38 



ARMY OPERATIONS. 



to Vicksburg, and the strength of the enemy 

 before him so great, that an assault would 

 have been fruitless. Several sharp encounters, 

 however, took place. 



The real assault on the left was made by 

 about three thousand men, and the loss was 

 about eight hundred. 



As soon as the assault on the left was con- 

 cluded, Gen. Sherman determined to make 

 another. A brigade, under the command of 

 Gen. Hovey, was advanced to Gen. Blair's posi- 

 tion at the mouth of the bayou, which was to 

 assault the hill, supported by Gen. Morgan and 

 the brigades of Gens. Blair and Thayer. The 

 attack, however, was not made during the re- 

 mainder of the day ; and the next morning de- 

 veloped two new batteries of the enemy in po- 

 sition, and a portion of a new line of rifle pits. 

 Firing was, however, kept up by both sides 

 during that day; and on Wednesday, the 31st, 

 a flag of truce was sent in by Gen. Sherman, 

 and the dead were buried. - 



Afterward, on the 31st, arrangements were 

 made to attack Haines's Bluff, which was sup- 

 posed to be defended by a small force. The 

 design, as formed between Admiral Porter and 

 Gen. Sherman, was for a combined naval and 

 land assault on the extreme Confederate right, 

 with a view of getting a position on the bluffs, 

 in the expectation that by so doing they would 

 secure the key to the Confederate position, 

 and compel the enemy to withdraw from the 

 entire range of bluffs and form a new line at 

 Vicksburg. It was planned to land the divi- 

 sion of Gen. Steele out of range of the guns of 

 the bluffs, and that they should immediately 

 storm and carry the position. At the same 

 time, the gunboats were to make an attack. 

 The troops were made ready to embark at 2 

 o'clock A. M. of the next day, but a dense fog 

 having settled on the river prevented their de- 

 parture. The purpose evidently having become 

 known to the enemy, it was finally given up. 



The unexpected strength of the position of 

 the enemy being manifest, and the failure of 

 the forces under Gen. Grant to attack in the 

 rear while Gen. Sherman made the attack in 

 front, entirely disconcerted the original plan 

 upon which the movement of Gen. Sherman 

 was made. The loss of his communications by 

 Gen. Grant, and the necessity for him to fall 

 back, prevented this simultaneous attack on the 

 front and rear of Vicksburg, and probably its 

 capture at this time. It was supposed that the 

 first assault under Gen. Sherman might have 

 been successful if properly supported, so far as 

 related to gaining the crest of the bluffs, al- 

 though it was not thought that his force could 

 have held it. Gen. Sherman, therefore, re- 

 solved to withdraw, and on Thursday night 

 and Friday morning, January 2d, the troops 

 J were embarked and moved down to the mouth 

 of the Yazoo river. The entire loss suffered 

 in this expedition was 191 killed, 982 wound- 

 ed, and 756 missing. 'Among the former was 

 Lieut. Erwin, in command of a gunboat. Gen. 



McClernand, who had been ordered to proceed 

 from Cairo, was at the mouth of the Yazoo on 

 the arrival of Gen. Sherman. The former officer 

 then took the command, and ordered the forces 

 to Milliken's Bend, about twelve miles up the 

 river. 



On the 4th of January, Gen. Sherman issued 

 the following order : 



HEADQUARTERS RIGHT WINO AEMT OF TENNESSEE, ) 



STEAMER FOKEST QUEEN. MILLIKEN'S BEND, v 



January 4iA, 1803. ) 



Pursuant to the terms of General Order No. 1, made 

 this day by General McClernand, the title of our army 

 ceases to exist, and constitutes in the future the Army 

 of the Mississippi, composed of two " army corps ; " one 

 to be commanded by General G. W. Morgan, and the 

 other by myself. In relinquishing the command of 

 the Army of the Tennessee, and restricting my author- 

 ity to my own corps, I desire to express to all com- 

 manders, to soldiers and officers recently operating be- 

 fore Vicksburg, my hearty thanks for the zeal, alac- 

 rity, and courage manifested by them on all occasions. 

 We failed in accomplishing one great purpose of our 

 movement the capture ofvicksburg; but we were 

 part of a whole. Ours was but part of a combined 

 movement in which others were to assist. We were on 

 time ; unforeseen contingencies must have delayed the 

 others. We have destroyed the Shreveport road, we 

 have attacked the defences of Vicksburg, and pushed 

 the attack as far as prudence would justify, and hav- 

 ing found it too strong for our single column, we have 

 drawn off in good order and good spirits, ready for any 

 new move. A new commander is now here to lead 

 you. He is chosen by the President of the United 

 States, who is charged by the Constitution to maintain 

 and defend it, and he has the undoubted right to se- 

 lect his own agents. I know that all good officers and 

 soldiers will give him the same hearty support and 

 cheerful obedience they have hitherto given me. 

 There are honors enough in reserve for all, and work 

 enough too. Let each do his appropriate part, and 

 our nation must in the end emerge from the dire con- 

 flict purified and ennobled by the fires which now test 

 its strength and purity. All officers of the general 

 staff not attached to my person will hereafter report in 

 person and by letter to Major-General McCleruand, 

 commanding the Army of the Mississippi, on board the 

 steamer Tigress at our rendezvous at Haines's Landing 

 and at Montgomery Point. By order of 



Major-General W. T. SHERMAN. 

 J. H. HAMMOND, Assistant Adjutant-General. 



Subsequently, on the 8th, Gen. Pemberton, 

 who had fallen back from before Gen. Grant, 

 and had taken command at Vicksburg, issued 

 the following address to his troops : 



HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF MISSISSIPPI AND } 

 LOUISIANA, VICKSBURG, January 8th. f 



TheLieut.-General commanding this department of 

 the army desires to express to its troops his high ap- 

 preciation of their gallant demeanor in the defence 

 of this important position. All praise is due them, not 

 alone for so bravely repulsing the renewed assaults of 

 an enemy vastly superior in numbers, but especially 

 for the cheerful and patient endurance with which they 

 have submitted to the hardships and exposures inci- 

 dent to ten successive days and nights of watchfulness 

 in trenches, rendered imperatively necessary by the 

 close proximity of the opposing armies, while all have 

 performed their duties with benefit to their country 

 and honor to themselves. Still, as must ever be the 

 case in war, fortune has favored unequally those who 

 by her favor held the posts of honor, and by their own 

 resolute courage availed themselves of their opportu- 

 nity ; to them special thanks are due. It will be a 

 proud and agreeable duty of the Lieutenant-General 



