Battle of Young's Point

Part of the American Civil War

Date	June 7, 1863
Location	Madison Parish, Louisiana
Result	Union victory

Belligerents

United States of America

Confederate States of America

Commanders and leaders

Elias S. Dennis

James M. Hawes

Strength

brigade

Casualties and losses

Unknown

The Battle of Young's Point was an engagement in the American Civil War that took place in Madison Parish, Louisiana, on June 7, 1863. It had an observable influence on the direction and conduct of the Vicksburg Campaign. The inability of the Confederates to destroy the vital Union supply depot at Young's Point and thus force Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant to loosen his grip on Vicksburg contributed to the ultimate surrender of the city on July 4.

Young's Point, a small town on the Mississippi River, was occupied by the Union Army of the Tennessee after the Battle of Chickasaw Bayou on December 27–29, 1862. It was used as a staging area for the Arkansas Post Expedition and as a headquarters by Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and of the XV Corps during the winter of 1862-63. It was used by Adm. David D. Porter's Mississippi River Squadron as an advanced naval station during that time.

As the veterans of Brig. Gen. Henry E. McCulloch's brigade of Walker's Greyhounds battled and lost to inexperienced Federal troops at Milliken's Bend, their fellow Texans of Brig. Gen. James M. Hawes's brigade moved against Young's Point. Provided with inefficient local guides and faulty intelligence, Hawes's Brigade, 1,400-strong, left Richmond (south of Tallula) at 7:00 p.m. on June 6. Lack of reconnaissance led the brigade to consume 17 hours to march 11 miles, because the men had to halt for 4½ hours at a damaged bridge over Walnut Bayou, while scouts searched for a suitable crossing point. Instead of arriving at dawn as planned, the exhausted brigade reached the vicinity of Young's Point at 10:30 a.m.

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