Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XVI.djvu/361

 VICKSBUEG 341 to this point, down to which the operations from above had cleared the river. On May 18 a portion of Farragut's fleet, under Capt. S. P. Lee, passing up the river, appeared before Vicksburg, and demanded its surrender on pain of bombardment ; this was peremptorily refused, but no bombardment ensued. The fortifications on the river side were strength- ened, and in June were held by a confederate force estimated at 10,000. On the 28th Gen. Williams with four regiments and eight field guns came up the river and took position op- posite the city on the Arkansas side, and began digging a canal across the narrow isthmus formed by the sharp curve of the river. The design was to form a new channel, and thus leave Vicksburg several miles inland ; but the river, which often forms for itself a new chan- nel in a single night, refused to pass through that provided for it, and kept on its old course around the bend. On June 28 Farragut bom- barded Vicksburg, and succeeded in passing the batteries with little damage ; but he thought the place could not then be taken without the cooperation of an army of 12,000 or 15,000 men. Late in August the river began to fall ; Farragut was obliged to descend to New Or- leans, and for five months no further opera- tions were undertaken against Vicksburg. Meanwhile the confederates had commenced fortifications at Port Hudson on a high bluff about 120 m. below Vicksburg, nearly midway between that city and New Orleans; these soon became very strong, and it seemed neces- sary to capture them also in order to hold the whole course of the Mississippi. Gen. Pem- berton, a personal favorite of President Davis, was made a lieutenant general, although he had seen little service, and was placed in command at Vicksburg, subject to the orders of Gen. J. E. Johnston, who at that time commanded all the forces in Tennessee and Mississippi. Gen. Grant, who commanded the Union forces in these departments, had late in the autumn penetrated far into Mississippi, and in December had approached Vicksburg with about 40,000 men, Pemberton having about 34,000. Grant then sent Gen. W. T. Sherman to attack Vicks- burg. His force, when increased from other quarters, was about 42,000. On the 25th Sher- man's troops went in transports up the Yazoo river, which falls into the Mississippi a few miles above Vicksburg, whence he endeavored to make his way through a swampy region in- tersected by numerous bayous. After several skirmishes, it was found impossible to force a passage through the swamps, which were pass- able only by narrow causeways, commanded by batteries, and the attempt was abandoned on Jan. 1, 1863. The entire Union loss was 191 killed, 982 wounded, and 756 missing; that of the confederates was about 150 in all. On the 4th Sherman was superseded in this com- mand by Gen. McOlernand, though retaining that of his own corps, the 15th. Grant soon after took command of all the forces operating against Vicksburg. During several weeks he made repeated attempts to find some means by which his army could go by water to some point below the place, and attack it in the rear from the south. The first canal across the isthmus having proved a failure, he under- took to cut a second one further inland ; but that was likewise useless, and Grant deter- mined to march the bulk of his army by land, on the western side of the Mississippi, to a point below, cross the river, strike eastward to Jackson, the state capital, and then turning west move upon Vicksburg, taking it in the rear. Finally, on April 30, after an unsuccess- ful attack on the 29th upon Grand Gulf by Porter's gunboats, which had passed the bat- teries at Vicksburg, the army reached a point opposite Bruinsburg, where a' crossing was effected, and the march toward Jackson began. On May 1 a brisk engagement took place at Port Gibson, 12 m. N. E. of Bruinsburg; the confederates were driven off with a loss of about 700. Grant had left Sherman behind at Milliken's bend, above Vicksburg, to make a feint from that quarter, after which he was to follow on and rejoin the main army. This hav- ing been done, the whole resumed their march toward Jackson. Johnston, who had received some reinforcements, sent a few brigades to oppose the advance ; these were defeated at Raymond on the 12th, and driven back to Jackson, where Grant arrived on the 14th and burned the workshops, arsenal, and railway de- pot. Pemberton in the mean while had moved out with 18,000 or 20,000 men as far as Ba- ker's creek or Champion hills, about half way between Vicksburg and Jackson, where Grant attacked him on the 16th, driving him back in confusion to the Big Black river, here crossed by a railroad bridge. There the attack was renewed with success on the morning of the 17tb, and on the 18th the Union army crossed the Big Black on floating bridges, and began the formal investment of Vicksburg, just a year from the time when its surrender had been first demanded by Farragut's gunboats. Pemberton contracted his lines, abandoning Haines's bluff, and concentrating all his force in the works around Vicksburg. He had about 25,000 effec- tive men, but was deficient in small ammuni- tion, especially in gun caps, and had rations for only 60 days, with no prospect of more unless the investment could be broken. Johnston, whom illness had prevented from taking per- sonal command there, wrote to Pemberton: " If Haines's bluff is untenable, Vicksburg is of no value and cannot be held ; if, therefore, you are invested there, you must ultimately surrender. If it is not too late, evacuate Vicks- burg and its dependencies, and inarch to the northeast;" and he himself moved in such a direction as to expedite a junction. Pember- ton replied that it was impossible to withdraw the army, adding: "I have decided to hold Vicksburg as long as possible, with the firm hope that the government may yet be able to