Siege of Vicksburg

“ As the siege progressed, “saps” or “approach trenches,” deep enough to conceal troops, zigzagged their way toward the works protecting Vicksburg. Ten major approaches were carried forward by pick and shovel details, each with a network of parallels, bomb proofs, and artillery emplacements. Over 60,000 feet of trenches and 89 artillery positions, mounting 220 guns, were completed. In the siege of Vicksburg “Spades were trumps.”
A Federal infantryman was later to recall that
Every man in the investing line became an army engineer day and night. ”

“ The siege of Vicksburg and last capture of Jackson and dispersion of Johnston's army entitle General Sherman to more credit than usually falls to the lot of one man to earn. His demonstration at Haines's Bluff, in April, to hold the enemy about Vicksburg, while the army was securing a foothold east of the Mississippi ”

“ Up to the time when the Rebellion began, it was rendered certain that no hand of man could legally turn the Mississippi across that peninsula.
The first siege of Vicksburg lasted but twenty days. Our fleet was unable to silence the batteries, and our land force was not sufficient for the work. During the progress of the siege, Colonel Ellet, with his ram fleet, ascended the Yazoo River, and compelled the Rebels to destroy three of their gun-boats, the Livingston, Polk, and Van Dorn, to prevent their falling into our hands. ”

“ He soon showed such qualities of courage and self-reliance that in spite of his early record he was gradually promoted until by the time his regiment reached Vicksburg, which the Union Army was then besieging, he was a second lieutenant. The siege of Vicksburg was a long and tedious affair. The investing forces did not have sufficient artillery to make such a breach in the defenses of the Confederates that a successful attack could be made. ”

“ Vicksburg was so strongly defended that the Confederates believed that it could not be taken. A resolute effort to capture it was made by General Grant in 1863. After a brilliant campaign of strategy, by which he got around the defenses, he laid siege to the city itself. For seven weeks the Confederate army held out. During that time the people of Vicksburg sought refuge from the enemy’s shells in caves and cellars, their only food at times consisting of rats and mule flesh. But on July 4, 1863, the day after General Lee’s defeat at Gettysburg, Vicksburg surrendered to General Grant. ”

“ The Union losses were very heavy, and General Grant, years afterward, in composing his Memoirs, referred to this assault and to that at Cold Harbor as the two conspicuous mistakes of his military career.
Now it was that the regular siege of Vicksburg was undertaken. Toward the latter part of June, the Confederates, both soldiers and citizens, began to suffer. Houses became untenable. The people sought what refuge they might find. Some actually burrowed in the earth. ”

“ It would be bad to be defeated in two decisive battles fought the same day, but it would not be bad to win them. I, however, was fighting no battle, and the siege of Vicksburg had drawn from Rosecrans' front so many of the enemy that his chances of victory were much greater than they would be if he waited until the siege was over, when these troops could be returned. Rosecrans was ordered to move against the army that was detaching troops to raise the siege. ”

“ I now determined upon a regular siege—to "out-camp the enemy," as it were, and to incur no more losses. The experience of the 22d convinced officers and men that this was best, and they went to work on the defences and approaches with a will. With the navy holding the river, the investment of Vicksburg was complete. As long as we could hold our position the enemy was limited in supplies of food, men and munitions of war to what they had on hand. These could not last always.
The crossing of troops at Bruinsburg commenced April 30th. On the 18th of May the army was in rear of Vicksburg. ”

“ On May 18 Grant began his siege of Vicksburg itself, and for six weeks the Federals isolated Gen. John C. Pemberton and his Vicksburg defenders. Confederate soldiers inside the besieged city eventually found it necessary to eat rats, mules and grass in an effort to stay alive.
With escape hopeless, Pemberton on July 4 surrendered Vicksburg. Not only did Grant capture an entire Southern army of 30,000 men, but the mighty Mississippi, from Minnesota to the Gulf, lay in Federal hands. The North had severed Missouri, Arkansas, Texas, and most of Louisiana from the Confederacy. ”

