CHAPTER III. THE THIRD ADVANCE ON VICKSBURG. 2 Grant in command Tenn. THE battle of Corinth relieved Grant from any further anxiety for the safety of the territory within his jurisdiction. On the 16th of October he was placed' in command of the Department of the Tennessee, including Northern Mississippi, and the portions of Kentucky and Tennessee of Dept. of west of the Tennessee River. He had, in round numbers, about 56,700 men present for duty.3 Some of these were new levies, and Halleck promised that many more would be collected as soon as possible. 4 Grants was holding the Mobile & Ohio Railroad north of a point twenty-five miles south of Corinth, the Mississippi Central north of Bolivar, and the Memphis & Charleston from Corinth to Bear Creek. West of 6 2 On the 24th of October, Rosecrans, as we have seen, was placed in command of the Department of the Cumberland (Part II., 415, 419). Grant says (I Grant, 420): "I was delighted at the promotion of General Rosecrans to a separate command, because I still believed that when independent of the command of an immediate superior the qualities which I, at the time, credited him with possessing, would show themselves. As a subordinate I found that I could not make him do as I wished, and had determined to relieve him from duty that very day." 3 The troops were divided in round numbers between the four districts of this department as follows (25 R., 297, 311): Columbus, 5900, Corinth, 23,100, Jackson, 19,800, and Memphis, 7800. See map, p. 43. 51 Grant, 423. Corinth, this railroad was destroyed or held by the Confederates. 2 As the opening up of the Mississippi River was from the first one of the greatest objects to be attained by the Federal Army, Grant realized that with the forces under his command it would be better to protect Western Tennessee by moving on towards Vicksburg than by remaining at the posts where Halleck had left them.' When Van Dorn's repulse was known at Richmond, Major-General Pemberton, who commanded the Department of Mississippi and Eastern Louisin command iana, was made a Lieutenant-General, and of Dept. of on the 14th of October, Van Dorn and Price3 were placed under his orders.4 Their armies, estimated at 25,700 men, were holding the line of the Tallahatchie, with advanced posts at Holly Springs and Grand Junction. Pemberton Miss. and E. La. ... On the 26th of October, 1862, Grant wrote to Halleck5: You never have suggested to me any plan of operation in this department. . . . With small re-enforcements at Memphis I think I would be able to move down the Mississippi Central road and cause the evacuation of Vicksburg and be able to capture or destroy all the boats in the Yazoo River. Grant's plans. Halleck approved of his plan of advancing upon the enemy, and said that he hoped for an active campaign on the Mississippi this fall, that he hoped to give 225 R., 726. 3 25 R., 728. II Grant, 423. 4 Pemberton's forces, which had been increased by the return of exchanged prisoners (25 R., 727, etc.), may be roughly estimated 25,700 (25 R., 766, 726, 727) present for duty in the active army, 4800 (25 R., 766) at Vicksburg, and 3500 at Port Hudson, Ponchatoula, etc. (21 R., 841), perhaps 1000 at Columbus, and some militia and exchanged prisoners at Jackson. 5 25 R., 296. him 20,000 additional men in a few days,' and that Curtis had been directed to reinforce Helena, and that if he could not operate on Little Rock, he could threaten Grenada. Halleck also said that a large force would ascend the river from New Orleans. Grant starts. On the 13th of November, Grant's cavalry entered2 Holly Springs and the Confederates fell back behind the Tallahatchie. Grant's supplies came by rail from Columbus, and as this was a long line to maintain in an enemy's country, he established a depot at Holly Springs. He also proposed to repair the railroad from Memphis to Grenada to supply his command after reaching that point. At about this time he went to Cairo to meet Admiral Porter, who had succeeded5 Davis in command of the Mississippi squadron, and who, before he had left Washington, had been told by the Grant meets Porter. President that General McClernand had been ordered to raise an army to prosecute the siege of Vicksburg and that the President had expressed the hope that Porter would heartily co-operate with him. McClernand had been a Democratic Congressman from Illinois, and, at the outbreak of the Rebellion, had contributed great personal and political influence to the support of the Government. He had recently commanded a division of Grant's army, but had shown no military capacity that would fit him for such a command. Porter thought that Vicksburg never would be taken if it depended upon McClernand's raising an army sufficient for the purpose; and Grant proposed that he should send Sherman down the river from Mem ' 24 R., 467. 224 R., 470. phis, while he, himself, would march from Holly Springs upon Grenada. General Pemberton [says Porter in his history'] would naturally march from Vicksburg to stop Grant at Grenada until reinforcements could be thrown into Vicksburg from the south, and while Pemberton was thus absent with the greater part of his army Sherman and Porter could get possession of the defences of Vicksburg. As this plan was afterwards followed, it is only fair to Grant to note that he did not propose it until he had heard of McClernand's proposition. Grant's orders approved. 2 At this time, however, Grant's orders did not authorize such a plan. On the 15th, he sent for Sherman 3 to meet him at Columbus, and after consultation, ordered him to "join him with two divisions and march them down the Mississippi Central Railroad if he could." At about the same time, Grant received a dispatch from Halleck saying that it was not advisable to put railroads in operation south of Memphis; and that the enemy must be turned by a movement down the river from Memphis as soon as sufficient force could be collected. On the 24th, Grant reported the orders that he had given for an attack on Pemberton, and asked if he should countermand them.5 Halleck approved the movements, but added: "Do not go too far.” Curtis had made arrangements to co-operate with Grant; and Steele, who commanded at Helena, having learned that Grant was advancing, sent out a small party of cavalry and infantry' under Hovey to attack Pemberton in flank and rear. Hovey crossed the 'Porter, 284. 4 24 R., 470. * Grant, 427; 1 Sherman, 307. 524 R., 471. 6 2000. 7 5000. 3 At Memphis. 8 24 R., 528-532. Grant ad Mississippi from Helena to Delta on the 27th, and arrived at the mouth of the Coldwater on the 28th. The cavalry under Washburn reached the Mississippi Central Railway seven miles north of Grenada on the 29th, and after doing the Tallasome damage fell back on the infantry. On vances to hatchie. the 29th,' Grant advanced from Holly Springs. The Confederates had fortified a strong position along the Tallahatchie, but fell back when Grant and Hovey advanced. On the 2d of December Grant crossed the river, and occupied Abbeville. On the 26th of November, Sherman started from Memphis, and on the 29th 3 arrived at College Hill with three small divisions and on the 2d of December, crossed the Tallahatchie. 2 to move as he may deem best. On the 4th, Grant reported that with his present force it would not be safe to go beyond Grenada and attempt to hold his present lines of communi- Grant cation, and asked if it would not be well to authorized hold the enemy south of the Yalobusha, and move a force from Memphis and Helena on Vicksburg. He said he thought that if the Helena troops were at his command, it would be practicable to send Sherman to take them and the Memphis troops south of the mouth of the Yazoo River, and secure Vicksburg and the State of Mississippi. On the 7th of December, Halleck, who supported 6 1 24 R., 471. 225 R., 361, 362. 31 Sherman, 308; 1 Grant 427. 4 16,000 viz.: 18,252 (24 R., 471) less four regiments of infantry, one battalion of artillery, two regiments of cavalry. 5 24 R., 472. "Halleck said (24 R., 473) that Bragg might cross at Decatur and attack Corinth and that Grant's main object would be to hold the line from Memphis to Corinth with as small a force as possible, while the largest number possible should be thrown upon Vicksburg with the gunboats, adding that the President might insist upon designating a separate commander for the Mississippi expedition. |