Porter, as was always the case with him, not only acquiesced in the plan, but volunteered to use his entire fleet as transports.  I had intended to make this request, but he anticipated me.  At dusk, when concealed from the view of the enemy at Grand Gulf, McClernand landed his command on the west bank.  The navy and transports ran the batteries successfully.  The troops marched across the point of land under cover of night, unobserved.  By the time it was light the enemy saw our whole fleet, ironclads, gunboats, river steamers and barges, quietly moving down the river three miles below them, black, or rather blue, with National troops.

When the troops debarked, the evening of the 29th, it was expected that we would have to go to Rodney, about nine miles below, to find a landing; but that night a colored man came in who informed me that a good landing would be found at Bruinsburg, a few miles above Rodney, from which point there was a good road leading to Port Gibson some twelve miles in the interior.  The information was found correct, and our landing was effected without opposition.

Sherman had not left his position above Vicksburg yet.  On the morning of the 27th I ordered him to create a diversion by moving his corps up the Yazoo and threatening an attack on Haines’ Bluff.

My object was to compel Pemberton to keep as much force about Vicksburg as I could, until I could secure a good footing on high land east of the river.  The move was eminently successful and, as we afterwards learned, created great confusion about Vicksburg and doubts about our real design.  Sherman moved the day of our attack on Grand Gulf, the 29th, with ten regiments of his command and eight gunboats which Porter had left above Vicksburg.

He debarked his troops and apparently made every preparation to attack the enemy while the navy bombarded the main forts at Haines’ Bluff.  This move was made without a single casualty in either branch of the service.  On the first of May Sherman received orders from me (sent from Hard Times the evening of the 29th of April) to withdraw from the front of Haines’ Bluff and follow McPherson with two divisions as fast as he could.

I had established a depot of supplies at Perkins’ plantation.  Now that all our gunboats were below Grand Gulf it was possible that the enemy might fit out boats in the Big Black with improvised armament and attempt to destroy these supplies.  McPherson was at Hard Times with a portion of his corps, and the depot was protected by a part of his command.  The night of the 29th I directed him to arm one of the transports with artillery and send it up to Perkins’ plantation as a guard; and also to have the siege guns we had brought along moved there and put in position.

The embarkation below Grand Gulf took place at De Shroon’s, Louisiana, six miles above Bruinsburg, Mississippi.  Early on the morning of 30th of April McClernand’s corps and one division of McPherson’s corps were speedily landed.