“ No one but Napoleon has equalled it. It has resulted in the complete destruction of the Rebel army at Vicksburg. They have lost without doubt about forty thousand men. The boys are beginning to think Grant is a Napoleon. He has completely wiped out his Shiloh affair. Papers of the 29th in camp show very discouraging news from the East. The Rebs are throwing heavy columns into Pennsylvania, and are threatening Pittsburg, Harrisburg and Baltimore. Northern papers give no account of the army movements. Hooker has been superseded by Gen. Meade of the 5th Army Corps. ”

“ A unique feature of the American Civil War was the inclination of the private soldier—Union and Confederate—to fight with unrelenting ferocity during the engagements of the war and yet to engage in friendly intercourse with each other once the battle had ended, or even during lulls in the fighting. Swapping of Northern coffee for Southern tobacco was a commonplace picket activity in all 46 theaters of the war. In the long, weary siege of Vicksburg, the monotony was often lightened by jeers and pleasantries exchanged between lines. ”

“ So they sat cramped up all day in the pits—their rations cooked in the valley and brought to them—scarcely daring to change their positions [Pg 107] and stand erect, for the Federal sharpshooters were watching for the heads; and to rise above the breastworks was almost certain death. Frequently, a Parrott shell would penetrate the intrenchments, and, exploding, cause frightful wounds, and death most frequently. “Ah!” said M——, one day, “it is to the noble men in the rifle pits that Vicksburg will owe aught of honor she may gain in this siege. ”

“ Twenty-seven thousand prisoners were paroled in Vicksburg, of whom only 15,000 were effective for duty. The loss of the enemy in the whole campaign, from Bruinsburg to the surrender, was 37,000 prisoners, among them 15 general officers, and at least 10,000 killed and wounded, including 3 generals. Arms and munitions for an army of 60,000 men were taken, besides a large amount of other public property, such as railway cars, locomotives, steamboats, cotton, etc. ”

“ During the siege of Vicksburg, his command was engaged in guarding the rear to prevent an attack by Johnson. Shortly before the surrender, while reconnoitering in the Black River swamp, he was shot by one of the enemy from a concealed position. One bullet struck below the left eye and lodged near the ear, while another struck near the collar-bone and passed nearly out through the shoulder. His aides supported him upon his horse and enabled him to escape capture. ”

“ The way being clear, the enemy soon advanced in line of battle, and with many guns enfiladed my line all day. This constant firing never ceased, but I could not induce them to come out and make an assault on my front with infantry, and ere night came my loss was 215 men. Capt. Guibor's Battery has lost more men (13) to-day than it did during the entire siege of Vicksburg. Men became in time so familiar with danger and death that, Gallio-like, they "care for none of those things." Toward evening I was ordered to withdraw from this line and occupy Kennesaw Mountain. ”

“ Minnie balls, whole shells and pieces, and solid shot cover the ground. They have defended the place bravely and I say “All honor to them.” We marched around the courthouse, [89] stacked arms, and lay there about three hours. Citizens had nice little caves dug into the banks where they took their families and lived during the siege. The mortars have nearly destroyed the town. Large buildings were torn to pieces, each by a single shell. Some went straight through, and some exploded inside and tore them. A few citizens were killed. Citizens are moving back to their ruined dwellings. ”

“ In the siege of Vicksburg he commanded a brigade and led it at Champion's hill and the other preliminary battles, and in the attack made on the rebel warks, in May, 1863. After the surrender he was sent to Natobcz, in July, where he broke up the supply system of the rebel army. ”

“ Siege life for the Confederate soldier was a hazardous ordeal; nearly 3,500 were killed or wounded. Because of the limited number of effective troops available to Pemberton, almost the entire Vicksburg Army had to be placed in the trenches; sufficient numbers were not available to rotate frontline duty as was done by the Federal Army. Never knowing when an attempt might be made to assault the defense line, it was necessary for them to be on guard at all times, enduring sun, rain, mud, poor and inadequate food, as well as the bullets and shells of the Union Army for 47 days and nights. ”

