Battle of Raymond, Mississippi

One of the South's newest Civil War battlefield parks can be found in Raymond, a city just off Interstate 20 between Jackson and Vicksburg and also a stop on the Natchez Trace Parkway.

Raymond Military Park preserves part of the scene of the May 12, 1863, Battle of Raymond, Mississippi. Fought between 4,000 Confederates led by the aggressive Gen. John Gregg and 12,000 Federals under Gen. James B. McPherson, the engagement was a key part of Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's Vicksburg Campaign.

Grant was pushing northeast after crossing the Mississippi River near Port Gibson and was planning to break the railroad between Jackson and Vicksburg, then close in on Vicksburg from the rear. To the surprise of the Federals, however, Gregg launched an aggressive attack on their right column at Fourteen Mile Creek just south of Raymond.

Despite three to one odds, Gregg achieved initial success against McPherson's corps and it was not until the Union general sent the fire of 22 cannon and nearly 12,000 men crashing into the Confederate lines that the game Southern troops finally fell back.

The Raymond Military Park preserves a key section of the battlefield and features a paved walking trail, cannon, exhibits, interpretive panels and more.

To learn more about this key battle during the Vicksburg Campaign, please visit our new Battle of Raymond pages at www.exploresouthernhistory.com/raymond1.