. The army in the civil . nd had an unbroken view of thewhole bottom land as far as the Yazoo. A thousand menposted in trenches on this bluff ought easily to keepoff, and slaughter ten thousand moving to attack, and theenterprise was doomed to failure. Sherman, however,knew nothing of the arrival of Confederate reinforcements,and having proceeded thus far, it was out of the ques-tion for him to withdraw without making a vigorous as-sault. Sherman landed his troops at Johnsons plantation, oppo-site the mouth of Steeles bayou, on December 26th. Thetriangular space between Vicksburg, Haines
. The army in the civil . nd had an unbroken view of thewhole bottom land as far as the Yazoo. A thousand menposted in trenches on this bluff ought easily to keepoff, and slaughter ten thousand moving to attack, and theenterprise was doomed to failure. Sherman, however,knew nothing of the arrival of Confederate reinforcements,and having proceeded thus far, it was out of the ques-tion for him to withdraw without making a vigorous as-sault. Sherman landed his troops at Johnsons plantation, oppo-site the mouth of Steeles bayou, on December 26th. Thetriangular space between Vicksburg, Haines Bluff, andJohnsons plantation is bounded by the Yazoo Eiver on oneside, and the Walnut Hills on the other. It is low, allu-vial land, overflowed in the highest stages of the river,and filled times with a number of bayous and the whole twelve miles between Haines Bluff and Vioks- 76 THE MISSISSIPPI. burg there were but five points where it was practicableto pass from the Yazoo through the network of bayous to r. Chickasaw Bluffs. December 29, the bluffs. All of these points were coumianded by Con-federate batteries. At the point where Sherman landed hehad Chickasaw Bayou on his left and a former bed of the THE FIRST MOVE AGAINST VICKSBURG. 77 Yazoo, commonly known as the Lake, in his front. Stillfarther to his left was another stagnant bayou called Thomp-sons Lake. Chickasaw Bayou, Thompsons Lake, and theLake all unite at a point about two miles from the Yazooand half a mile from the blu£fs, and at this point a smallbrook running out from the hills empties into them. In landing, Steeles division formed the extreme left, onthe left of Chickasaw Bayou, Morgans division came neiton the right of that bayou, M. L. Smiths division next, andA. J. Smiths on the right, following the road leading fromJohnsons plantation direct to Vioksburg. These positionswere taken on the 27th, and during that day the four col-umns moved forward skirmishing slightly with the t
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