Don Wildman

New soldiers, as you say, trying to figure this thing out and the beginning of the real strategy of hooking up the north and south along the Mississippi River.

But it's important to understand Baton Rouge Falls without cannon fire, without bayonet charges.

It's a fairly quiet affair for the Union gunboats and moving up river.

But whether that will stay that way remains to be seen.

We'll come back after this break to cover that.

Welcome back.

We're speaking with Professor Aaron Sheehan-Dean.

So to recap, we have this small but strategic city on the banks of the Mississippi River recently falling into Union hands without much of a fight.

But Confederates are plotting to take it back.

So, Aaron, let's start with the state of opposing forces prior to this battle, the Confederates in particular.

Yeah.

Troops are commanded by General John C. Breckenridge.

He's advanced from the east.

The idea is to surprise the Union troops.

It's important to realize while things are going very strongly for the Confederates up North, we've just had the Battle of Shiloh in April.

up there in Tennessee, and Grant is a presence moving down the Mississippi towards Vicksburg, as you know.

So things are tipping differently out west.

I'm curious about the status of this situation, given the fact that so much resources have to go up north.

Is that where the Confederates are struggling because they just don't have the men and the materials?

And has everything to do with owning the river and being able to use your gunboats on that river, which is also what the Confederates are thinking.