What can you tell me about the Fall Of Vicksburg, Mississippi?

Question

during the civil war. how did grant's army get the river?

Answer 1

Vicksburg had a double importance for the Confederacy. Its height, at a bend of the Mississippi, gave its guns command of the river, so that the National vessels could not pass up or down. Even more important than this was the fact that a large part of the supplies for the Confederate armies was drawn from the country west of the Mississippi. These were brought by rail to a point opposite Vicksburg, ferried across, and again loaded upon rail-cars and carried to the east. The capture of the city, therefore, would rob the Confederacy of both these advantages. Grant first approached the place from the north, but found that the natural protection of swamps and a network of bayous made capture from that side impossible. He then crossed the Mississippi with his entire army, marched down the west side to a point below the city, recrossed to the eastern shore, and then moving northward and eastward fought the battles and began the siege that are so clearly described in the narrative of Dana and Wilson that here follows.

AFTER Beauregard's retirement, the Richmond authorities put the control of all their military operations in the Southwest into the hands of Joseph E. Johnston, who made his headquarters with Bragg, receiving daily reports from all parts of his extensive command. Pemberton gave him the impression that Grant would relinquish the campaign against Vicksburg, but he sadly misconceived the temper of his adversary.

During the progress of the battle near Port Gibson, Johnston ordered reinforcements from Tennessee, South Carolina, and Georgia, and directed Pemberton to gather all his forces and "drive Grant into the river"; but that officer was not only incapable of doing this, but of understanding the principles of warfare upon which the order was based. Instead of abandoning Vicksburg at once and concentrating his entire force in the direction of Jackson - a railroad centre - he collected his troops within the fortifications that had already shown their inutility, and waited for the blow that was menacing him.

In pursuance of Grant's instructions, Hurlbut sent out from West Tennessee, in the latter part of April, a detachment of cavalry under Colonel Grierson, with instructions to ride through Mississippi for the purpose of destroying Confederate property, breaking the railroads, and scattering Confederate conscripts, and finally joining either Grant or Banks, as circumstances should determine. This raid proved to be eminently successful, demonstrating clearly to the country that the Confederacy was but a shell-empty within, and strong only on the outside - a piece of information upon which Grant was by no means slow to act.

Sherman, with the Fifteenth Corps, joined the army on May 8th; wagons and supplies had been brought forward in the mean while, and definite information obtained touching the enemy's movements. Grant's force was now not far from forty-five thousand men, and everything was in excellent condition when the word for the advance was given. His plan was to sweep around to the eastward of the Big Black, with Sherman's and McClernand's corps, marching by the roads toward Edwards's Depot and Bolton, on the Vicksburg and Jackson Railroad, while McPherson was to be thrown well out toward the interior - if necessary, as far as Jackson - by the way of Raymond. Rations of sugar, coffee, and salt, together with "three days of hard bread to last five," were issued to the troops; everything else was to be gathered from the country. In pursuance of these instructions, the different corps pushed forward, encountering little or no resistance.
On May 12th McPherson's leading division, under command of the gallant and irrepressible Logan, encountered the enemy in strong force under Gregg and Walker, recently arrived from Port Gibson and Georgia, posted on the north side of Fondreau's Creek, near Raymond, and after a brilliant combat of several hours, in which a part of Crocker's division became finally engaged, drove them from the field, with the loss of 120 killed and 750 wounded and prisoners. Our losses were 69 killed (from Colonel Richards's Twentieth Illinois Infantry and Major Kaga's Twentieth Ohio), 341 wounded, and 32 missing. The Confederate force was about 6000 strong, and fought well. McPherson and Logan behaved with great gallantry and displayed excellent generalship in this affair, while Stevenson, Dennis, Lieutenant-Colonel Sturgis of the Eighth Illinois, and all the officers and men showed the highest soldierly qualities.

