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33 - Vicksburg and Port Hudson
Since May 18, the fortress city of Vicksburg that dominated the last Confederate-controlled section of the Mississippi River, lay under siege. Five army corps of Major General Ulysses S. Grant's Army of the Tennessee had assembled and surrounded Lieutenant General John C. Pemberton's 33,000 defenders in four divisions. Before the siege ring had closed around the city, Joseph E. Johnston, who was in Jackson, Mississippi with 30,000 men, ordered Pemberton to evacuate the city and save his army. Pemberton, however, considered a retreat impracticable and held the position. During the six-week siege, several frontal attacks by Union forces failed, but the constant bombardment and dwindling food and ammunition supplies forced Pemberton to surrender on the historic 4th of July 1863. With him, 29,500 men surrendered, but they were paroled and, after surrendering their weapons, were released south, as Grant was pragmatic and simply could not feed such a mass of prisoners. In recognition of his success, the Union commander was promoted to Major General in the regular army with retroactive effect from 4 July, and from that date was considered a strong candidate for the post of General in chief.
Another, less significant siege took place almost simultaneously on the lower Mississippi. At Port Hudson, 35,000 Yankees under Major General Nathaniel P. Banks had surrounded 7,500 Confederates under Major General Franklin Gardner since May 22nd. Although Port Hudson was far from dominating the Mississippi River like Vicksburg, capturing the town would have made navigation from the Gulf Region through the Deep South much easier.
Banks was in competition with Grant for faster progress and also had political ambitions that forced him to act more quickly as elections approached. In a series of brutal attacks against Port Hudson, all of which failed, Banks had already lost 5,000 killed and wounded, while Gardner's losses were limited to around 750 men. However, 5,000 other Union soldiers had died of disease or sunstrokes, which had severely affected Banks' forces. Gardner had already vigorously refused to surrender before 4 July, and in the face of the capture of Vicksburg, Banks, now focused solely on the elections, tried again on 9 July. Although the supply situation was slowly becoming critical, Gardner decided to play poker one last time due to the news of the success in Pennsylvania. In a letter to Banks, which was later leaked to the press, Gardner stated that his honour would not allow him to surrender his command as long as Confederate troops were victorious on northern soil.
With no knowledge of the enemy supply situation, Banks was forced to launch another attack. In contrast to the piecemeal assaults before, he would have all four of his divisions, 25,000 combat-capable men after all, attacked simultaneously along the entire front. The attack in the centre, with divisions under Major General Christopher C. Augur and Brigadier General William Dwight, came to a halt after only a few hundred yards in heavy defensive fire from the Confederates under Brigadier General William Beall. The combined fire of half a dozen artillery batteries, including two 24-pounder smoothbores, swept the Union lines off the field. Cuvier Grover's 4th Division managed to break into the positions on the left wing of the rebels. Hand-to-hand-combat broke out in the trenches and the troops from Mississippi and Arkansas in Colonel Isaiah G. W. Steedman's first line of defence were thrown back. Only a counterattack by the 1st Alabama and several Louisiana Reserves allowed the positions to be regained. On the left flank of the Union troops, Colonel Hawkes Fearing's division was already held up by abatis and buried torpedoes, which tore up his ranks.
After his troops had endured enemy fire for over two hours, no terrain gains and a further 4,000 casualties, a frustrated Nathaniel Banks broke off the attack. When he subsequently promised to try again the following day, a mutiny almost broke out among his officers. All four division commanders let Banks know that they would strictly refuse to carry out another attack order. When Banks then threatened a court martial, they declared that they would lay down their command if in doubt. Neither pleas nor curses brought Banks any further, as he had completely turned his subordinates against him. Completely disillusioned, on 10 July 1863 he gave the only order he had left, the command to retreat to New Orleans.
Vicksburg under siege.
Chapter 33 - Vicksburg and Port Hudson
Since May 18, the fortress city of Vicksburg that dominated the last Confederate-controlled section of the Mississippi River, lay under siege. Five army corps of Major General Ulysses S. Grant's Army of the Tennessee had assembled and surrounded Lieutenant General John C. Pemberton's 33,000 defenders in four divisions. Before the siege ring had closed around the city, Joseph E. Johnston, who was in Jackson, Mississippi with 30,000 men, ordered Pemberton to evacuate the city and save his army. Pemberton, however, considered a retreat impracticable and held the position. During the six-week siege, several frontal attacks by Union forces failed, but the constant bombardment and dwindling food and ammunition supplies forced Pemberton to surrender on the historic 4th of July 1863. With him, 29,500 men surrendered, but they were paroled and, after surrendering their weapons, were released south, as Grant was pragmatic and simply could not feed such a mass of prisoners. In recognition of his success, the Union commander was promoted to Major General in the regular army with retroactive effect from 4 July, and from that date was considered a strong candidate for the post of General in chief.
Another, less significant siege took place almost simultaneously on the lower Mississippi. At Port Hudson, 35,000 Yankees under Major General Nathaniel P. Banks had surrounded 7,500 Confederates under Major General Franklin Gardner since May 22nd. Although Port Hudson was far from dominating the Mississippi River like Vicksburg, capturing the town would have made navigation from the Gulf Region through the Deep South much easier.
Banks was in competition with Grant for faster progress and also had political ambitions that forced him to act more quickly as elections approached. In a series of brutal attacks against Port Hudson, all of which failed, Banks had already lost 5,000 killed and wounded, while Gardner's losses were limited to around 750 men. However, 5,000 other Union soldiers had died of disease or sunstrokes, which had severely affected Banks' forces. Gardner had already vigorously refused to surrender before 4 July, and in the face of the capture of Vicksburg, Banks, now focused solely on the elections, tried again on 9 July. Although the supply situation was slowly becoming critical, Gardner decided to play poker one last time due to the news of the success in Pennsylvania. In a letter to Banks, which was later leaked to the press, Gardner stated that his honour would not allow him to surrender his command as long as Confederate troops were victorious on northern soil.
With no knowledge of the enemy supply situation, Banks was forced to launch another attack. In contrast to the piecemeal assaults before, he would have all four of his divisions, 25,000 combat-capable men after all, attacked simultaneously along the entire front. The attack in the centre, with divisions under Major General Christopher C. Augur and Brigadier General William Dwight, came to a halt after only a few hundred yards in heavy defensive fire from the Confederates under Brigadier General William Beall. The combined fire of half a dozen artillery batteries, including two 24-pounder smoothbores, swept the Union lines off the field. Cuvier Grover's 4th Division managed to break into the positions on the left wing of the rebels. Hand-to-hand-combat broke out in the trenches and the troops from Mississippi and Arkansas in Colonel Isaiah G. W. Steedman's first line of defence were thrown back. Only a counterattack by the 1st Alabama and several Louisiana Reserves allowed the positions to be regained. On the left flank of the Union troops, Colonel Hawkes Fearing's division was already held up by abatis and buried torpedoes, which tore up his ranks.
After his troops had endured enemy fire for over two hours, no terrain gains and a further 4,000 casualties, a frustrated Nathaniel Banks broke off the attack. When he subsequently promised to try again the following day, a mutiny almost broke out among his officers. All four division commanders let Banks know that they would strictly refuse to carry out another attack order. When Banks then threatened a court martial, they declared that they would lay down their command if in doubt. Neither pleas nor curses brought Banks any further, as he had completely turned his subordinates against him. Completely disillusioned, on 10 July 1863 he gave the only order he had left, the command to retreat to New Orleans.
Vicksburg under siege.
- Lothar
- Word Count: 750