Raymond was a major turning point in Union general Ulysses S.
Grant's Vicksburg Campaign. Deceiving his Confederate opponents as to
his true intentions, Grant crossed the Mississippi River south of Vicksburg.
After establishing a supply base at Grand Gulf, Grant unexpectedly chose
an indirect approach to Vicksburg, marching his army to the northeast
to sever the railroad midway between Vicksburg and Jackson. His plan
was to cut Confederate general John Pemberton's line of communication,
and then destroy his army and capture Vicksburg.
While Grant moved toward the railroad, faulty Confederate intelligence led a single southern brigade of 3,000 to attack Grant's right flank -- a corps 12,000 strong -- on May 12. Although the ensuing fight at Raymond should have been an easy victory for the superior Union force, the battle was a confused slugging match that dragged on for six hours. The presence of Confederate forces to his front and right convinced Grant that he had to march to the east to drive the Confederates out of Jackson before proceeding west to Vicksburg.
Threat: Thanks to a partnership between CWPT and the Friends of Raymond, 65 acres of the 1,000-acre battlefield are currently protected, and three-quarters of a mile of interpretive trails have just been completed.
However, serious threats remain. State Highway 18, which runs through the battlefield, closely follows the Civil War road used by Grant's forces en route to Raymond. The battlefield's proximity to Jackson's growing suburbs has led to commercial and residential development along the highway.
CWSAC classified Raymond as a Priority I, Class B site.
