While Grant rapidly marches upon the Confederate river bastion of Vicksburg. Another Federal Army marches upon its little sister, Port Hudson. Major General Nathaniel P. Banks, a disgraced political general from the Eastern Theater, was sent to Louisiana in December of 1862 to take over command of the Department of the Gulf from its previous commander, Major General Benjamin Butler. Lincoln dispatched Banks to work with Grant to destroy the final rebel holdouts along the Mississippi River. Therefore, in May of 1863, following reports that the Port Hudson commander, Major General Franklin K. Gardner, had sent half his garrison to support Pemberton, Banks rapidly moved his massive XIX Corps to quickly take out the Louisiana stronghold. However, despite having fewer than 7,000 men, Gardner's defenders had chosen a highly defensible position to garrison. Regardless, knowing that Port Hudson only contains a small garrison, Banks expects a swift victory. Thus, Banks launches his massive corps against the tiny rebel garrison on May 27th, 1863, starting the siege of Port Hudson.