Vicksburg, siege of
A noteworthy military operation that began at the close of 1862 and ended early in July following.
The Confederates had blockaded the
Mississippi River by planting heavy batteries on bluffs at
Vicksburg and
Port Hudson.
These formed connections between the
Confederates on each side of that stream, and it was important to break those connections.
To this end
General Grant concentrated his forces near the
Tallahatchee River, in northern Mississippi, where
Generals Hovey and
Washburne had been operating with troops which they had led from
Helena, Ark. Grant had gathered a large quantity of supplies at Holley Springs, which, through carelessness or treachery, had fallen (Dec. 20, 1862) into the hands of
Gen. Earl Van Dorn, and he was compelled to fall back to
Grand Junction to save his army.
Taking advantage of this movement, a large Confederate force under
Lieut.-Gen. J. C. Pemberton had been gathered at
Vicksburg for the protection of that post.
On the day when
Grant's supplies were seized
Gen. W. T. Sherman left
Memphis with transports bearing guns to besiege
Vicksburg.
At
Friar's Point they were joined by troops from
Hatteras, and were met by
Commodore Porter, whose fleet of gunboats was at the mouth of the
Yazoo River, just above
Vicksburg.
The two commanders arranged a plan for attacking the city in the rear, and proceeded to attempt to execute it. The troops and boats went up the
Yazoo to capture some batteries that blockaded the way, but were unsuccessful, and abandoned the project.
Early in January
Gen. J. A. McClernand arrived and, ranking
Sherman, took the
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chief command, and went up the
Arkansas River to attack Confederate posts.
Meanwhile
General Grant had arranged his army into four corps, and with it descended the river from
Memphis to prosecute the
siege of Vicksburg with vigor.
He was soon convinced that it could not be taken by direct assault.
He tried to perfect the canal begun by
Williams, but failed.
Then he sent a land and naval force up the
Yazoo to gain the rear of
Vicksburg, but was repulsed.
Finally
Grant sent a strong land force down the west side of the
Mississippi, and
Porter ran by the batteries at
Vicksburg in the night (April 16, 1863) with nearly his whole fleet.
Then
Grant prepared for vigorous operations in the rear of
Vicksburg, on the line of the
Black River.
On April 27
Porter ran by the Confederate batteries at
Grand Gulf, when
Grant's army crossed a little below, gained a victory at
Port Gibson, and calling
Sherman down the west side of the
Mississippi and across it to join him (May 8), the whole force pushed forward and captured
Jackson, the capital of
Mississippi.
Then the victorious army turned westward towards
Vicksburg, and, after two successful battles, swept on and closely invested the strongly fortified city in the rear (May 19), receiving their supplies from a base on the
Yazoo established by
Porter.
For a fortnight the army had subsisted off the country through which it passed.
After a brief rest
Grant began the
siege of Vicksburg.
Sherman had taken possession of the
Walnut Hills, near
Chickasaw Bayou, cutting off a Confederate force at Haines's Bluff; while
McClernand, advancing to the left, took position at Mount Albans, so as to cover the roads leading out of that city.
Porter, with his fleet of gunboats, was lying in the
Mississippi, above
Vicksburg and was preparing the way for a successful siege, which
Grant began with
Sherman on the right,
McPherson in the centre, and
Mcclernand on the left.
Grant was holding a line about 20 miles in extent—from the
Yazoo to the
Mississippi at
Warrenton.
He prepared to storm the batteries on the day after the arrival of his troops before them.
It was begun by
Sherman's corps in the afternoon of May 19,
Blair's division taking the lead.
There had been artillery firing all the morning; now there was close work.
The
Nationals, after a severe struggle, were repulsed.
Grant engaged
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Commodore Porter to assist in another assault on the 22d.
All night of the 21st and 22d
Porter kept six mortars playing upon the city and the works, and sent three gunboats to shell the water-batteries.
It was a fearful night for
Vicksburg, but the next day was more fearful still.
At 10 A. M. on the 22d
Grant's whole line moved to the attack.
As before,
Blair led the van, and very soon there was a general battle.
At two different points the right was repulsed.
Finally
McClernand, on the left, sent word that he held two captured forts.
Then another charge upon the works by a part of
Sherman's troops occurred, but without success.
The centre, under
McPherson, met with no better success, and, with heavy losses,
McClernand could not hold all that he had won.
Porter had joined in the fray; but this second assault was unsuccessful.
The
Nationals had lost about 3,000 men.
Then
Grant determined on a regular siege.
His effective force then did not exceed 20,000 men. The beleaguered garrison had only about 15,000 effective man out of 30,000 within the lines, with short rations for only a month.
Grant was soon reinforced by troops of
Generals Lanman,
A. J. Smith, and
Kimball, which were assigned to the command of
General Washburne.
Then came
General Herron from
Missouri (June 11) with his division, and then a part of the 9th Corps, under
General Parke.
With these troops, his force numbered nearly 70,000 men, and, with
Porter's fleet,
Vicksburg was completely enclosed.
Porter kept up a continual bombardment and cannonade for forty days, during which time he fired 7,000 mortarshells, and the gunboats 4,500 shells.
Grant drew his lines closer and closer.
He kept up a bombardment day and night.
The inhabitants had taken shelter in caves dug in the clay hills on which the city stands.
In these families lived day and night, and in these children were born.
Famine attacked the inhabitants, and mule-meat made a savory dish.
The only hope of the
Confederates for deliverance
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Map of the siege of Vicksburg. |
was in the arrival of
Johnston from
Jackson with a force competent to drive the Nationals away.
As June wore on,
Grant pressed the siege with vigor.
Johnston tried to help
Pemberton, but could not.
Grant proceeded to mine under some of the
Confederate works to blow them up. One of these, known as Fort Hill Bastion, was in front of
McPherson, and on the afternoon of June 25 it was exploded with terrible effect, making a great breach, at which a fierce struggle ensued.
Three days later there was another explosion, when another struggle took place Other mines were ready to be fired, and
Grant prepared for a general assault.
Pemberton lost hope.
For forty-five days he had been engaged in a brave struggle, and saw nothing but submission in the end, and on the morning of July 3 he raised a white flag That afternoon
Grant and
Pemberton met and arranged terms of surrender, and at 10 A. M. the next day the vanquished brigades of the
Confederates began to march out of the lines at
Vicksburg as prisoners of war. At the same time there was a great National victory at
Gettysburg (q. v.) and July 4, 1863, was the turning-point in the
Civil War. In the battles from
Port Gibson to
Vicksburg Grant lost 9,855 men, of whom 1,223 were killed.
In these engagements he had made 37,000 prisoners; and the
Confederates had lost, besides, 10,000 killed and wounded, with a vast number of stragglers.
Two days before the surrender a Vicksburg newspaper, printed on wallpaper, ridiculed a reported assurance of
Grant that he should dine in that city on July 4, saying, “Ulysses must first get
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Blowing up Fort Hill Bastion. |
into the city before he dines in it.”
The same paper eulogized the “luxury of mulemeat and fricasseed kitten.”
