Friday 30th [May 1, 1863]

Battle of Port Gibson
Heavy skirmishing commen
ced at 1 o'clock a.m. Battle
opens early in the morning.
Enemy in vastly superior
numbers held in check by
Bowen with 5000 men all
day. Bowen withdraws
across Bayou Pierre. Genl
Tracy killed -- our loss about
1000 all told. Reinforece-
ments were immediately
sent to Bowen on his inform-
ing Hayes [?] of the enemy's
landing at Bruinsburg -- were
unfortunately too late to save his position --
this was the turning point of the cam
paign

General Edward Dorr Tracy (1833-1863)
General John Stevens Bowen (1830-1863)

The Battle of Port Gibson was fought on May 1, 1863. Both Taylor's misdating and his last sentence indicates that this may be a later clean copy of his diary.

[April] 29 [1863]

Enemy in force at Bruins
burg -- move upon Port
Gibson. Part of Green's
brigade skirmish with
their advance -- Fall
back to Port Gibson

28th [April 29, 1863]

Heavy bombardment of
Grand Gulf -- continues half
the day -- one boat disabled.
Batteries not injured -- Col
Wade, Cap Arty, killed. Boats
ran past Grand Gulf at
night -- Enemy lands his
troops at Bruinsburg.

Taylor's diary is off by one day in his later recopying of an earlier volume. The action at Grand Gulf actually occurred on April 29.

Colonel William Wade, commander of Wade's Missouri Battery, was decapitated during the bombardment [Terrence J. Winschel]

[April] 27th [1863]

Grierson's raid through the
state kicking up a thun-
dering rumpus

Colonel Benjamin H. Grierson with 1700 cavalry left La Grange, Tenn on April 17 on a raid into Mississippi to divert attention from Grant's Vicksburg offensive. By the 27th they were deep in Confederate territory.

[April] 26 [1863]

Heavy skirmishing on La
shore between enemy and Maj.
Harrison's cavalry -- continues
nearly all day. Small tug
passes Vicksburg -- not hurt.
Enemy still pressing down
on the Louisiana shore.

Lt. Colonel Isaac Harrison of the 15th Louisiana Cavalry Battalion.

[April] 25th [1863]

Enemy appears at Thompson's
Hill and in the Ballard plan
tation -- Fire an occasional
shot at the batteries with long
range rifle piece -- 5 gunboats
in sight. Enemy appears on
land at Hard Times.

[April] 24th [1863]

Enemy begins to fire occasio
nal shots at the Grand Gulf
batteries. Batteries established
at Winkler's Bluff and Thomp
son's Hill. Rifle pits erected to
cover river front at Grand Gulf.

[April] 23rd [1863]

Nothing worthy of note--

April 22 [1863]

Enemy reported passing from
Young's [?] Point to Hard Times
and St. Joseph's on La shore -
5 gunboats in sight above
Grand Gulf. Six transports
pass Vicksburg --two disabled

"In front of Vicksburg a Federal flotilla of six transports and twelve barges attempted to pass the batteries. One transport and six barges were sunk, but the remainder carried....supplies to Grant's men below the city." Long Civil War Day by Day