Question: What effect did Grierson’s Raid have on the confidence of both the Union and Confederate war efforts?
The spring of 1863 found General Grant in a dilemma concerning the lingering problem of Vicksburg. He ultimately planned to land his forces south of the town and attempt to take the stronghold from that direction. However, Confederate troops in the area would likely pose a serious threat. In hopes of distracting the Confederate troops away from the vicinity of Vicksburg and cutting the town’s connection to the eastern Confederacy, Grant ordered General Benjamin H. Grierson on a diversionary expedition through the heart of Mississippi. Grierson was a music teacher from Illinois who incidentally hated horses after being kicked in the head by one as a child. Grierson’s command would be made up of the 6th and 7th Illinois division, along with the 2nd Iowa. Grierson and his men rode out of La Grange, Tennessee, on April 17 and proceeded south into the heart of Confederate territory. Numerous diversions from the main force were detached on multiple instances throughout the raid. This brilliant tactic succeeded in giving the impression Grierson was everywhere at once, which served to draw Confederate troops away from the main body of the raid and allow Grierson to stay one step ahead of his pursuers at all times. The raid passed through a number of Mississippi towns, causing damage to railroads, telegraph lines, and other southern property. Close to every Confederate in the state of Mississippi was on Grierson’s trail towards the end of the raid and his troops rode into Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on May 2 just in time to narrowly escape from Confederate forces. Grierson’s men had come 600 miles in a time of 16 days, and 76 miles were covered in the last day and a half alone.
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