VICKSBURG.
CO-OPERATION OF GRANT AND PORTER--GRAND GULF AND SHERMAN'S
DEMONSTRATION ON THE YAZOO--THE ADVANCE ON VICKSBURG--CAPTURE
OF JACKSON--GALLANT ASSAULTS UPON THE WORKS AT VICKSBURG--
THE SIEGE--SHERMAN HOLDING JOHNSTON AT BAY--SURRENDER OF
VICKSBURG--FLIGHT OF JOHNSTON--IMPORTANT RESULTS OF THE
CAMPAIGN--SHERMAN'S MEED OF PRAISE.
The repulse of Sherman's expedition at Milliken's Bend only made Grant
the more determined to reduce Vicksburg, and, as he still retained
his well-grounded confidence in Sherman, he retained him as his chief
aid in the great work. His plan now was to conduct his army by land
to New Carthage, twenty-three miles below Milliken's Bend, to run
the transports thence through the canal or past the batteries, and
then to cross the river and attack Vicksburg from the west and south.
McClernand's corps commenced this movement on March 29th, and on
account of floods and bad roads made slow progress. Porter entered into
the execution of Grant's plans with his customary zeal, and on April
16th ran his fleet and three laden transports past the batteries of
Vicksburg. A few days later five more transports and twelve barges were
run past the batteries, a number of the barges being badly injured by
the enemy's fire.
Grant issued final orders for this campaign on April 20th. McClernand
had the right, McPherson the centre, and Sherman the left. The army
moved forward slowly until April 26th, when it became evident that
the march must be continued beyond New Carthage. Grant then directed
Sherman to wait until the roads were in better condition, or the canals
were finished.
Two days later he told Sherman that on the next day, April 29th, Grand
Gulf was to be attacked, and he suggested that Sherman would do well
to make at the same time a feint on the Rebel batteries on the Yazoo,
near Haines's Bluff. Sherman undertook to do this, making as great a
show of attack as possible, with the object of preventing the Rebels
from sending reinforcements from Vicksburg to Grand Gulf. This movement
succeeded admirably. Sherman went up the Yazoo with a number of
gunboats and on April 30th, early in the morning, began a vigorous fire
upon the enemy's batteries. This was continued for four hours. Later
in the day he landed his troops in full view of the enemy as though
about to order a charge upon their works. The Rebels evidently expected
that the charge was to be made, for they kept themselves in a state of
preparation to meet it. Sherman's troops, however, contented themselves
with keeping up appearances until night, when they returned to the
boats. The next day the same manoeuvres were continued. Then orders
came from Grant to proceed at once to Grand Gulf, and Sherman quietly
dropped back from the scene of the sham attack. His losses amounted to
one man wounded.
Meantime the Thirteenth Army Corps had been moved down to Grand Gulf,
ready to storm the Rebel work as soon as Porter's gunboats had silenced
the batteries. A vigorous fire was kept up for more than five hours,
but the enemy's batteries proved too strong, and a change of plan
was necessary. Grant accordingly took his troops back some distance,
disembarked and marched across to the plain just below Grand Gulf. That
night the transports and barges were conveyed past the batteries in
safety, the gunboats following, and early on the morning of April 30th
the troops were taken across the river. Some days of skirmishing and
manoeuvring followed, and on the third of May it was found that the
enemy had fled from Grand Gulf, toward either Vicksburg or Jackson.
Grant accordingly halted his army to wait for Sherman's arrival, and
personally went back to Grand Gulf.
Sherman reached Young's Point on May 1st, and the next morning sent
his Second Division up to Milliken's Bend. Sherman himself with the
other two divisions marched on to join Grant. The junction was effected
on May 8th. The day before Grant had ordered a general advance, which
was now begun. McPherson at the right, was to move by the way of Rocky
Springs and Raymond, to Jackson; McClernand at the left, was to go
through Willow Springs, keeping as near the Black River as possible;
while Sherman was to move on Edward's Station, striking the railroad
between that point and Bolton. On May 10th Sherman destroyed the bridge
over the Big Black River, and on the 11th he reached Auburn. The next
day he dispersed a small force of the enemy at the crossing of Fourteen
Mile Creek, and that evening met Grant just beyond the creek and went
into camp. Word now came from McPherson that he had defeated two Rebel
brigades at Raymond, and that the enemy had retreated to Jackson, where
reinforcements were arriving, and where Joseph E. Johnston was to
command.
Grant now determined to make sure of Jackson, and to leave no enemy
behind him. So he directed Sherman and McClernand to march at once
to Raymond. On May 14th Sherman and McPherson met the enemy near
Jackson, and a lively engagement ensued. Before night the Rebels were
defeated, and were in full flight, and that evening Grant, Sherman
and McPherson met near the State House. The next day Sherman set one
division of his army to work destroying the railroad, the arsenal,
the government foundry, and various other military works. A valuable
cotton factory was also destroyed because the machinery it contained,
if regained by the Rebels, could be easily converted into hostile uses.
The penitentiary was burned by convicts, who had been released by the
Rebels, and some other buildings were accidentally destroyed.