This battle, in which a second detachment of the enemy had been routed, gave Grant great confidence in the following steps of the campaign. Instead of pushing McClernand and Sherman, who had both crossed Fourteen-mile Creek and got within seven miles of Edwards's Depot, directly upon the latter place, he determined to make sure of Jackson first, and to scatter the force now known to be assembling there under Johnston in person. To this end McPherson was pushed toward that place by the Clinton road; Sherman was ordered to move rapidly by the way of Raymond and Mississippi Springs, to the same place; while McClernand was directed to withdraw by his right flank from his menacing position in front of Edwards's Depot, and to march to Raymond, whence he could support either McPherson or Sherman. These movements were made with precision and celerity, and on the 14th Grant entered Jackson in triumph, after a sharp fight of several hours between McPherson's leading division under Crocker and a force under Johnston. The latter, finding that the city could not be held, had posted guns in front of Sherman and thrown this force out upon the Clinton road for the purpose of resisting McPherson's advance long enough to permit the evacuation of the city by the Canton road. Large quantities of military stores, including six or eight guns and an abundant supply of sugar, fell into Federal hands. Grant was one of the first to perceive the ruse which his wily antagonist had adopted, and at once galloped into the town, followed by the troops.

Charging Sherman with the demolition of the bridge across Pearl River, and the destruction of Confederate military property not needed by the army - not forgetting the railroads north, south, east, and west - Grant apprised McClernand that evening of his success, and directed him to move Carr, Osterhaus, and Hovey, the next morning, toward Bolton Station, and A. J. Smith toward Edwards's Depot. General Francis P. Blair, commanding a division of Sherman's troops, not yet arrived, and Ransom, with a brigade of McPherson's corps, were also directed to move upon the same point. Soon after arriving at Jackson, Grant learned that Johnston had sent, the night before, three different couriers with positive orders for Pemberton, requiring him to march out and fall upon the rear of the National army. Without giving McPherson an hour's rest, Grant directed him to countermarch his corps and push with all possible haste toward Bolton, for the purpose of uniting with McClernand's corps and anticipating the attack. Sherman was left to finish the work which he had so thoroughly begun, and then to follow the main body of the army by the Clinton road.

Grant in person left Jackson on the morning of the 15th, and encamped that night at Clinton. Before daylight on the 16th he was informed by two citizens just from Vicksburg that they had passed Pemberton's entire army, estimated at twenty-five or thirty thousand men, the evening before, at Baker's Creek, and still marching toward Bolton. Their information was so explicit and circumstantial that Grant despatched a staff officer at once to McPherson and McClernand with orders to prepare for a general battle, but not to bring on the action till all the troops were thoroughly in hand. A short time afterward he rode rapidly to the front himself, arriving on the field about ten o'clock. He found Hovey's division with artillery posted and drawn out in line of battle at Champion's plantation, on the Edwards Depot road, two miles east of Baker's Creek; McPherson's corps was in readiness to support Hovey; McClernand, with Carr and Osterhaus, occupied a position on the same line, on the middle road from Raymond to Edwards's Depot, but about a mile and a half to the left of Hovey; while Blair and A. J. Smith were still farther to the left, converging on the same point. Sherman at the same time was well on the way from Jackson.Grant threw forward Logan's division to the right of Hovey, and gave the latter orders to advance. The skirmishing had already become pretty hot, and by twelve o'clock the troops of both armies were in full battle array. A prelude of sharp skirmishing, with an occasional shot from the cannon of either side, introduced the terrible shock of arms that followed. The Confederates held the advantage in position, their lines being formed along the heavily wooded ridges lying in the bend of Baker's Creek. Their centre on the main road held Champion's Hill, the keypoint of the field. Upon this point Hovey impelled his enthusiastic men with terrible vigor, and by two o'clock had carried it in the handsomest manner, capturing four guns and several hundred prisoners. The enemy did all in his power to withstand the onset, but was steadily pressed back. Logan advanced almost simultaneously with Hovey, pushing through an open field, along the northern slopes of Champion's Hill, and also driving back the enemy in his front. In the mean time the enemy had rallied in Hovey's front and, being strongly reinforced, threw themselves upon him with great determination, in their turn pressing him back and threatening to wrest from him the heights he had gained at such a fearful cost.

