...to Federal hands; Big Black River, which led up to the rear of Jackson, would have been kept open by the gun-boats; and the main Army instead of having to land at Bruensburg, eight or ten miles below Grand Gulf , could have disembarked at the latter point and marched to the rear of Vicksburg by favorable roads. Instead of carrying out his instructions, McClernand advanced only to Perkins' Landing, where he...