The Rebel General, Pemberton, with 25,000 men and 10 batteries, now
sallied out from Vicksburg to attack Grant, and the latter accordingly
called back all of his corps to assail Pemberton's position near
Edward's Depot. Sherman made a forced march of 20 miles, and that
night, arriving at Bolton, was ordered to move on Bridgeport to the
right. The enemy beaten, turned back to Vicksburg. At Bridgeport
Sherman was joined by Blair with his division, and they crossed the
Big Black River. Pressing steadily forward, by the morning of May
18th, Sherman was on the Benton Road, commanding the Yazoo, thus
putting himself between the enemy at Vicksburg and the forts on the
Yazoo. Grant soon came up and placed the whole army in line of battle,
Sherman being on the right. When the advance was ordered, Sherman
marched on the Haines's Bluff Road, capturing the enemy's works and
camp, and taking many prisoners. On the morning of May 19th the army
encompassed the enemy north of Vicksburg, Sherman's command resting on
the river, within view of the fleet, with Vicksburg itself in plain
sight. There was nothing between Sherman and the Rebel army but about
four hundred yards of ground, much cut up by almost impassable ravines
and intrenchments. Sherman quickly sent a regiment to secure possession
of Haines's Bluff, which was done. Communication was thus opened with
the fleet, and bridges and roads were constructed, over which to bring
up stores from the mouth of the Chickasaw Bayou, where the supply boats
were lying. From May 11th to May 18th Sherman's men had literally lived
upon the country.
Vicksburg was now as completely invested as was possible with the
forces at hand, and the enemy was considerably demoralized. Grant
accordingly ordered a general assult at 2 P. M. on May 19th. The
attack was made by Sherman's men with great vigor. The ground was very
difficult and the enemy's works strong, and at nightfall Sherman had to
order his men to fall back a short distance to shelter. The next two
days were spent in placing artillery and bringing up supplies to the
troops, and on the morning of May 22d another general assult was made
all along the line. No men were visible in the hostile works except a
few sharpshooters, who were kept pretty quiet by the Union skirmishers.
A volunteer storming party led Sherman's column. As they neared the
works they had to cross a bit of open ground in full view of the enemy.
This they did at double-quick, and reached the salient of the bastion.
As they approached the sally-port they were met with by a withering
fire. The front ranks wavered. The rear pressed on valiantly, but it
was impossible to face the storm of lead and iron, and they had to
seek cover. But the head of the column scaled the outer slope of the
left face of the bastion, planted their colors, and then literally
burrowed into the earth to gain shelter from the flank fire.
Other attacks were made with great vigor by other brigades, Sherman
keeping up meantime a furious artillery fire to occupy the attention of
the enemy. At one time it was announced that McClernand had captured
three of the Rebel forts and that his flag floated over the stronghold
of Vicksburg; but this proved untrue. On the strength of this report,
however, Sherman ordered General Mower to charge with his brigade.
This was done, with results similar to those at first achieved, the
colors being planted by the side of those of the first storming party.
There they remained until after nightfall, when they were withdrawn by
Sherman's orders.
This assault failed simply because the enemy's works were too strong
to be taken in that way. The Rebels were able to mass at every point
all the men that were needed to defend it, while the nature of the
ground made it impossible for more than a few of the Union troops to
advance at once. Grant was not, however, discouraged. If he could
not take Vicksburg in one way, he would take it in another. If the
direct assult failed, he would see what could be done by a siege. At
the siege operations the troops worked diligently and cheerfully. The
intrenchments were pushed steadily forward until the evening of July
3d. At that time the saps were close to the enemy's ditch and the mines
were under his parapet. Everything was ready for the final attack.
Grant's army had been strengthened by various reinforcements. Indeed
it had been strengthened so much that he was able to spare Sherman
from the immediate work of the siege. So he placed him in command of
the Ninth Corps at Haines's Bluff to watch J. E. Johnston. The latter
had collected a large army at Jackson with the intention of attacking
Grant's force in the rear, and thus raising the siege of Vicksburg.
Sherman took up a strong position and easily held him at bay. Johnston,
however, became desperate in his desire to save Vicksburg from capture,
and on June 29th moved out to try conclusions with Sherman. But before
his preparations for battle were complete, on July 4th, 1863, Vicksburg
surrendered.
In his official report of the operations around Vicksburg, dated
July 6th, Grant spoke thus of Sherman's work in holding the enemy at
bay: "Johnston, however, not attacking, I determined to attack him
the moment Vicksburg was in our possession, and accordingly notified
Sherman that I should again make an assult on Vicksburg at daylight on
the 6th, and for him to have up supplies of all descriptions ready to
move upon receipt of orders, if the assult should prove a success. His
preparations were immediately made, and when the place surrendered on
the 4th, two days earlier than I had fixed for the attack, Sherman was
found ready, and moved at once with a force increased by the remainder
of both the Thirteenth and Fifteenth Army Corps, and is at present
investing Jackston, where Johnston has made a stand."
On July 9th, Sherman appeared before Jackson, having marched through
fifty miles of almost desert country. Three days later the town was
invested partially, and then Johnston, seeing that it was impossible
for him to hold his ground against Sherman's determined army, evacuated
the place and retreated to Meridian, a hundred miles away, burning the
bridges behind him. Sherman left a small garrison at Jackson, and then
returned to the line of the Big Black River. And thus was ended, one
hundred and nine days from its commencement, this great campaign. The
Union army had captured 37,000 prisoners, including fifteen Generals.
They had driven before them and partially dispersed another large army
under the ablest of the Rebel leaders. They had captured Vicksburg, the
Gibraltar of the South. They had freed the Mississippi River from Rebel
control. And they had split the Rebel Confederacy in twain.
Of Sherman's part in the campaign General Grant remarks: "The siege of
Vicksburg and last capture of Jackson and dispersion of Johnston's army
entitle General Sherman to more credit than usually falls to the lot
of one man to earn. His demonstration at Haines's Bluff, in April, to
hold the enemy about Vicksburg, while the army was securing a foothold
east of the Mississippi; his rapid marches to join the army afterwards;
his management at Jackson, Mississippi, in the first attack; his almost
unequalled march from Jackson to Bridgeport, and passage of Black
River; his securing Walnut Hills on the 18th of May, may attest his
great merit as a soldier."