At this critical juncture McPherson, who had fortunately brought forward Crocker's division and posted it behind the interval between Hovey and Logan, under Grant's direction, ordered it at once to the support of Hovey, whose hard-pressed regiments were now greatly fatigued and some of them entirely out of ammunition. Boomer's brigade, on the left, was marched rapidly by the flank to the top of the hill, and reached it just in time to catch the full force of the Confederate onset. For fifteen minutes the rattle of musketry was incessant. At the same time several batteries had been collected near Grant's headquarters, and converging their fire upon the woods from which the enemy was emerging, Boomer was enabled to drive them back with great loss. McPherson and Logan were meanwhile swinging the right of the line well forward, steadily driving the enemy, and finally overlapping his left and striking him in the flank and rear, capturing two batteries and nearly a thousand prisoners. This movement, in connection with Boomer's splendid assault, resulted in driving the enemy from the field, broken and routed. By four o'clock they were fleeing in confusion rapidly toward Vicksburg. McClernand, although frequently ordered, did not succeed in getting either Carr or Osterhaus heavily engaged. Smith and Blair were too far to the left to produce any decided effect, although their artillery and skirmishers were engaged with Loring's division for a short time. Ransom marched across the country toward the heaviest firing and joined McPherson after the action had ceased.

The victory could scarcely have been more complete, and, as has been seen, it was gained almost entirely by three divisions - Hovey's, Logan's, and Crocker's - not exceeding fifteen thousand men in all, while the Confederates could not have been fewer than twenty-five thousand. The Southern historians excuse this defeat also on the ground that they were vastly outnumbered; and it is true that Grant had in the short space of twenty-four hours transformed the rear of his army into the full front of it, concentrating about thirty-five thousand men in all within supporting distance of each other, but it is also true that he won the battle with less than one-half of this force. His combinations were admirable; nothing in warfare was ever more praiseworthy, and had McClernand forced the fighting in his immediate front, as did Hovey, Boomer, and Logan, under Grant's immediate supervision, it is difficult to see how any part of the enemy's forces could have escaped. As it was, they lost about 500 killed, including General Tilghman, 2200 wounded, and 2000 prisoners, besides 18 guns and a large number of small arms. Grant's loss (mostly in Hovey's division and Boomer's brigade) was 426 killed, 1842 wounded, and 189 missing; total, 2457.
The pursuit was continued to Edwards's Depot that night, the leading troops capturing at that place an ammunition-train of ten or twelve railroad-cars. At dawn of the 17th the pursuit was renewed in the direction of Vicksburg; and by seven o'clock McClernand's advance, under Osterhaus and Carr, came up with the Confederate rear-guard posted in strong intrenchments nearly a mile in extent, covering the railroad and military bridges across the Big Black. These divisions were developed without delay under a strong fire from the Confederate artillery, during which Osterhaus was wounded. Carr held the right, his right brigade, commanded by General Lawler, resting upon the Big Black. After some desultory artillery firing and skirmishing, Lawler found a weak place on the extreme left of the enemy's works, and lost no time in leading his brigade, composed of Iowa and Wisconsin men, to the assault. Advancing across an open field several hundred yards in width, they received a deady fire, but without faltering they rushed gallantly through the ditch and over the breastworks, sweeping away all opposition and capturing eighteen guns and nearly two thousand prisoners. In this gallant affair Colonel Kinsman of the Twenty-third Iowa was killed, and Colonel Merrill of the Twenty-first was wounded - both, while cheering forward their men in the most conspicuous manner.

This put an end to the campaign in the open field. Pemberton immediately abandoned his camp on the Big Black, and retreated in disorder to Vicksburg. Johnston had gone in the direction of Canton, but did not attempt a diversion in Pemberton's favor, though he might have fallen upon Sherman's flank and harassed him considerably.

