Joseph S. Labill

He Charged Into Vicksburg's Deadliest Fire

He charged into Vicksburg's deadliest fire as part of a volunteer assault force sent against one of the Confederacy's strongest defensive positions. On May 22, 1863, Private Joseph S. Labill of Company C, 6th Missouri Volunteer Infantry, joined approximately 150 Union soldiers in a dangerous attack against the fortified approaches to Vicksburg, Mississippi. Known as the Forlorn Hope, the volunteer storming party advanced toward Confederate earthworks under devastating enemy fire. Labill's extraordinary gallantry during the assault eventually earned him the Medal of Honor, the United States' highest military decoration for valor.

Joseph S. Labill was born in Europe in 1837. Historical records differ regarding his precise birthplace, with official United States Army records identifying France and the Congressional Medal of Honor Society recording Belgium. His surname also appears in historical records as Labille, but the full form of his middle name has not been conclusively established.

Although surviving accounts provide limited information about his childhood, family, education, and early employment, his military record establishes that he entered Union service through Vandalia, Fayette County, Illinois.

By May 1863, he was serving as a Private in Company C of the 6th Missouri Volunteer Infantry, a Union regiment that played an important role in operations along the Mississippi River.

When the American Civil War began in April 1861, Missouri occupied a strategically important position between the Union and Confederate states. Although Missouri remained in the Union, the population was deeply divided, and competing military forces struggled to control its territory, transportation routes, and major cities.

St. Louis became a critical center of Federal military power. Located on the Mississippi River, the city provided access to important transportation networks and served as a base for military operations into the Western Theater.

The 6th Missouri Volunteer Infantry was organized at St. Louis between June 15 and July 9, 1861. The regiment entered Federal service during the opening months of the war, when the Union government was rapidly expanding its military forces to suppress the rebellion.

The regiment's early assignments included service around Pilot Knob, Jefferson City, and other strategically important locations in Missouri. Its soldiers helped protect transportation routes, support Federal military authority, and participate in operations intended to prevent Confederate forces from gaining control of the state.

During 1862, the 6th Missouri Infantry became involved in wider military campaigns as Union armies advanced southward into Confederate territory.

The regiment participated in operations associated with the advance against Corinth, Mississippi, an important railroad junction whose capture would strengthen Federal control over military communications in the region.

Following operations around Corinth, the regiment moved toward Memphis, Tennessee, and became part of the Army of the Tennessee.

This army, which developed into one of the Union's principal fighting forces in the Western Theater, conducted major campaigns aimed at securing the Mississippi River and weakening Confederate control of the surrounding states.

The Mississippi River held enormous strategic importance during the Civil War. It connected the agricultural regions of the Mississippi Valley with the Gulf of Mexico and provided a major transportation route for troops, supplies, and commercial goods.

President Abraham Lincoln and Union military commanders recognized that gaining control of the river would divide Confederate territory and interfere with the movement of military resources between the eastern and western sections of the Confederacy.

One of the greatest obstacles to that objective was Vicksburg, Mississippi.

Situated on high bluffs overlooking a bend in the Mississippi River, Vicksburg occupied a commanding geographical position. Confederate artillery batteries could fire upon vessels attempting to pass the city, while extensive landward defenses protected its approaches.

The Confederacy had developed Vicksburg into a major military stronghold. Its fortifications included earthworks, artillery positions, defensive ditches, rifle pits, and protected approaches designed to resist a large-scale Federal assault.

By late 1862, Major General Ulysses S. Grant had begun an extended campaign to capture the city.

Union forces conducted operations against Confederate positions north of Vicksburg during the final weeks of December 1862. These included the unsuccessful attack at Chickasaw Bayou, where Federal troops encountered difficult terrain and strongly defended positions.

The 6th Missouri Infantry participated in the broader operations of Major General William T. Sherman's forces in this region.

In January 1863, the regiment also took part in the campaign against Arkansas Post, where Union troops captured Fort Hindman and weakened Confederate control over an important river position.

During the following months, Grant continued searching for a way to overcome Vicksburg's formidable defenses.

After several unsuccessful approaches, Union forces moved south of the city and eventually crossed the Mississippi River below the Confederate stronghold.

