part of banks's orders included instructions to advance up the mississippi river to join forces with ulysses s. grant, in order to gain control of the waterway, which was under confederate control between vicksburg, mississippi and port hudson, louisiana. grant was moving against vicksburg, and banks was under orders to secure port hudson before joining grant at vicksburg. he did not move immediately, because the garrison at port hudson was reported to be large, his new recruits were ill-equipped and insufficiently trained for action, and he was overwhelmed by the bureaucratic demands of administering the occupied portions of louisiana. he did send forces to reoccupy baton rouge, and sent a small expedition that briefly occupied galveston, texas but was evicted in the battle of galveston on january 1, 1863.