During the night four floating bridges were built across the Big Black by the troops under the direction of the engineer officers. McClernand built one out of the ruins of the railroad bridge, near the railroad crossing; McPherson built two farther up the river, one of timber obtained by pulling down cotton-gin houses, the other of cotton-bales rafted together; while Sherman made his of the india-rubber pontoons. After nightfall Grant rode up the river to see Sherman, whom he found at Bridgeport engaged in crossing his command. The two commanders crossed the bridge and seated themselves on a fallen tree, in the light of a pile of burning fence-rails, and had a friendly conference, while the eager and swift-marching men of the Fifteenth Corps filed by them and disappeared in the darkness. Grant recounted the results of the campaign and detailed his plans for the next day, after which he returned through the forest to his own headquarters.

On the next day, May 18th, the army marched by the various roads to the rear of Vicksburg, and after slight skirmishing drove the Confederate pickets inside of their works. Communication by signal was opened at once with the gunboats and transports lying above Vicksburg, and measures were taken to establish communications with Yazoo River. The enemy had already evacuated Haines's Bluff, and the navy took possession of the place, and proceeded to burn the gun-carriages, camps, and stores, and to blow up the magazines. This, however, was done in mistaken zeal, and inflicted an actual damage upon the Federal army rather than upon the enemy.

Within these eighteen days Grant had won five battles; taken 40 field-guns, many colors and small arms, and nearly 5000 prisoners; killed or wounded 5200 Of the enemy; separated their armies, in the aggregate nearly 60,000 strong; captured one fortified capital city; compelled the abandonment of the strong positions of Grand Gulf and Haines's Bluff, with their armament Of 20 heavy guns; destroyed the railroads and bridges; and made the investment of Vicksburg complete. In doing this McPherson's and McClernand's corps had marched an average Of 156 miles, while Sherman's had marched 175 miles. During this time the united strength of these three corps did not exceed 45,000 men. There is nothing in history since Hannibal invaded Italy to compare with the surpassing boldness and vigor of the generalship displayed by Grant in conducting this campaign.

Answer 2

The confederates evacuated Haine's Bluff because of William Shermans army was coming after Lt. Gen. Pembertons army. The evacuation of Haines Bluff allowed steamboats to come to the other side of the river, this helped get men and supplies to the other side

For other information go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Vicksburg

Answer 3

The conflict of Vicksburg, or Siege of Vicksburg, grew to become into the proper conflict interior the Vicksburg marketing campaign of the yank Civil conflict. conflict of Gettysburg grew to become into area of the Gettysburg marketing campaign and grew to become into the foremost turning ingredient interior the yank Civil conflict.

Answer 4

The Union wanted such control in order to split the Confederacy and to restore free commerce to the politically important Northwest. New Orleans and Memphis fell to Union forces in the spring of 1862, but an attempt to take Vicksburg, Miss., by water failed (May–June). As a result, the South still held 200 mi (320 km) of the river between Port Hudson, La., and Vicksburg. Early in Nov., 1862, Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, commanding the Dept. of the Tennessee, planned a converging assault on Vicksburg; Gen. William T. Sherman led an expedition down the river from Memphis to attack the city from the north, while Grant himself advanced overland from the east. However, Confederate cavalry under Earl Van Dorn and Nathan B. Forrest cut Grant's line of communications, forcing him to retreat, and Sherman was repulsed in the battle of Chickasaw Bluffs (Dec. 29, 1862). In Jan., 1863, Grant concentrated his army across the river from Vicksburg. He took over the command of John A. McClernand, who had succeeded Sherman. After several unsuccessful experiments to gain an approach to the seemingly impregnable city (Feb.–Mar., 1863), Grant in April began a brilliant movement to take it from the south. To divert the attention of the Confederate commander, John C. Pemberton, Grant left Sherman before the city and ordered a cavalry raid through central Mississippi. On the night of Apr. 16–17, David Dixon Porter ran gunboats and transports down the river past Vicksburg, and in the following days Grant marched his army south to meet the fleet and be transported across the river at Bruinsburg (c.30 mi/48 km S of Vicksburg). On May 1, McClernand and James B. McPherson defeated the Confederates at Port Gibson, forcing them to abandon their batteries at Grand Gulf, which Grant seized as a base. When Sherman joined him on May 7, 1863, Grant left Grand Gulf, marched northeast, and on May 12 defeated the Confederates at Raymond. At Jackson (May 14), he met Gen. Joseph E. Johnston, Confederate commander in the West, who retreated. Turning west toward Vicksburg, Grant defeated Pemberton in successive battles (May 16, 17) at Champion's Hill and at the bridge over the Big Black River, forcing him back into Vicksburg. After two unsuccessful attempts at storming the city's fortifications, Grant opened siege. With the Union forces between them, Pemberton and Johnston were unable to unite, and after about six weeks of gallant resistance Vicksburg's defenders surrendered on July 4, 1863. The fall of Port Hudson a few days later placed the Mississippi River entirely in Union hands.


