Page:McClure's Magazine v9 n3 to v10 no2.djvu/534

156 headquarters to Smith's plantation, near New Carthage. All of McClernand's corps, the Thirteenth, was now there, and that officer said 10,000 men would be ready to move from New Carthage the next day. McPherson's corps, which had been busy upon the Lake Providence expedition and other services, but which had been ordered to join, was now, except one division, moving over from Milliken's Bend. Sherman's corps, the Fifteenth, which had been stationed at Young's Point, was also under marching orders to New Carthage.

Grant's first object was now to cross the Mississippi as speedily as possible and capture Grand Gulf before it could be reinforced; and an attack was ordered to be made as soon as the troops could be gotten ready and the batteries silenced—the next day, April 26th, if possible.

An irritating delay occurred here, however. When we came to Smith's plantation on the 24th, I had seen that there was apparently much confusion in McClernand's command, and we had been astonished to find, now that he was ordered to move across the Mississippi, that he was planning to carry his bride, with her servants and baggage, along with him, although Grant had ordered that officers should leave behind everything that could impede our march.

On the 26th, the day when it was hoped to make an attack on Grand Gulf, I went with Grant by water from our headquarters at Smith's plantation down to New Carthage and to Perkins's plantation below, where two of McClernand's divisions were encamped. These troops, it was supposed, were ready for immediate embarkation, and there were quite as many as all the transports could carry; but the first thing which struck us both on approaching the points of embarkation was that the steamboats and barges were scattered about in the river and in the bayou as if there was no idea of the imperative necessity of the promptest possible movement. We at once steamed to Admiral Porter's flagship, which was lying just above Grand Gulf, and Grant sent for McClernand, ordering him to embark his men without losing a moment. In spite of this order, that night at dark, when a thunder-storm set in, not a single cannon or man had been moved. Instead, McClernand held a review of a brigade of Illinois troops at Perkins's, about four At the same time a salute of artillery was fired, notwithstanding that positive orders had repeatedly been given to use no ammunition for any purpose except against the enemy.

What made McClernand's delay still more annoying was the fact that when we got back from the river to our headquarters the night of the 26th, we found that McPherson had arrived at Smith's plantation with the first division of his corps, the rear being back no farther than Richmond. His whole force would have been up the next day, but it was necessary to arrest its movements until McClernand could be got out of the way.

It was not until the morning of the 29th that Grant had troops enough concentrated at Hard Times, a landing on the Louisiana side almost directly across from Grand Gulf, to land at the foot of the Grand Gulf bluff as soon as its batteries were silenced. At eight precisely the gunboats opened their attack. Seven gunboats, all ironclads, were engaged, and a cannonade was kept up for nearly six hours. The batteries, however, proved too much for the gunboats, and General Grant determined to execute an alternative plan, which he had had in mind from the first; that was to debark the troops and march them south across the peninsula which faces Grand Gulf to a place out of reach of the rebel guns. The movement was undertaken at once, and a body of about 35,000 men was started across the peninsula to De Shroon's plantation, where it was proposed to embark them.

Late in the evening I left Hard Times with Grant to ride across the peninsula to De Shroon's. The night was pitch-dark, and, as we rode side by side, Grant's horse suddenly gave a nasty stumble. I expected to see the General go over the animal's head, and I watched intently, not to see if he was hurt, but if he would show any anger. I had been with Grant daily now for three weeks, and I had never seen him ruffled or heard him swear. His equanimity was becoming a curious spectacle to me. When I saw his horse lunge my first thought was, "Now he will swear." For an instant his moral status was on trial; but Grant was a tenacious horseman, and instead of going over the animal's head as I imagined he would, he kept his seat. Pulling up his horse he rode on, and, to my utter amazement, without a word or