Grant crossed the Mississippi with more than 20,000 men at Bruinsburg, thirty miles southwest of Vicksburg, on April 30. The following day his advancing forces engaged 6,000 Confederates under Brigadier General John S. Bowen at Port Gibson in a battle that cost each side about 800 men killed, wounded, or missing. One of the Union soldiers who fought at Port Gibson was Taylor Peirce of the 22nd Iowa Infantry, whose regiment had been sent in March from Missouri to Louisiana to serve in the Thirteenth Corps of the Army of the Tennessee.
Head Quarters 22 Iowa Inftry
Port Gibson Mississippi May 4th 1863
Dear Catharine & all of you,
I have set down to write to you knowing that you would hear of our battle and would be very anxious about me and as soon as I found that I could send a letter I concluded to do so. On the 29th day of April we tried the experiment of bombarding the fort at Grand Gulf with the view of landing our forces at that place but the fort was impregnable being hewn out of the rock and after six hours cannonading it was found impossible to silence their guns. So the Genl concluded to run the blockade with the Transports and as they kept along side of the Steamboats and kept up such a continual roar of cannon that they did not get to injure one of them and there was not a life lost. So we were then marched down the river on the La side three miles below where we encamped for the night. Early the next morning we were then on board. There was 3 divisions one under Genl Carr one under Genl Hovey and one under Genl Ousterhouse. The whole under Comd of Genl McClernand. The whole number of men amounted to about 20 or 25 thousand men and said to be the finest army that has ever been together. We were taken down the river on the 30th of April about 10 miles to Rodney where after feeling for the rebles and finding none we landed and drew 3 day rations and left about 3 oclock P.M. for this place. We marched out about 6 miles and halted and eat supper. In about an hour we started again. Our brigade being in advance we moved along sloly expecting every minute to hear our advance Guard fire on the reble pickets. About one oclock at night the long expected sound was heard. After some pretty sharp firing we were opened on by the reble battery which they had placed to rake us as we come up a lane but oweing to our caution and silence we had passed our whole brigade along the lane before they were aware of it. As soon as the battery opened on us we halted and laid down untill Harry Griffith come up with his six pieces of cannon. As soon as he got them fixed we were moved on the double quick around behind it into the head of a ravine where we all laid down and at it they went and kept it up untill near daylight when the rebles ceased to fire and we laid and slept on our arms untill sunrise. We were all tired and anxious when the morning came knowing that the rebles would contest the ground to the utmost. Our regiment was ordered to support the battery through the night and of course we lay right where the ball and shell flew and if a man has weak nerves then is the time he will be likely to feel it haveing to stand inactive. And the roar of the guns and this whissing of ball and bursting of shell is terrible but thank fortune I am not of the weak nerved kind and did not suffer from that sickning failing called fear and am very thankfull that I am so constituted that I do not.
Well after about an hours suspence waiting to see where the attack was to come from as the rebles were concealed in the cane breaks and gullies we sent a challange to them in the shape of a shell and imediately they opened on us in earnest the ball for the May party was opened. Our forces was in three divisions. Our regt under Carr with 21 & 23 Iowa the 8th & 18 Indianna & 11 Wisconsin formed the right wing of the army. Genl Hovey the centre. I do not know what troops he had. Genl Osterhouse was on the left. I suppose our lines were 3 miles in extent and the rebles under Genl Green Stacy & Bowen all under Genl Baldwin attacked all three of our divisions at once about 7 oclock in the morning and attempted to surround us. The Battle became general abot 9 oclock and continued without intermission untill about 1 pm when our division made charge and the rebles gave way and retreated across the Bayou burning the bridge. That left us at liberty to go in on the Centre which we did and after some pretty hard fighting the rebles broke and run and Osterhaus had got through with his work and by sunset the whole reble army was in full flight and our victory complete. This is said to be the most unfortunate battle of the war for them. They came down in the morning with about 13,000 fresh troops boasting that they would just capture the d—d Yankee and make slaves of them. They retreated in the evening a defeated and dispairing rabble without order leaveing about 3,500 of their men behind them. The slaughter on their side was dreadful for the number engaged although they had the advantage of knowing the ground and kept hid in the cane breaks all the time just standing far enough in to keep out of sight so that they could fire out at us. But our English rifles sent their Leaden messengers in and thinned their ranks as if the plague was amongst them. Harry Griffith with his first Iowa battery tore their ranks from end to end. He is as brave as Ney. All night long we could hear him giving his commands with a clear loud voice and urging his men to give it to them while he sat or moved round amongst the guns on his horse amid a perfect shower of grape canister and shell as though it was but a May shower of rain instead of a shower of iron and seemed as unconcious of danger as when he used to walk the streets of Des Moines. Indeed our Officers all showed a bravery that was sublime. Not one of them but seemed that on his coolness and example before the men depended the fate of the battle.
