News that Pemberton's left wing had retreated to the rail center at Jackson, Mississippi, where it was receiving reinforcements from across the Confederacy, led Grant to change his plan of attack.
Nyheden om at Pembertons venstre fløj havde trukket sig tilbage til jernbaneknudepunktet ved Jackson, Mississippi, hvor den fik forstærkninger fra hele konføderationen førte Grant til at ændre sin angrebsplan.