Grant then advanced inland, seeking to defeat Confederate forces before they could unite against his army.

The campaign produced a series of important Union victories, including the Battle of Champion Hill on May 16, 1863.

The Confederate army under Lieutenant General John C. Pemberton suffered a serious defeat and withdrew toward Vicksburg.

Following additional fighting at the Big Black River, Confederate troops retreated behind the city's defensive fortifications.

By May 18, Union forces had approached Vicksburg and begun surrounding the Confederate position.

The 6th Missouri Infantry was serving in Colonel Giles A. Smith's First Brigade, Major General Francis P. Blair Jr.'s Second Division, XV Army Corps, under the overall command of Major General William T. Sherman.

The regiment occupied positions on the northern approaches to Vicksburg, where Union troops prepared to attack the heavily fortified Confederate defenses.

Grant initially hoped that the Confederate army, exhausted and demoralized by its recent defeats, might collapse under a determined assault.

On May 19, 1863, Sherman launched an attack against the Stockade Redan, one of the principal Confederate defensive works protecting the Graveyard Road entrance to Vicksburg.

The Stockade Redan was constructed to defend an important road leading toward the city. Its position allowed Confederate soldiers and artillerymen to fire directly upon attacking Union troops.

The fortification was protected by steep ground, deep ravines, defensive obstacles, and a ditch that made it extremely difficult for infantry to approach and scale the earthworks.

The first Union attack failed.

Federal soldiers attempting to advance toward the fortifications encountered intense Confederate fire. Many were killed or wounded before reaching the defenses, while others were pinned down and unable to move forward.

The surviving attackers eventually withdrew under cover of darkness.

Despite the heavy casualties, Grant believed another coordinated assault might overwhelm the Confederate lines.

He ordered a general attack for May 22, 1863.

The new offensive would involve Union formations advancing against multiple Confederate defensive positions around Vicksburg.

Sherman prepared another attack against the Stockade Redan, concentrating his troops along the Graveyard Road approach.

However, the formidable obstacles protecting the fort presented a serious tactical problem.

Before the main Union infantry could climb the defensive walls, soldiers needed to cross the deep ditch in front of the fortification.

The attacking force also required ladders to reach the top of the Confederate earthworks.

To overcome these obstacles, a special volunteer storming party was organized.

Approximately 150 men volunteered for the dangerous mission.

Their assignment was to advance ahead of the main attacking force and carry the equipment needed to create a passage across the defensive ditch and enable the infantry to reach the walls.

The volunteers were expected to face enemy fire before the larger assault force could reach the Confederate position.

Because the mission involved such extraordinary danger, the unit became known as the Forlorn Hope.

The name reflected the likelihood that many of the volunteers would be killed or wounded while attempting to carry out their assignment.

Private Joseph S. Labill was among the soldiers who joined this volunteer assault party.

His decision placed him in the leading element of one of the most hazardous Union attacks of the Vicksburg Campaign.

The members of the Forlorn Hope came from several regiments serving with the Union army. Their shared mission demanded exceptional discipline and the willingness to continue advancing despite the danger of concentrated enemy fire.

During the night before the attack, Union soldiers gathered timber to construct the planks and ladders needed for the assault.

Materials were obtained from buildings near General Grant's headquarters, including wood from a house that had been used by the Union commander.

The preparations continued as officers organized the attacking formations and positioned artillery to bombard the Confederate defenses.

On the morning of May 22, Union artillery opened a powerful bombardment against the fortified positions around Vicksburg.

The purpose of the bombardment was to weaken the Confederate defenses, disrupt enemy artillery, and support the approaching infantry.

As the appointed hour approached, the volunteer storming party prepared to advance.

At approximately ten o'clock in the morning, the artillery bombardment ceased, and the attack began.

The Forlorn Hope moved forward along Graveyard Road toward the Stockade Redan.

The volunteers advanced with the equipment needed to bridge the ditch and scale the defensive walls, while supporting infantry formations followed behind them.

The road was exposed to Confederate guns positioned to sweep the narrow approach.

Steep ravines on either side limited the attackers' ability to maneuver away from the line of fire.

