Maps of Vicksburg

United States War Department. “Atlas of the war of the Rebellion giving Union and Confederate armies by actual surveys by the Union and Confederate engineers, and approved by the officers in command, of all the maps herein published.” Plate XXXVI. 1 Atlas ([3] Leaves, 40 Folded Plates, [14] Leaves): Ill. Folded Col. Maps, Plans New York: Atlas Pub. Co., 1892. Library of Congress Geography and Map Division. http://www.loc.gov/item/2009581111 (accessed August 31, 2013).

Maps of Vicksburg

Vicksburg was a big problem for the North because you came along and around the bend and were pelted with artillery. It was a gauntlet. Below is a depiction of the Revetments on the river where they fired on the ships. The Mississippi River flows differently today, the river has moved since the Civil War and parts of the river back then are now lakes.

The US Ironclad Gunboat the Essex

"Destruction of the rebel ram "Arkansas": By the United State gunboat "Essex," on the Mississippi River, near Baton Rouge, August 4th 1862." 1 print : lithograph, hand colored. New York: Currier & Ives, [1862?] Library of Congress http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/91795896/ (Accessed 10/18/2013).

The US Ironclad Gunboat the Essex

Richard faced this ship in three different battles, at Fort Henry, Fort Donelson and at Port Hudson where it was the only Ironclad gunboat in the lower Mississippi Fleet. The rest of those ships were oceangoing warships and some of them were in Commodore Perry's trip to Japan ( 1852-1854).

Gunboats that fired on Fort Henry

“[USS CINCINNATI] The gunboat that fired the first shot at Fort Henry.” 1 photomechanical print: halftone Halftone repro. of photo in Miller, Photographic History of the Civil War, 1911 edition, vol. 1, p. 185. 1911. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division. http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2006691870/ (accessed 9/2/2013).

Gunboats that fired on Fort Henry

The Cincinnati (Ironclad) and the Lexington (Timber Clad) were at Fort Henry. The Pittsburg was part of the northern fleet.

The Upper Mississippi River Fleet

“The Mississippi River Fleet at Mound City, Illinois” 1 photographic print on card mount: albumen. Photographed between 1861 and 1865, printed between 1880 and 1889]. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division. http://www.loc.gov/pictures/collection/cwp/item/2013647493/ (accessed 9/2/2013).

The Upper Mississippi River Fleet

These are the ships that started at Cairo Illinois and went up the Ohio River to Tennessee River to Fort Henry and then most of them went down to the Ohio River and then up the Cumberland River to Fort Donelson.

“Federal tranports in the Tennessee River” 1 photographic print : albumen. Hartford, Conn: Taylor & Huntington, No. 2 State St., [between 1861 and 1865] Part of series: The War for the Union. Photographic War History, 1861-1865. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division. http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2012647172/ (accessed 9/2/2013).

Three years In the C.S. Army (P.A.C.S) A Diary of a Confederate Soldier by Jerry Pepper and Richard Lauren McClung
Amazon: http://amzn.com/B00FR2MT7I

Bombardment of Fort Henry

Currier & Ives. “Bombardment and capture of Fort Henry, Tenn.: By the federal gunboats under command of commodore Andrew H. Foote-Feby. 6th 1862” lithograph, hand-colored. New York: Currier & Ives, [ca. 1862]. Library of Congress. http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/90711973/ (accessed 8/26/2013).

Bombardment of Fort Henry

Lithographs of the ships bombarding Fort Henry.

Interesting that the Lithograph shows multiple misses of the ships on the Tennessee River but the Garrison was only run by a handful of troops and General Tilghman while the rest of the troops were either across the river at Fort Heiman or on their way to Fort Donelson. So they could not have been able to put up much of a fight, most of their guns were underwater due to the flood.

Battlefield Maps of Fort Henry

United States Army Corps of Engineers. "[Plan of Fort Henry and its outworks." Col. Map on Sheet 38 X 51 Cm. Shows Fort Henry, Tenn. (Confederate) as at 6 Feb. 1862. Library of Congress Geography and Map Division Washington http://www.loc.gov/item/77696125 (Accessed 10/18/2013)

Battlefield Maps of Fort Henry

These maps show the position of Fort Heiman opposite Fort Henry. This is particularly scene in the General Grant map below where you see fort Henry in the red in the center, Richards positions is to the lower left across the river from the artillery positions. Richard could observe the ironclad navy bombard Fort Henry. When he slipped across the Tennessee River his troops would move past the triangle shaped lake to Fort Donelson from the Southwest. Grants men landed towards the top of this map on the West side of the Tennessee River and headed towards Fort Donelson from the northwest.

Admiral Farragut's Fleet Bombarding Port Hudson

Admiral Farragut's Fleet Bombarding Port Hudson as the fleet made its way against the current of the Mississippi River in an attempt to get to Vicksburg which was to the north. An artillery battle at Point Blank Range. Port Hudson was set up on a cliff right where the ships had to turn to move up the Mississippi, thus they could shoot at any ship that came up or down the Mississippi. They concentrated their guns at this position, a gauntlet of fire. This gives you an idea of the bombardment that Richard was accustomed to experience in this war.