“ Major-General Logan complimented the regiment highly for its gallantry, and allowed Company F to retain the guns and serve them. That company was originally recruited as an artillery company.
On the 17th of May we resumed our march, and on the 18th we crossed Black River, and on the 19th our lines extended around Vicksburg, from the river above to the river below, occupying a line of about seven miles in length.
[Pg 258] Major-General Sherman's corps occupied the right, Major-General McPherson's the center, and Major-General M'Clernand's the left. Then began the siege of Vicksburg. ”

“ Vicksburg is a port of entry, and has an extensive trade in cotton, of which it ships about 90,000 bales annually. It has railroad car shops, foundries, cotton-seed oil and lumber mills, and many smaller industries. During the Civil War Vicksburg was strongly fortified by the Confederates, who several times repulsed land and naval attacks, but were forced to surrender to General Grant, July 4, 1863, after a long siege. ”

“ Nine miles out we came upon the road leading from Jackson to Vicksburg, and were upon the battle ground of yesterday. The horrors of war were everywhere visible. The dead and wounded were scattered around over the ground. Here we came upon Bill Stafford, who said McPherson’s corps took seventeen hundred prisoners and thirteen pieces of artillery, but were badly cut up. They are burying the dead. It is rumored that Pemberton was killed. In one place the horses of nearly a whole battery were killed. We marched five miles, joined our old brigade, and camped on Black River. ”

“ As has been said, Vicksburg was only thirty-five miles distant. The three boys were attached to the Artillery Service. In the quiet of a Summer's afternoon, during the siege, we could hear daily, the distant cannon's roar; and frequently the intensity of the cannonading would jar the windows of the old home into a simultaneous vibratory noise - an ominous message from loved ones at the front! I vividly remember just such trying condition, one afternoon, attracting the attention of the neighborhood minister, Mr. Whitfield, who had called to talk over war-news. ”

“ A thorough study of the operations against Vicksburg brings the conviction that Grant alone of the Union generals could have conducted that brilliant campaign, discomfiting two Confederate Armies and establishing his own on the high ground “behind Vicksburg,” and that he alone could have prosecuted the siege to its successful conclusion. He was a greater general than “Stonewall” Jackson but he might have been still greater could he have said with Jackson, changing only the name of Federal to Confederate, I love whiskey “but I never use it; I am more afraid of it than of Confederate bullets.” ”

“ A number of deserters came in today. Six siege guns are coming up from the river. Today is the quietest we have had since we took up our position before the town.
June 7. Sunday. Up early, regiment formed [76] and went out skirmishing. The Rebels command a hollow which we were obliged to cross. They poured in quite a fire, but no one was hurt. The regiment came across all right.
June 8. Monday. The company formed before daylight and we crossed the exposed hollow before light, leaving three men at the rifle pits. Artillery firing tonight. Boggs and I went up to the big fort. ”

“ The Louisiana, the Arkansas, the Manassas, the Tennessee, the Albemarle—great things were expected of them all, and they did nothing.
But we were as far from the capture of Vicksburg as ever. Fever attacked our men in those [46] fatal swamps, and they became thoroughly discouraged. The sick-list was fearful. Of a battery of eighty men, twenty only were fit for duty. The Western troops, and they were our best, were homesick. Lying upon the banks of the Mississippi, with transports above Vicksburg convenient for embarkation, they longed for home. ”

“ As soon as his troops were properly placed, Gen. Lawler led his boys in blue in a magnificent charge, capturing one entire brigade of the enemy, and forcing the remainder to beat a hasty retreat to Vicksburg.
On May 18, 1863, Gen. Grant’s army invested the enemy’s defenses of Vicksburg and then commenced a siege that lasted for 47 days, an account of which it is my purpose to give as concisely as possible. The enemy’s breastworks encircled the city somewhat in the shape of a horseshoe, being about eight miles in length. The ground around the city is very rough ”