The Essential Guide to the Battle of Coffeeville, Mississippi

In the fall of 1862 General U. S. Grant began his overland Vicksburg Campaign through the heart of Mississippi. His route began in Grand Junction, Tennessee, ran down the Mississippi Central railroad through Holly Springs, Mississippi, over the marshy Tallahatchie River bottom, through Oxford, Water Valley, past Coffeeville, on to Grenada, and eventually to the state capital at Jackson. From there he would move west on the Southern rail line to Vicksburg, capture it, and in the process control the state of Mississippi and the Mississippi River. But first, he had to get past Pemberton's Rebels in north Mississippi. Pemberton constructed strong fortifications on the Tallahatchie River, but fell back to Grenada when the Union sent a flanking maneuver from Helena, Arkansas. Before Grant could reach Pemberton his cavalry was stopped in a hard-fought clash at Coffeeville. This action threw Grant's progress into neutral and provided time for the Rebs to regroup and plan a counter-strike. On the early morning of December 20 the Rebel cavalry struck Grant's main Mississippi base in Holly Springs, ending the Mississippi Central Railroad campaign, forcing the Federals out of Mississippi to re-plan the Vicksburg Campaign. Learn what led to these battles, how the out-manned and out-gunned Confederates fought and won them, what effect it had on the Vicksburg Campaign, and how it was part of the High Tide of the Confederacy.