John Harrison Wilson, The life of Charles Henry Dana

[235] His operations were desultory and lacking in that concentration and weight necessary for success. His antagonist had an interior position from which he could easily strike or frustrate the operations of any ordinary force coming against him, whether it was directed from the west against the colored troops at Milliken's Bend, or from the east against the detachments covering his own rear.

Dana had early taken ground in favor of utilizing the so-called contrabands in such army work as they could properly do, and when the adjutant-general joined Grant's army for the purpose of organizing negro regiments, gave him every assistance in his power. The army itself was indifferent, if not incredulous, as to the benefit to be derived therefrom, but when the Confederate attack on the camp of organization and instruction at Milliken's Bend received a bloody repulse at the hands of the half-drilled negroes, Dana expressed himself as “happy to report” that the sentiment of the army had been revolutionized by the bravery of the blacks, and that prominent officers who used to sneer at the idea were now heartily in favor of it.

As the month of June wore to its conclusion it became more and more evident that the surrender of Vicksburg was near at hand. Despatches to and from the garrison were being captured with greater and greater frequency. Deserters were coming out and giving themselves up nightly. Spies, discouraged planters, paroled Confederate officers, and even an ex-United States senator were contributing to the sum of our information. Some of this was voluntary, but much of it was unwittingly given, although it all went to the confirmation of the inferences which had been drawn earlier in the siege from the friendly conferences between the besieged and those who were drawing the toils about them. As early as June 14th Dana came to the conclusion that the surrender was certain to take place at no distant day. In expectation of that event he anticipated that his