The Confederate defenders initially remained behind their protective earthworks, waiting for the Union soldiers to draw closer.

As the volunteers approached the fortification, the defenders suddenly opened fire.

A devastating volley of musketry struck the advancing column.

The narrow road became a scene of destruction as Union soldiers fell under the concentrated fire.

Those still able to advance faced the difficult task of continuing toward the defensive ditch while surrounded by casualties and exposed to further Confederate volleys.

The attack was among the most dangerous operations undertaken by Union infantry during the campaign.

The volunteers had little protection as they moved toward the fortifications, while Confederate soldiers fired from prepared positions commanding the approach.

Despite these conditions, members of the storming party succeeded in reaching the defensive ditch.

Some of the attackers managed to place bridging materials across the obstacle, allowing others to approach the earthworks.

Union soldiers pressed forward toward the fortification, and two color bearers succeeded in planting their flags upon the exterior slope of the Confederate position.

The Confederate defense remained determined.

Heavy musket fire prevented the Union troops from securing the fortification, and the supporting infantry formations were unable to achieve the breakthrough that Grant and Sherman had hoped for.

Many attackers were forced to seek whatever protection they could find near the ditch or along the approach.

Others withdrew after suffering heavy casualties.

The assault ultimately failed to capture the Stockade Redan.

Although the attack did not achieve its military objective, the courage demonstrated by the volunteers became one of the most memorable episodes of the Siege of Vicksburg.

Joseph S. Labill's Medal of Honor citation specifically identifies his gallantry during the charge of the volunteer storming party.

The surviving official citation does not provide a detailed account of his individual movements or specify whether he personally carried a ladder, transported a plank, or reached a particular part of the Confederate works.

Nevertheless, it establishes that his bravery during the extraordinary assault was considered worthy of the nation's highest recognition for military valor.

His participation placed him among a small group of soldiers who voluntarily accepted a mission involving exceptional danger.

The courage displayed by these men reflected their willingness to advance against heavily defended fortifications despite the possibility that they would not survive.

The failed attack of May 22 had significant consequences for the wider Vicksburg Campaign.

Grant concluded that further direct assaults against the strongly fortified Confederate positions would likely produce additional casualties without securing a decisive victory.

He therefore shifted his strategy toward a prolonged siege.

Union troops constructed trenches, artillery positions, and approaches designed to surround the city and gradually weaken the Confederate defenses.

Federal artillery continued bombarding Confederate positions, while Union forces restricted the movement of supplies into Vicksburg.

The Confederate garrison endured increasingly difficult conditions as food supplies diminished and military pressure intensified.

The siege continued through June and into the opening days of July 1863.

On July 4, 1863, Lieutenant General John C. Pemberton surrendered Vicksburg to General Grant.

The Union victory secured control of a strategically important section of the Mississippi River and became a turning point in the Civil War.

Five days later, the surrender of Port Hudson, Louisiana, completed Federal control of the river.

These victories divided the Confederacy and greatly strengthened the Union's military position in the Western Theater.

The capture of Vicksburg also elevated Grant's reputation as a military commander and contributed to his eventual appointment as general-in-chief of the United States Army.

For the men who had participated in the May 22 assault, the victory provided a larger strategic conclusion to a campaign marked by severe hardship and sacrifice.

The 6th Missouri Infantry remained in Federal service after Vicksburg.

The regiment subsequently participated in operations around Jackson, Mississippi, before moving toward Chattanooga, Tennessee, during the latter part of 1863.

Its later organizational history included service during the Chattanooga Campaign, operations around Missionary Ridge, and the Atlanta Campaign of 1864.

The regiment also took part in Sherman's March to the Sea and the subsequent campaign through the Carolinas during the closing months of the war.

The 6th Missouri Infantry was finally mustered out of Federal service on August 17, 1865.

Although these campaigns form an important part of the regiment's military history, surviving biographical sources do not conclusively establish Joseph S. Labill's individual participation in every subsequent engagement.

His documented personal distinction remains his extraordinary service with the Forlorn Hope at Vicksburg on May 22, 1863.

The end of the Civil War brought significant changes to the United States.

