March 29, 1863 (Tuesday): Report From Grenada

General Greenville M. Dodge

CORINTH, [March] 29, 1863. 

Major-General HURLBUT:
    Midshipman Henry Travis, of the sloop of war Mississippi, has arrived here on parole. He says that his ship run aground, and that they fought her one hour afterward; then all hands made the shore, after firing the ship. She floated down below and blew up. They took with him 46 men and the captain of marines. The ship was not struck until after she got ashore. Says the current turned their ship; that the batteries did not do them any harm, and that they could not depress their guns enough to do them much damage. The rest of officers and men are in Jackson.
    A scout just in from Grenada road says only few militia at Grenada, but considerable force in Yazoo; that he heard cannonading up to Sunday night, and three guns Monday. Reports an increase of force on our front, mostly mounted only for infantry, and says that determined efforts are to made to break up our communications. There is no doubt but that the increase of cavalry is to break up our railroad, and the infantry are to relieve from railroad guard duty. No troops have been moved out of Vicksburg up to Wednesday night, except one brigade; that went toward Yazoo City. A great portion of the army is now east of Big Black.


G. M. DODGE.

Official Records, Series I., Vol. 24, Part 3, Page 155.

Grant's operations had been designed to take advantage of any success which developed.  But when no advantage did come to pass, Grant had still kept his troops in fighting shape and satisfied demands from the administration and public to keep trying combinations against Vicksburg.  These operations set the stage for what would become Grant's successful siege at Vicksburg.