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.

When this was effected I felt a degree of relief scarcely ever equalled since.  Vicksburg was not yet taken it is true, nor were its defenders demoralized by any of our previous moves.  I was now in the enemy’s country, with a vast river and the stronghold of Vicksburg between me and my base of supplies.  But I was on dry ground on the same side of the river with the enemy.  All the campaigns, labors, hardships and exposures from the month of December previous to this time that had been made and endured, were for the accomplishment of this one object.