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What Is The Civil War A Turning Point Of 1863

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In the year 1863, the Civil War was 2 years in. At the beginning of the year the war seemed to be in the hands of the Confederacy, but throughout the year the tables turned and it was apparent that the Union was gonna win the war. In January, “Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation [went] into effect” and there were 6-8 significant battles that transpired between then and May of 1863. At the end of May was the first assault on Port Hudson in Louisiana. This assault was a turning point for the Union and their goal of winning the war. Commodore Palmer expresses this by stating, “It is to be hoped that Port Hudson will fall some day.” But just a days walk away was Simmesport where an enemy(Confederate) crossing started a skirmish. In Simmesport there were reports that Kirby Smith would be “marching down with a large force” to General Banks’ whereabouts, opposite of Port Hudson. These reports caused much of a consternation for General Banks and his force of 400 men. So he requested that “the Switzerland take a look down there now and then, to see if there [was] any truth in the report.” From the request of Banks, “the Switzerland was sent on a reconnaissance down the Atchafalaya”(a river that flows right by Simmesport). As she was half a mile from Simmesport, she was fired into by the …show more content…

The enemy had a ‘battery(a gun line consisting of four guns) and four or five companies of infantry” and they were “strongly posted behind the levee and heavy earthworks.” The fire was very rigorous, consisting of storms of Minié balls. Which resulted in a fire to the light materials of

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