hero tales from american history-第26章

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he　Mississippi　was　absolutely　essential　to　the　National　Government；　because　the　control　of　that　great　river　would　cut　the　Confederacy　in　two；　and　do　more；　probably；　than　anything　else；　to　make　the　overthrow　of　the　Rebellion　both　speedy　and　certain。

The　natural　way　to　invest　and　capture　so　strong　a　place；　defended　and　fortified　as　Vicksburg　was；　would　have　been；　if　the　axioms　of　the　art　of　war　had　been　adhered　to；　by　a　system　of　gradual　approaches。　A　strong　base　should　have　been　established　at　Memphis；　and　then　the　army　and　the　fleet　moved　gradually　forward；　building　storehouses　and　taking　strong　positions　as　they　went。　To　do　this；　however；　it　first　would　have　been　necessary　to　withdraw　the　army　from　the　positions　it　then　held　not　far　above　Vicksburg；　on　the　western　bank　of　the　river。　But　such　a　movement；　at　that　time；　would　not　have　been　understood　by　the　country；　and　would　have　had　a　discouraging　effect　on　the　public　mind；　which　it　was　most　essential　to　avoid。　The　elections　of　1862　had　gone　against　the　government；　and　there　was　great　discouragement　throughout　the　North。　Voluntary　enlistments　had　fallen　off；　a　draft　had　been　ordered；　and　the　peace　party　was　apparently　gaining　rapidly　in　strength。　General　Grant；　looking　at　this　grave　political　situation　with　the　eye　of　a　statesman；　decided；　as　a　soldier；　that　under　no　circumstances　would　he　withdraw　the　army；　but　that；　whatever　happened；　he　would　〃press　forward　to　a　decisive　victory。〃　In　this　determination　he　never　faltered；　but　drove　straight　at　his　object　until；　five　months　later；　the　great　Mississippi　stronghold　fell　before　him。

Efforts　were　made　through　the　winter　to　reach　Vicksburg　from　the　north　by　cutting　canals；　and　by　attempts　to　get　in　through　the　bayous　and　tributary　streams　of　the　great　river。　All　these　expedients　failed；　however；　one　after　another；　as　Grant；　from　the　beginning；　had　feared　that　they　would。　He；　therefore；　took　another　and　widely　different　line；　and　determined　to　cross　the　river　from　the　western　to　the　eastern　bank　below　Vicksburg；　to　the　south。　With　the　aid　of　the　fleet；　which　ran　the　batteries　successfully；　he　moved　his　army　down　the　west　bank　until　he　reached　a　point　beyond　the　possibility　of　attack；　while　a　diversion　by　Sherman　at　Haines'　Bluff；　above　Vicksburg；　kept　Pemberton　in　his　fortifications。　On　April　26；　Grant　began　to　move　his　men　over　the　river　and　landed　them　at　Bruinsburg。　〃When　this　was　effected；〃　he　writes；　〃I　felt　a　degree　of　relief　scarcely　ever　equaled　since。　Vicksburg　was　not　yet　taken；　it　is　true；　nor　were　its　defenders　demoralized　by　any　of　our　previous　movements。　I　was　now　in　the　enemy's　country；　with　a　vast　river　and　the　stronghold　of　Vicksburg　between　me　and　my　base　of　supplies；　but　I　was　on　dry　ground；　on　the　same　side　of　the　river　with　the　enemy。〃

The　situation　was　this：　The　enemy　had　about　sixty　thousand　men　at　Vicksburg；　Haines'　Bluff；　and　at　Jackson；　Mississippi；　about　fifty　miles　east　of　Vicksburg。　Grant；　when　he　started；　had　about　thirty…three　thousand　men。　It　was　absolutely　necessary　for　success　that　Grant；　with　inferior　numbers；　should　succeed　in。　destroying　the　smaller　forces　to　the　eastward；　and　thus　prevent　their　union　with　Pemberton　and　the　main　army　at　Vicksburg。　His　plan；　in　brief；　was　to　fight　and　defeat　a　superior　enemy　separately　and　in　detail。　He　lost　no　time　in　putting　his　plan　into　action；　and　pressing　forward　quickly；　met　a　detachment　of　the　enemy　at　Port　Gibson　and　defeated　them。　Thence　he　marched　to　Grand　Gulf；　on　the　Mississippi；　which　he　took；　and　which　he　had　planned　to　make　a　base　of　supply。　When　he　reached　Grand　Gulf；　however；　he　found　that　he　would　be　obliged　to　wait　a　month；　in　order　to　obtain　the　reinforcements　which　he　expected　from　General　Banks　at　Port　Hudson。　He；　therefore；　gave　up　the　idea　of　making　Grand　Gulf　a　base；　and　Sherman　having　now　joined　him　with　his　corps；　Grant　struck　at　once　into　the　interior。　He　took　nothing　with　him　except　ammunition；　and　his　army　was　in　the　lightest　marching　order。　This　enabled　him　to　move　with　great　rapidity；　but　deprived　him　of　his　wagon　trains；　and　of　all　munitions　of　war　except　cartridges。　Everything；　however；　in　this　campaign；　depended　on　quickness；　and　Grant's　decision；　as　well　as　all　his　movements；　marked　the　genius　of　the　great　soldier；　which　consists　very　largely　in　knowing　just　when　to　abandon　the　accepted　military　axioms。