However, I bet your teacher did not know that after the War Vicksburg would not celebrate the 4 th of July and even today, it raises controversy. Look at my answer to the question on American holocaust.


The situation got so bad at one point that in 1947 World War II hero Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower was dispatched to Vicksburg, to persuade local whites to begin celebrating the Fourth of July. Some lackluster attention was given to Ike's request for a few years, but eventually the city returned to its old pattern of ignoring the July Fourth celebration. There has not been a city or county-sponsored Fourth of July fireworks display since 1988. Each citizen is left to his or her own devices.
Memorial Day Parade Program Chairman Willie Glasper has complained for at least twenty of the past twenty-five years that local and federal officials seem hell-bent on stifling the celebration of the important national holidays in Vicksburg. It was Glasper who took on the task of reviving the Memorial Day celebrations in Vicksburg in 1975, under the sponsorship of the Black Tyner-Ford American Legion Post of the historic city. "Neither the city of Vicksburg nor the United States military supports us today the way it was done in the past”, says Glasper. "Apart from the Tyner-Ford American Legion Post, we can't get any of the military posts here to support us. I have to give credit to Tyner-Ford because they have always been there for us. But we can't get the local high school bands to march or the white veteran groups to help us. The school district said they would leave the choice up to each school and the band directors. But those people won't cooperate for some reason."
One especially galling slight occurred here in 1996, says Glasper, at the time when a massive community turnout occurred for the passing of the Olympic Torch for the Atlanta games later that summer. All the local school bands and the bands from nearby military installations participated. This passing of the Torch occurred just two days before the Memorial Day celebration in Vicksburg. Yet those same marching bands were curiously unavailable for the May 30 parade in 1996.
"For two years we couldn't even have our traditional twenty-one gun salute," Glasper recalled. "The local Army Engineering Unit claimed that they did not have funds enough to pay for the ammunition. They claimed their budgets would not allow them to shoot the ammunition. I suggested that they should make sure that they include this item in all their budget requests. Hopefully, we'll have it in future years."
Until about a decade ago, bands from nearby cities marched in the Memorial Day Parade for a minimum fee. That money is no longer available, says Glasper. The bands from Alcorn and Jackson State Universities, only forty miles away, were regularly featured. So were the military bands from Louisiana, Texas and Georgia. But the cost is prohibitive today, he says.
"Someone here has decided to make Veteran's Day (November 11) the major event of this kind in Vicksburg," Glasper complains. "I can't get them to come to the Memorial Day services or participate in the parade. "What will change this would be the presence here of one of our top national leaders, either the President or the Vice President of the United States. I've been trying to get the Vice President to come here. Some high dignitary would bring the crowds out."
With its continuing slow fade into insignificance, Memorial Day's ultimate disappearance from Vicksburg will have a far-reaching impact, Glasper says. School children, whose understanding of patriotism develops out of a respect for the sacrifices of earlier patriots, will lose out on this basic educational opportunity, Glasper feels. More generally, he says, the notion of ˜civic responsibility" will suffer in the loss of Memorial Day activities.


God Bless You and The Southern People