engagement in the American Civil War that took place in Madison Parish, Louisiana, on June 7, 1863. It had an observable influence on the direction and conduct of the Vicksburg Campaign. The inability of the Confederates to destroy the vital Union supply depot at Young's Point and thus force Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant to loosen his grip on Vicksburg contributed to the ultimate surrender of the city on July 4.

Background

Young's Point, a small town on the Mississippi River, was occupied by the Union Army of the Tennessee after the Battle of Chickasaw Bayou on December 27–29, 1862. It was used as a staging area for the Arkansas Post Expedition and as a headquarters by Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and of the XV Corps during the winter of 1862-63. It was used by Adm. David D. Porter's Mississippi River Squadron as an advanced naval station during that time.

Engagement

As the veterans of Brig. Gen. Henry E. McCulloch's brigade of Walker's Greyhounds battled and lost to inexperienced Federal troops at Milliken's Bend, their fellow Texans of Brig. Gen. James M. Hawes's brigade moved against Young's Point. Provided with inefficient local guides and faulty intelligence, Hawes's Brigade, 1,400-strong, left Richmond (south of Tallula) at 7:00 p.m. on June 6. Lack of reconnaissance led the brigade to consume 17 hours to march 11 miles, because the men had to halt for 4½ hours at a damaged bridge over Walnut Bayou, while scouts searched for a suitable crossing point. Instead of arriving at dawn as planned, the exhausted brigade reached the vicinity of Young's Point at 10:30 a.m.^[1]

Informed that his men could approach the Federal encampment through woods, Hawes was shocked as his command debouched on to the open fields of a level plain in full view of the Federal camp situated below Young's Point some 1½ miles in the distance. As the Texans advanced across the fields, they saw Federal reinforcements arrive by transports supported by gunboats. Realizing that the chances for success had disappeared, Hawes ordered his troops to retire. Thus, Confederate efforts at Young's Point ended in failure.^[2]

Aftermath

Young's Point was used as a major Union supply depot and trans-shipping point throughout the Vicksburg Campaign.

Notes

1. Bearss, pp. 1183–84.
2. Bearss, pp. 1184–85.

References

• Bearss, Edwin C., The Campaign for Vicksburg, Volume III: Unvexed to the Sea, Morningside House, 1986, ISBN 0-89029-516-3.
•  This article incorporates public domain material from the National Park Service document "Young's Point".