Rear Adm. David D. Porter led seven ironclads
in an attack on the fortifications and batteries at Grand Gulf, with the
intention of silencing the Confederate guns and then securing the area
with troops of McClernand's XIII Army Corps who were on the accompanying
transports and barges. The attack by the seven ironclads began at 8:00
am and continued until about 1:30 pm. During the fight, the ironclads
moved within 100 yards of the Rebel guns and silenced the lower
batteries of Fort Wade; the Confederate upper batteries at Fort Cobun
remained out of reach and continued to fire. The Union ironclads (one of
which, the Tuscumbia, had been put out of action) and the transports
drew off. After dark, however, the ironclads engaged the Rebel guns
again while the steamboats and barges ran the gauntlet. Grant marched
his men overland across Coffee Point to below the Gulf. After the
transports had passed Grand Gulf, they embarked the troops at
Disharoon's plantation and disembarked them on the Mississippi shore at
Bruinsburg, below Grand Gulf. The men immediately began marching
overland towards Port Gibson. The Confederates had won a hollow victory;
the loss at Grand Gulf caused just a slight change in Grant's
offensive.