GRANT, ULYSSES S. (His MILITARY CAREER.) 



425 



ing the river from New Orleans, with a view 

 to capturing Port Hudson and opening up a 

 line for supplies from below. The high water 

 and the condition of the country made this 

 plan impracticable at that time. Second, to 

 construct a canal across the peninsula opposite 

 Vicksburg, through which the fleet of gun- 

 boats and transports could pass, and which 

 could be held open as a line of communication 

 for supplies. This plan was favored at Wash- 

 ington, and was put into execution at once; but 

 the high water broke the levees, drowned out 

 the camps, and flooded the country, and after 

 two months of laborious effort Grant reported 

 it impracticable. Third, to turn the Mississippi 

 frc/m its course by opening a new channel via 

 Lake Providence and through various bayous 

 to Red river. A force was set to work to de- 

 velop this plan, but the way was tortuous and 

 choked with timber, and by March it was found 

 impossible to open a practicable channel. In 

 the mean time an expedition was sent to the 

 east side of the river to open a route via Yazoo 

 Pass, the Tallahatchie, the Yalabusha, and the 

 Yazoo rivers; but insurmountable difficulties 

 were encountered, and this attempt also had 

 to be abandoned. 



Grant, having thoroughly tested all the safer 

 plans, now determined to try a bolder and more 

 hazardous one, which he had long had in con- 

 templation, but which the high water had pre- 

 cluded. This was to run the batteries with 

 the gunboats and transports loaded with sup- 

 plies, to march his troops down the west side 

 of the river from Milliken's Bend to the vicin- 

 ity of New Carthage, and there ferry them 

 across to the east bank. The movement of the 

 troops was begun on March 29. They were 

 marched to New Carthage and Hard Times. 

 On the night of April 16 the fleet ran the 

 batteries under a terrific fire. April 29 the 

 gunboats attacked the works at Grand Gulf, 

 but made little impression, and that night ran 

 the batteries to a point below. On April 30 

 the advance of the army was ferried across to 

 Bruinsburg, below Grand Gulf and 30 miles 

 south of Vicksburg, and marched out in the 

 direction of Port Gibson. Everything was 

 made subordinate to the celerity of the move- 

 ment. The men had no supplies except such 

 as they carried on their persons, Grant him- 

 self crossed the river with no personal baggage 

 and without even a horse. He obtained a 

 raggedly equipped horse on the east side, upon 

 which he started out on the campaign. 



Grant's advance encountered the enemy, un- 

 der Gen. Bowen, numbering between 7,000 

 and 8,000, on May 1, near Port Gibson, routed 

 him, and drove him in full retreat till night- 

 fall. Grant's loss was 130 killed and 718 

 wounded. The Confederates reported their 

 loss at 448 killed and wounded, and 384 miss- 

 ing; but it was somewhat larger, as Grant 

 captured 650 prisoners. It was at Port Gib- 

 son that he learned of the success of Grierson, 

 whom he had started from La Grange April 17, 



and who had moved south with 1,000 cavalry, 

 torn up many miles of important railroads, de- 

 stroyed large amounts of supplies, and arrived 

 with but slight loss at Baton Rouge, La., May 2. 

 On May 3 Grant entered Grand Gulf, which 

 had been evacuated. 



He was now opposed by two armies one 

 commanded by Pemberton at Vicksburg, num- 

 bering about 52,000 men ; the other by John- 

 ston, at Jackson, 50 miles east of Vicksburg, 

 who was being rapidly re-enforced from points 

 in the interior. Sherman had been ordered 

 to make a demonstration against Haines's 

 Bluff, to compel the enemy to detach troops 

 for its defense and withhold them from Grant's 

 front; and this feint was successfully exe- 

 cuted April 30 and May 1, when Sherman 

 received orders to retire and join the main 

 army. Grant determined to move with celer- 

 ity, place his force between the two armies of 

 the enemy, and defeat them in detail before 

 they could unite against him. He cut loose 

 from his base, and ordered that the three days' 

 rations issued to the men should be made to 

 last five days. Sherman's command reached 

 Grand Gulf on the 6th. On the 12th Grant's 

 advance, near Raymond, encountered the ene- 

 my approaching from Jackson, and defeated 

 him, and drove him from the field with a loss 

 of 100 killed, 305 wounded, 415 prisoners, and 

 2 guns. Grant's loss was 66 killed, 339 wound- 

 ed, and 37 missing. He pushed on to Jackson, 

 and captured it on the 14th, with a loss of 42 

 killed, and 251 wounded and missing. The 

 enemy lost 845 in killed, wounded, and miss- 

 ing, and 17 guns. 



Grant now moved rapidly toward Vicksburg, 

 and attacked Pemberton in a strong position at 

 Champion Hill. After a hotly contested battle, 

 the enemy was completely routed, with a loss 

 of between 3,000 and 4,000 killed and wound- 

 ed, 3,000 prisoners, and 30 guns ; Grant's loss 

 being 410 killed, 1,844 wounded, and 187 miss- 

 ing. The enemy made a stand at Big Black 

 river bridge on the 17th, holding a strongly in- 

 trenched position ; but a vigorous assault was 

 made upon his line, the place was carried, and 

 the enemy was driven across the river in great 

 confusion, with the loss of many killed, 1,751 

 prisoners, and 18 guns. Grant's loss was but 

 39 killed, 237 wounded, and 3 missing. On 

 the 18th the national army closed up against 

 the outworks of Vicksburg, driving the enemy 

 inside his fortifications. Sherman took pos- 

 session of Haines's Bluff, a base for supplies 

 was established at Chickasaw Landing, and on 

 the 21st the army was once more supplied with 

 full rations. 



On the 19th and 22d, assaults were made 

 upon the enemy's lines, but only a few put- 

 works were carried, and on the 23d the siege 

 was regularly begun. By June 30th there were 

 220 guns in position, all light field-pieces ex- 

 cept six 32-pounders and a battery of heavy 

 guns supplied by the navy. Grant now had 

 a force of 71,000 men to conduct the siege and 



