captains of the civil war-第41章
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st again。 On the sixteenth he won the stubborn fight of Champion's Hill； on the seventeenth he won again at Big Black River； and on the eighteenth he appeared before the lines of Vicksburg。 With the prestige of five victories in twenty days； and with the momentum acquired in the process； he then tried to carry the lines by assault on the spot。 But the attack of the nineteenth failed； as did its renewal on the twenty…second。 Next day both sides settled down to a six weeks' siege。
The failure of the two assaults was recognized by friend and foe as being a mere check； and Grant's men all believed they had now found the lookedfor leader。 So they had。 Like Lee and Stonewall Jackson in Virginia； Grant； with as yet inferior numbers （but with the immense advantage of sea…power）； had seized； held； and acted on interior lines so ably that his forty…three thousand men had out…maneuvered and out…fought the sixty thousand of the enemy； beating them in detail on ground of their own besides inflicting a threefold loss。 Grant lost little over four thousand。 The Confederates lost nearly twelve thousand； half of whom were captured。
The only real trouble； besides the failure to carry the lines by assault； was with the two bad generals； McClernand and Banks。 McClernand had promulgated an order praising his own。 corps to the skies and conveying the idea that he and it had won the battles。 Moreover； he hinted that he had succeeded in the assault while the others had failed。 This was especially offensive because Grant； at McClernand's urgent request； had sent reinforcements from other corps to confirm a success that he found nonexistent on the spot； except in McClernand's own words。 To crown this； McClernand had sent his official order； with all its misleading statements； to be published in the Northern press； and the whole army was now supplied with the papers containing it。 So gross a breach of discipline could not go unpunished； and McClernand was sent back to Springfield in disgrace。
Banks； unfortunately； was senior to Grant and of course independent of Farragut； so he could safely vex them bothGrant； by spoiling the plan of concerting the attacks on Port Hudson and Vicksburg in May； Farragut； by continual failure in cooperation and by leaving big guns exposed to capture on the west bank。 But things turned out well； after all。 The guns were saved by the naval vessels that beat off a Confederate attack on Donaldsonville； and Grant's army was saved from coming under Banks's command by Banks's own egregious failure in cooperation。 This failure thus became a blessing in disguise： a disguise too good for Halleck； whose reprimand from Washington on the twenty…third of May shows what dangers lurked beneath the mighthave…been。 〃The Government is exceedingly disappointed that you and General Grant are not acting in conjunction。 It thought to secure that object by authorizing you to assume the entire command as soon as you and General Grant could unite。〃
In the end the Confederates suffered much more than the Federals from civilian interference； for the orders of their Government came through in time to confuse a situation that was already bad and growing worse。 Between Porter afloat and Grant ashore Vicksburg was doomed unless 〃Joe〃 Johnston came west with sufficient force to relieve it in time。 Johnston did come early enough； but not in sufficient force； so the next best thing was to destroy all stores； abandon Vicksburg； and save the garrison。 The Government； however； sent positive orders to hold Vicksburg to the very last gasp。 Johnston had meanwhile sent Pemberton （the Vicksburg commander） orders to combine with him in free maneuvering for an attack in the field。 But Pemberton's own idea was to await Grant on the Big Black River； where； with Johnston's help； he thought he could beat him。 Then followed hesitation； a futile attempt to harmonize the three incompatible schemes； and presently the； division of the Confederates into separated armies； driven apart by Grant； whose own army soon dug itself in between them and quickly grew stronger than both。
Grant's lines； facing both opponents； from Haynes's Bluff to Warrenton； were fifteen miles long； which gave him one man per foot when his full strength was reached Pemberton's were only seven； and his position was strong。 both towards the river； where the bluffs rose two hundred feet； and on the landward side； where the slopes were sharp and well fortified。 Grant closed in； however； and pressed the bombardment home。 Except for six 32… pounders and a battery of big naval guns he had nothing but field artillery。 Yet the abundance of ammunition； the closeness of the range； and the support of his many excellent snipers； soon gave him the upper hand。 Six hundred yards was the farthest the lines were apart。 In some places they nearly touched。
All ranks worked hard； especially at engineering； in which there was such a dearth of officers that Grant ordered every West Pointer to do his turn with the sappers and miners as well as his other duty。 This brought forth a respectful protest from the enormously fat Chief Commissary； who said he could only be used as a saproller （the big roller sappers shove protectingly before them when snipers get their range）。 The real sap…rollers came to grief when an ingenious Confederate stuffed port…fires with turpentined cotton and shot them into rollers only a few yards off。 But after this the Federals kept their rollers wet； and sapped and burrowed till the big mine was fully charged and safe from the Confederate countermine； which had missed its mark。
While trying to blow each other up the men on both sides exchanged amenities and chaff like the best of friends。 Each side sold its papers to the other； and the wall…paper newsprint of Vicksburg made a good war souvenir for both。 There was a steady demand for Federal bread and Confederate tobacco。 When market time was over the Confederates would heave down hand…grenades； which agile Federals； good at baseball； would heave uphill again before they exploded。 And woe to the man whose head appeared out of hours； for snipers were always on the watch； especially that prince of snipers； Lieutenant H。C。 Foster； renowned as 〃Coonskin〃 from the cap he wore。 A wonderful stalker and dead shot he was a terror to exposed Confederates at all times； but more particularly towards the end； when （their front artillery having been silenced by Grant's guns） Coonskin built a log tower； armored with railway iron； from which he picked off men who were safe from ordinary fire。
On the twenty…first of June Pemberton planned an escape across the Mississippi and built some rough boats。 But Grant heard of this； the flotilla grew more watchful still； and before any attempt at escape could be made the great mine was fired on the twenty…fifth。 The whole top of the hill was blown off； and with it some men who came down alive on the Federal side。 Among these was an unwounded but terrified colored man； who； on being asked how high he had gone； said； 〃Dunno； Massa； but t'ink 'bout t'ree mile。〃 An immense crater was formed。 But there was no practicable breach； so the assault was deferred。 A second mine was exploded on the first of July。 But again there was no assault； for Grant had decided to wait till several huge mines could be exploded simultaneously。 In the meantime an intercepted dispatch warned him that Johnston would try to help Pemberton to cut his way out。 But by the time the second mine was exploded Pemberton was sounding his generals about the chances of getting their own thirty thousand to join Johnston's thirty thousand against Grant's seventyfive thousand。 The generals said No。 Negotiations then began。
On the third of July Grant met Pemberton under the 〃Vicksburg Oak；〃 which； though quite a small tree； furnished souvenir…hunters with many cords of sacred wood in after years。 Grant very wisely allowed surrender on parole； which somewhat depleted Confederate ranks in the future by the number of men who； returning to their homes； afterwards refused to come back when the exchange of prisoners would have permitted them to do so。
That was a great week of Federal victorythe week including the third； fourth； and eighth of July。 On the third L
