mcclernand landed his men on the mississippi river levee at young's point, where they "suffered from the heavy winter rains and lack of shelter. tents were not issued to the troops because they were within range of the [confederate] guns at vicksburg; so the more enterprising men dug holes in the levee and covered them with their black rubber blankets. floundering in knee-deep black mud and still exhausted from recent expeditions, numerous soldiers fell sick. many cases of smallpox were reported. hospital tents lined the back side of the levee and were crowded with thousands of sick men. many died, and soon the levee was lined with new graves."