Reference Entry
BATTLE OF MILLIKEN’S BEND
Almost ninety years later, early June once again found American soldiers in desperate combat, this time along the Mississippi River during the Civil War. On June 7th, 1863, Confederate troops attacked Union positions at Milliken’s Bend, a key supply point supporting the siege of Vicksburg. Many of the defenders were newly raised African American regiments, still short on training and equipment but determined to prove their worth.
Dated Historical Context
A RECORDED MOMENT IN HISTORY
Battle of Milliken’s Bend
Almost ninety years later, early June once again found American soldiers in desperate combat, this time along the Mississippi River during the Civil War. On June 7th, 1863, Confederate troops attacked Union positions at Milliken’s Bend, a key supply point supporting the siege of Vicksburg. Many of the defenders were newly raised African American regiments, still short on training and equipment but determined to prove their worth. The fighting degenerated into close-quarters struggle with bayonets and clubbed muskets as the line bent but did not break, helped by fire from Union gunboats on the river. Casualties were severe, yet the performance of these units impressed many skeptical observers and strengthened the case for expanding the use of Black soldiers. The memory of Milliken’s Bend thus links the Vicksburg campaign to the broader transformation of the United States Army into a force that drew more fully on formerly enslaved Americans.
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