The Union had been preserved, slavery had been abolished, and the nation entered the difficult period of Reconstruction.

Thousands of surviving soldiers returned to civilian life, carrying memories of battlefield experiences that would influence them for decades.

Labill's later life became associated with Vandalia, Illinois, the community credited in his Medal of Honor record as his place of entry into military service.

Although detailed records of his civilian occupation, family relationships, and postwar activities remain limited, his name continued to be preserved in official military records because of his distinguished conduct at Vicksburg.

More than thirty-one years after the battle, his bravery received formal recognition.

On August 14, 1894, Joseph S. Labill was awarded the Medal of Honor for his gallantry during the charge of the volunteer storming party at Vicksburg.

The Medal of Honor had been established during the American Civil War to recognize extraordinary acts of military courage and distinguished service.

Authorized for the United States Army in 1862, the decoration became the nation's highest military award for valor.

Labill received his award during a period when the War Department was reviewing and recognizing acts of bravery performed by Civil War veterans decades earlier.

The recognition of the Forlorn Hope volunteers formed an important part of this effort.

According to the National Park Service, seventy-eight members of the volunteer storming party eventually received the Medal of Honor for their courage during the May 22 assault.

These awards commemorated a remarkable collective demonstration of bravery by soldiers who had advanced against a fortified position under devastating enemy fire.

Labill's decoration acknowledged his individual gallantry as a member of that dangerous mission.

His award was especially significant because the assault itself had failed.

The Medal of Honor did not recognize the capture of the Confederate fortification or the successful completion of an offensive objective.

Instead, it recognized the courage demonstrated by a soldier who willingly entered an extraordinarily dangerous situation in the service of his country.

The distinction reflected a fundamental principle of military valor: extraordinary bravery may deserve recognition even when the larger operation does not achieve its intended result.

The Forlorn Hope became one of the most widely remembered examples of that principle during the American Civil War.

Labill's name appeared alongside other soldiers from the 6th Missouri Infantry and neighboring Union regiments who received the Medal of Honor for their participation in the same assault.

Their recognition preserved the memory of a mission in which ordinary enlisted soldiers volunteered to lead an attack against one of the Confederacy's strongest defensive works.

By the final years of the nineteenth century, Vicksburg had become an important site of national remembrance.

Veterans from both sides returned to the battlefield, while monuments and memorials were established to commemorate the units that had fought during the campaign.

The creation of Vicksburg National Military Park in 1899 helped preserve the historic landscape, including the Stockade Redan and the positions occupied by Union and Confederate troops.

Regimental monuments and battlefield markers eventually provided a lasting record of the military organizations involved in the siege.

Among these memorials were markers identifying the positions and assault routes of the 6th Missouri Infantry.

These monuments helped preserve the regiment's contribution to the campaign and the events that brought Labill national recognition.

Joseph S. Labill died in 1911 in Vandalia, Illinois, having lived long enough to see his Civil War service honored through the Medal of Honor.

He was buried at Fairlawn–South Hill Cemetery in Vandalia, where his grave preserves the memory of his military service and extraordinary bravery.

His Medal of Honor is recorded in the Special Collections of the Chicago Public Library, providing an additional historical connection to the recognition he received for his service.

The preservation of his award and burial record helps ensure that his contribution to the Siege of Vicksburg remains part of the historical record.

Joseph S. Labill's legacy is inseparable from the dangerous advance against the Stockade Redan on May 22, 1863.

As Confederate defenders waited behind their earthworks, he joined a volunteer force assigned to approach the fortifications before the main attacking infantry.

The mission required extraordinary courage because the volunteers had to cross exposed ground under direct fire while attempting to overcome obstacles protecting the enemy position.

Although the assault failed, the bravery demonstrated by its participants became a defining example of battlefield valor.

The Medal of Honor awarded to Joseph S. Labill stands as an enduring tribute to his courage, determination, and devotion to duty.

His story preserves the memory of a Union infantryman who willingly took part in one of the most dangerous assaults of the Vicksburg Campaign. More than a century and a half later, his gallantry remains part of the larger history of the soldiers whose sacrifices helped secure the Mississippi River and contributed to the ultimate Union victory in the American Civil War.