Ulysses S. Grant, Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant, Capture of Port Gibson-Grierson's raid-occupation of Grand Gulf-movement up the Big Black- battle of Raymond (search)
y corps commanders.
About twelve o'clock at night I was through my work and started for Hankinson's ferry, arriving there before daylight.
While at Grand Gulf I heard from Banks, who was on the Red River, and who said that he could not be at Port Hudson before the 10th of May and then with only 15,000 men. Up to this time my intention had been to secure Grand Gulf, as a base of supplies, detach McClernand's corps to Banks and co-operate with him in the reduction of Port Hudson.
The news fPort Hudson.
The news from Banks forced upon me a different plan of campaign from the one intended.
To wait for his co-operation would have detained me at least a month.
The reinforcements would not have reached ten thousand men after deducting casualties and necessary river guards at all high points close to the river for over three hundred miles. The enemy would have strengthened his position and been reinforced by more men than Banks could have brought.
I therefore determined to move independently of Banks, cut
Ulysses S. Grant, Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant, Movement against Jackson-fall of Jackson-Intercepting the enemy-battle of Champion's Hill (search)
rdered to start at four in the morning and march to Raymond.
McClernand was ordered to march with three divisions by Dillon's to Raymond.
One was left to guard the crossing of the Big Black.
On the 10th I had received a letter from Banks, on the Red River, asking reinforcements.
Porter had gone to his assistance with a part of his fleet on the 3d, and I now wrote to him describing my position and declining to send any troops.
I looked upon side movements as long as the enemy held Port Hudson and Vicksburg as a waste of time and material.
General Joseph E. Johnston arrived at Jackson in the night of the 13th from Tennessee, and immediately assumed command of all the Confederate troops in Mississippi.
I knew he was expecting reinforcements from the south and east.
On the 6th I had written to General Halleck: Information from the other side leaves me to believe the enemy are bringing forces from Tullahoma.
Up to this time my troops had been kept in supporting distances
Ulysses S. Grant, Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant, Battle of Black River Bridge-crossing the Big Black-investment of Vicksburg-assaulting the works (search)
the left of Carr and covered the enemy's entire front.
McPherson was in column on the road, the head close by, ready to come in wherever he could be of assistance.
While the troops were standing as here described an officer from Banks' staff came up and presented me with a letter from General Halleck, dated the 11th of May.
It had been sent by the way of New Orleans to Banks to be forwarded to me. It ordered me to return to Grand Gulf and to co-operate from there with Banks against Port Hudson, and then to return with our combined forces to besiege Vicksburg.
I told the officer that the order came too late, and that Halleck would not give it now if he knew our position.
The bearer of the dispatch insisted that I ought to obey the order, and was giving arguments to support his position when I heard great cheering to the right of our line and, looking in that direction, saw Lawler in his shirt sleeves leading a charge upon the enemy.
I immediately mounted my horse and rode in
ge; over six thousand prisoners had been captured, and as many more of the enemy had been killed or wounded; twenty-seven heavy cannon and sixty-one field-pieces had fallen into our hands; and four hundred miles of the river, from Vicksburg to Port Hudson, had become ours.
The Union force that had crossed the Mississippi River up to this time was less than forty-three thousand men. One division of these, Blair's, only arrived in time to take part in the battle of Champion's Hill, but was not ece which had been assigned to his command and which proved very useful, up to Haines' Bluff to hold it until reinforcements could be sent.
On the 26th I also received a letter from Banks, asking me to reinforce him with ten thousand men at Port Hudson.
Of course I could not comply with his request, nor did I think he needed them.
He was in no danger of an attack by the garrison in his front, and there was no army organizing in his rear to raise the siege.
On the 3d of June a brigade f
Ulysses S. Grant, Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant, Johnston's movements-fortifications at Haines' Bluff-explosion of the mine-explosion of the second mine-preparing for the assault-the Flag of truce-meeting with Pemberton-negotiations for surrender-accepting the terms- surrender of Vicksburg (search)
a force sufficient to be of service.
The Mississippi was now in our possession from its source to its mouth, except in the immediate front of Vicksburg and of Port Hudson.
We had nearly exhausted the country, along a line drawn from Lake Providence to opposite Bruinsburg.
The roads west were not of a character to draw supplies of copies of this letter printed, or at least a synopsis of it, and very soon a copy fell into the hands of General [Frank] Gardner, who was then in command of Port Hudson.
Gardner at once sent a letter to the commander of the National forces saying that he had been informed of the surrender of Vicksburg and telling how the infor to hold out longer.