Pressing　forward；　Grant　met　the　enemy；　numbering　between　seven　and　eight　thousand；　at　Raymond；　and　readily　defeated　them。　He　then　marched　on　toward　Jackson；　fighting　another　action　at　Clinton；　and　at　Jackson　he　struck　General　Joseph　Johnston；　who　had　arrived　at　that　point　to　take　command　of　all　the　rebel　forces。　Johnston　had　with　him；　at　the　moment；　about　eleven　thousand　men；　and　stood　his　ground。　There　was　a　sharp　fight；　but　Grant　easily　defeated　the　enemy；　and　took　possession　of　the　town。　This　was　an　important　point；　for　Jackson　was　the　capital　of　the　State　of　Mississippi；　and　was　a　base　of　military　supplies。　Grant　destroyed　the　factories　and　the　munitions　of　war　which。　were　gathered　there；　and　also　came　into　possession　of　the　line　of　railroad　which　ran　from　Jackson　to　Vicksburg。　While　he　was　thus　engaged；　an　intercepted　message　revealed　to　him　the　fact　that　Pemberton；　in　accordance　with　Johnston's　orders；　had　come　out　of　Vicksburg　with　twenty…five　thousand　men；　and　was　moving　eastward　against　him。　Pemberton；　however；　instead　of　holding　a　straight　line　against　Grant；　turned　at　first　to　the　south；　with　the　view　of　breaking　the　latter's　line　of　communication。　This　was　not　a　success；　for；　as　Grant　says；　with　grim　humor；　〃I　had　no　line　of　communication　to　break〃；　and；　moreover；　it　delayed　Pemberton　when　delay　was　of　value　to　Grant　in　finishing　Johnston。　After　this　useless　turn　to　the　southward　Pemberton　resumed　his　march　to　the　east；　as　he　should　have　done　in　the　beginning；　in　accordance　with　Johnston's　orders；　but　Grant　was　now　more　than　ready。　He　did　not　wait　the　coming　of　Pemberton。　Leaving　Jackson　as　soon　as　he　heard　of　the　enemy's　advance　from　Vicksburg；　he　marched　rapidly　westward　and　struck　Pemberton　at　Champion　Hills。　The　forces　were　at　this　time　very　nearly　matched；　and　the　severest　battle　of　the　campaign　ensued；　lasting　four　hours。　Grant；　however；　defeated　Pemberton　completely；　and　came　very　near　capturing　his　entire　force。　With　a　broken　army；　Pemberton　fell　back　on　Vicksburg。　Grant　pursued　without　a　moment's　delay；　and　came　up　with　the　rear　guard　at　Big　Black　River。　A　sharp　engagement　followed；　and　the　Confederates　were　again　defeated。　Grant　then　crossed　the　Big　Black　and　the　next　day　was　before　Vicksburg；　with　his　enemy　inside　the　works。

When　Grant　crossed　the　Mississippi　at　Bruinsburg　and　struck　into　the　interior；　he；　of　course；　passed　out　of　communication　with　Washington；　and　he　did　not　hear　from　there　again　until　May　11；　when；　just　as　his　troops　were　engaging　in　the　battle　of　Black　River　Bridge；　an　officer　appeared　from　Port　Hudson　with　an　order　from　General　Halleck　to　return　to　Grand　Gulf　and　thence　cooperate　with　Banks　against　Port　Hudson。　Grant　replied　that　the　order　came　too　late。　〃The　bearer　of　the　despatch　insisted　that　I　ought　to　obey　the　order；　and　was　giving　arguments　to　support　the　position；　when　I　heard　a　great　cheering　to　the　right　of　our　line；　and　looking　in　that　direction；　saw　Lawler；　in　his　shirt…sleeves；　leading　a　charge　on　the　enemy。　I　immediately　mounted　my　horse　and　rode　in　the　direction　of　the　charge；　and　saw　no　more　of　the　officer　who　had　delivered　the　message；　I　think　not　even　to　this　day。〃　When　Grant　reached　Vicksburg；　there　was　no　further　talk　of　recalling　him　to　Grand　Gulf　or　Port　Hudson。　The　authorities　at　Washington　then　saw　plainly　enough　what　had　been　done　in　the　interior　of　Mississippi；　far　from　the　reach　of　telegraphs　or　mail。

As　soon　as　the　National　troops　reached　Vicksburg　an　assault　was　attempted；　but　the　place　was　too　strong；　and　the　attack　was　repulsed；　with　heavy　loss。　Grant　then　settled　down　to　a　siege；　and　Lincoln　and　Halleck　now　sent　him　ample　reinforcements。　He　no　longer　needed　to　ask　for　them。　His　campaign　had　explained　itself；　and　in　a　short　time　he　had　seventy　thousand　men　under　his　command。　His　lines　were　soon　made　so　strong　that　it　was　impossible　for　the　defen