After early French and Spanish victories at Tourane (Da Nang) and Saigon, the Cochinchina campaign reached a point of equilibrium in 1860.

In early 1861 Admiral Léonard Charner broke the Siege of Saigon by defeating the Vietnamese besieging army at the Battle of Ky Hoa (25 February 1861).

On 1 and 2 April he bombarded and captured two forts at the entrance to the creek, and went on to destroy a series of stockades erected by the Vietnamese to bar access.

[3] On 4 April the expedition received important reinforcements from Saigon: 200 chasseurs, 100 sailors, two companies of marine infantry, two 40-millimetre mountain guns and two mortars.

[4] Between 6 and 11 April Le Couriault du Quilio's expedition fought its way along the Arroyo de la Poste, against Vietnamese resistance of varying intensity.

[7] On 10 April a French scouting party led by Captain du Chaffault advanced up to the walls of Mỹ Tho and exchanged shots with the defenders before returning to make its report.

A flotilla of warships under the command of Admiral François Page, who had been sent by Charner to sail up the Mekong river to attack Mỹ Tho by sea, presented itself before the town on 12 April.