General Banks gave him assurances that Vicksburg had been surrendered, and General Gardner surrendered unconditionally on the 9th of July. Port Hudson with nearly 6,000 prisoners, 51 guns, 5,000 small-arms and other stores fell into the hands of the Union forces: from that day to the close of the rebellion the
Ulysses S. Grant, Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant, Retrospect of the campaign-sherman's movements-proposed movement upon Mobile-a painful accident-ordered to report at Cairo (search)
s.
Now the Mississippi river was entirely in the possession of the National troops; for the fall of Vicksburg gave us Port Hudson at once.
The army of northern Virginia was driven out of Pennsylvania and forced back to about the same ground it occmovement to a decisive victory was necessary.
Accordingly I resolved to get below Vicksburg, unite with Banks against Port Hudson, make New Orleans a base and, with that base and Grand Gulf as a starting point, move our combined forces against Vickafter running its batteries and fighting a battle, I received a letter from Banks informing me that he could not be at Port Hudson under ten days, and then with only fifteen thousand men. The time was worth more than the reinforcements; I therefore d a force to drive the enemy from our rear, and out of the State.
The second was to send reinforcements to Banks near Port Hudson, if necessary, to complete the triumph of opening the Mississippi from its source to its mouth to the free navigation
Ulysses S. Grant, Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant, Arrival of the peace commissioners-lincoln and the peace commissioners-an anecdote of Lincoln-the winter before Petersburg-Sheridan Destroys the Railroad — Gordon Carries the picket line-parke Recaptures the line-the battle of White Oak road (search)
their presence was known, they had driven off a large number of beef cattle that were grazing in that section.
It was a fair capture, and they were sufficiently needed by the Confederates.
It was only retaliating for what we had done, sometimes for many weeks at a time, when out of supplies-taking what the Confederate army otherwise would have gotten.
As appears in this book, on one single occasion we captured five thousand head of cattle which were crossing the Mississippi River near Port Hudson on their way from Texas to supply the Confederate army in the East.
One of the most anxious periods of my experience during the rebellion was the last few weeks before Petersburg.
I felt that the situation of the Confederate army was such that they would try to make an escape at the earliest practicable moment, and I was afraid, every morning, that I would awake from my sleep to hear that Lee had gone, and that nothing was left but a picket line.
He had his railroad by the way of Da
ttack the enemy there.
The weather continues dreadful-sleeting; and movements of armies must perforce be stayed.
But the season of slaughter is approaching.
There was an ominous scantiness of supply in the market this morning, and the prices beyond most persons — mine among the rest.
Col. Lay got turkeys to-day from Raleigh; on Saturday partridges, by the Express Company.
Fortunate man!
March 17
On Saturday, the enemy's lower Mississippi fleet attacked our batteries at Port Hudson.
The result reported is that only one of their gun-boats got past, and that in a damaged condition.
The frigate Mississippi, one of the best war steamers of the United States, was burned, and the rest retired down the river, badly repulsed.
We sustained no loss.
To-day, the Secretary of War sent in a paper indorsing Judge Meredith's opinion in regard to foreigners who have accepted service in our country, viz., that they are liable to conscription.
This is in the teeth of the deci
After a month of dry weather, we have just had a fine rain, most refreshing to the poor kitchen vegetables in my little garden, which I am cultivating with careful assiduity in hopes of saving some dollars in the items of potatoes, tomatoes, beets, etc.
The crops of wheat, etc. south of Virginia, mature and maturing, are perfect in quality and unprecedented in quantity.
June 5
More unofficial dispatches from the Mississippi.
It is said Kirby Smith has defeated the enemy at Port Hudson; but how could his army get over the river?
It is also stated that Grant's losses have been 40,000, and ours 5000.
Who could have computed them?
But they go on to say nothing has been heard from Vicksburg since Sunday, four days previously; and that heavy firing was heard still on Thursday.
Lee's army is in motion — that means something; and it is generally believed that Stuart is out on a raid into the enemy's country.
Mr. M. A. Malsby, a Georgian, disabled by a wound in the f
trouble.
alas!
Vicksburg has fallen.
President is sick.
Grant marching against Johnston at Jackson.
fighting at that place.
Yankees repulsed at Charleston.
Lee and Meade facing each other.
Pemberton surrenders his whole army.
fall of Port Hudson.
second class conscripts called for.
Lee has got back across the Potomac.
Lincoln getting fresh troops.
Lee writes that he cannot be responsible if the soldiers fail for want of food.
rumors of Grant coming East.
Pemberton in bad odor.
negro-we mean that white men were created equal — that we are equal to Northern white peoople, and have a right, which we do not deny to them, of living under a government of our own choice.
July 14
To day we have tidings of the fall of Port Hudson, on the Mississippi River, our last stronghold there.
I suppose some 10,000 or 12,000 of our men had to surrender, unconditionally.
Thus the army of Gen. Pemberton, first and last, some 50,000 strong, has been completely destroyed.
There is