Our loss is small. Our regiment was more exposed than any other but it come of the best except the 23. Our regt lost 3 killed and 12 wounded. 2 of the wounded are mortally. The rest will all get well. The 23d met the 23d Alabama and after about an hours hard fighting put them to flight. What the loss is in the 23 Iowa I have not learned certain but not much. I suppose 30 killed & wounded will cover the loss. The 23 Alabama left 360 Dead in the field or rather in the cane breaks and I suppose a number that was not discovered. We took some thing over 500 prisoners and been gathering them up ever since. I guess we will not have far short of 7 hundred. I heard we got 12 of their guns but I do not know whether it is correct or not. I do not know what the official report is but you will see it and the comments on it before you get this. We had one man wounded and none killed. Cap Ault showed considerable courage and behaved much better than I expected he would. Our Lts are good men and true and Col Stone showed us what he was as brave as he is good by the way they talk of making him governer of Iowa. Although I do not want to lose him from our regt yet I would like to see him at the head of the affairs of the State for he would give the copperheads hell and I want you to do all you can for him to get him in there. If there is a man in the world deserving it is him. Lt Col Glasgow is another here. Although I was a quarter of a mile from him I could hear him shouting to his men and telling them to give to the damd rebles and well his men obeyed him. Genl McClernand remained on the field all the time of the battle and actually sighted some of the guns himself. Old Grant heard us fighting and come on to the field about 11 oclock and when the victory was complete you ought to have heard the shout that rung out on the evening air. It was enough to pay us for all our fatigue and dangers. I am well and stouter than I have been for years although I had gone 48 hours without sleep and had to eat my meat raw with hard crackers and water and twice a little tea and marched with 40 pounds and my gun and 80 rounds of cartrige. I was able to fight the whole day among the cane breaks and ravines with the thermomater up to 90 without anything to eat. I walked 2 miles for my supper and back again on to the battle field when we lay and you had better believe I slept sound that night. After we got a little breakfast we all started after the retreating rebles but they had burned the bridges. And so we had to stop and make a bridge across bayou peirie when Genl Quinbys brigade started after them at 3 oclock P.M. of the 2 and Osterhaus and Smiths Divisions started at one oclock in the morning.
At 7 oclock we started for Grand Gulf to take the forces there and capture the battery by land but the rebs were to smart for us for they evacuated. And so we are laying now about 2 miles west SW of Port Gibson and 6 miles from Grand Gulf awaiting orders. I understand the rebs will make a stand at willow springs 18 miles from here. But I think they have either been whipped or they have not stopped there or else we would have been ordered up to assist in the fight. If they do not make a stand there they will evacuate Vicksburgh without a fight. I have just learned that the 23d lost 7 men killed and 24 wounded. Smith is safe and all the rest that you are acquainted with. Our forces engaged was abot 7,000. The rebs about 10,000. Our whole force could not get up in time to help us. I must quit as my paper is done.
Your afft Taylor