Perkins Plantation...eight to twelve miles below New Carthage
'''Grant had tried for months to get to the east of Vicksburg by coming down ... we struck the Mississippi River at Perkins Plantation (we know as "Somerset"). ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
The expedition passed New Carthage under water, and at Ion plantation, owned by Mr. James, encountered the Confederate pickets and chased them to their camp at Perkins' plantation, a couple of miles below. Ion plantation was high and dry. It contained acreage enough to held a large army, and it was determined to hold it all hazards. The next morning, April 8th, the rest of the 69th came forward and the day was spent in erecting saw-log barricades against the enemy. Every day for a weck the rebel artillery shelled the position, while their infantry made demonstrations that seriously threatened the success of the expedition. To add to the peril, a rebel gunboat appeared in the water front and kept the little force in a very anxious frame of mind for one day. It was saved from shelling by the close proximity of the mansion of Mr. James, an ardent friend of the enemy, and whose two sons were officers in the Confederate force at Perkins.
The tension was finally relieved by the passage of the batteries at Vicksburg, on the night of the 16th, by the gunboats and transports and their arrival at Ion plantation at noon next day. Early next morning the 49th and 69th Indiana, supported by the gunboats, made a reconnoissance to Perkins' plantation, which they found had been abandoned by the enemy the night before. Perkins' plantation had several hundred acres of fine camp ground, a river froiit with a good landing, making it an ideal place for assembling an army.
http://books.google.com/books?id=H-...ins+plantation+vicksburg,MS&output=text#c_top
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Good article on family history
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~lamadiso/perkins/perkins.htm
