(March 1997) Steele's Bayou, 1 1/4 mi. below Black Bayou. View looking north

Official Records Reports of Steele's Bayou Expedition
Sherman U.S.A.     Stevenson C.S.A

(March 1997) Enlarge Black Bayou approximately 2 miles east of Steele's Bayou. View looking east
 
Bayou Expedition Tour Guide: In 1863, Black Bayou was larger than it is today, but it was still much smaller than the two bodies of water it connects, Steele's Bayou and Deer Creek. This was an extremely difficult part of the journey for Porter's flotilla, not only because the waterway was narrow, but also because it was surrounded by thick vegetation

(March 1997) Enlarge Black Bayou approximately 1 1/4 mi. west of Deer Creek. View looking south

(March 2010) Enlarge Black Bayou approximately 1 mi. west of Deer Creek

(March 2010) Enlarge Black Bayou approximately 3/4 mi. west of Deer Creek

(March 2010) Enlarge Conjunction of Black Bayou and Deer Creek. Black Bayou enters from the right. View looking southeast. See the panorama below for better view
 
Site Marker: Union gunboats under Admiral David Porter reached this site on March 16, 1863, in Steele's Bayou Expedition. General Sherman camped here, then moved north to protect boats from the Confederate forces
 
Bayou Expedition Tour Guide: Hill's plantation is located at the confluence of Black Bayou and Deer Creek. Making the turn into Deer Creek from Black Bayou was an arduous task for the men aboard the gunboats requiring great skill and patience. Hill's plantation  also became a staging point for infantry troops and the headquarters for General Sherman during the expedition
 
Junction of Deer Creek and Black Bayou Panorama