boats have been constantly below Vicksburgh four thousand five hundred. Four thousand five shelling the works, and with success, coöperating hundred shots have been fired from naval guns heartily with the left wing of the army. The on shore, and we have supplied over six thousand mortar-boats have been at work for forty-two to the different army corps. days without intermission, throwing shells into all parts of the city, even reaching the works in the rear of Vicksburgh and in front of our troops, a distance of three miles. I have the honor to remain, very respectfully, your obedient servant, DAVID D. PORTER,* Acting Rear-Admiral Commanding Mississippi Squadron. MAJOR-GENERAL SHERMAN'S REPORT. HEADQUARTERS FIFTEENTH ARMY CORPS, Three heavy guns placed on scows, a nine-inch, ten-inch, and a one hundred pound rifle, were placed in position a mile from the town, and commanded all the water batteries. They have kept SIR: In order to make a connected history of up an accurate and incessant fire for fourteen events preceding the final issue of this campaign, days; doing all the damage that could be done I avail myself of this the first leisure hour to give by guns under such circumstances. Five eight- substantially the operations of the Fifteenth army inch, two nine-inch, two forty-two pounder rifles, corps since the movement began. and four thirty-two pounder shell-guns have been landed, at the request of the different generals commanding corps, from the gunboats, and mounted in the rear of Vicksburgh; and whenever I could spare the officers and men from our small complement, they were sent to manage the guns-with what ability I leave to the General commanding to say. In the mean time, I stationed the small class of gunboats to keep the banks of the Mississippi clear of guerrillas, who were assembling in force, with a large number of cannon, to block up the river and cut off the transports, bringing down supplies, reënforcements, and ammunition for the army. Though the rebels on several occasions built batteries, and with a large force attempted to sink or capture the transports, they never succeeded, but were defeated by the gunboats with severe loss on all occasions. Without a watchful care over the Mississippi, the operations of the army would have been much interfered with; and I can say honestly that officers never did their duty better than those who patrolled the river from Cairo to Vicksburgh. One steamer only was badly disabled since our operations commenced, and six or seven men were killed and wounded. While the army have had a troublesome encmy in front, behind them, the gunboats, Marine brigade, under General Ellet, and a small force of troops, under Generals Dennis and Mower, have kept at bay a large force of rebels, over twelve thousand strong, accompanied by a large quantity of artillery; and though offered battle several times, and engaged, they invariably fled, and satisfied themselves by assaulting half-disciplined and unarmed blacks. The capture of Vicksburgh leaves us a large army and our naval forces free to act all along the river, and I hope soon to add to my department the vessels which have been temporarily lost to the service, namely, the Indianola and Cincinnati. The effect of this blow will be felt far up the tributaries of the Mississippi. The timid and doubtful will take heart, and the wicked will, I hope, cease to trouble us for fear of the punishment which will sooner or later overtake them. There has been a large expenditure of ammunition during the siege. The mortars have fired seven thousand mortar-shells, and the gunboats General Grant's orders for an advance by way of Grand Gulf were dated April twentieth, 1863, and gave McClernand's corps the right, McPherson's the centre, and mine the left; the movement being by the right flank. I had made all preparations for the movement when, on the twenty-sixth, I received Gen. Grant's letter from Smith's plantation, near Carthage, describing the road as so very difficult that he ordered me to delay until the roads improved or the system of canals then in process of construction could be finished. Subsequently, on the twenty-eighth of April, I received his letter fixing the time when he proposed to attack Grand Gulf, and saying that a simultaneous feint on the enemy's batteries on the Yazoo, near Haines's Bluff, would be most desirable, provided it could be done without the ill-effect on the army and the country of the appearance of a repulse. Knowing full well the army could distinguish a feint from a real attack by succeeding events, and assured the country would in due season recover from the effect, I made the necessary orders, and embarked on ten steamboats my second division, Blair's, and about ten A.M., on the twenty-ninth April, proceeded to the mouth of the Yazoo, where I found the flag-boat Black Hawk, Capt. Breese, United States Navy, with the Choctaw (just arrived) and De Kalb, ironclads, with the Tyler and several smaller wooden boats of the fleet all ready, with steam up, prepared to cooperate in the proposed demonstration against Haines's Bluff. Capt. Breese fully comprehended the purpose of the movement, and managed the fleet admirably. We at once proceeded up the Yazoo in order, and lay for the night of April twenty-ninth at the mouth of Chickasaw, and early next morning proceeded up within easy range of the enemy's batteries. The Choctaw led, followed by the De Kalb, she by the Tyler, she by the Black Hawk, and the fleet in order behind. The Choctaw at once engaged the batteries at very fair range, and the De Kalb manoeuvred so as to use her batteries with as little risk to her unarmored part as the circumstances warranted. The Tyler and Black Hawk also came into action, and for four hours a very pretty demonstration was kept up, when the boats engaged were called *See General McClernand's Report, page 54 Docs. ante. This affair delayed us about three hours, when we crossed over just in time to see the enemy's cavalry disappear over the hill. out of range. The Tyler had received one shot' and the Choctaw some fifty, but strange to say, no men were hurt. Waiting till toward evening I ordered the division of troops to disembark in General Grant in person was with my column full view of the enemy, and seemingly prepare to at the time, and ordered me to camp there one assault, but I knew full well that there was no division (Steele's) on the Edward's Depot road, road across the submerged field that lay between aud the other (Tuttle's) toward Raymond. Whilst the river and the bluff. As soon as the troops there we heard that the enemy had met General were fairly out on the levee, the gunboats resumed McPherson near Raymond, and was defeated. their fire and the enemy's batteries replied with Next morning we marched to Raymond, and spirit. We could see them moving guns, artillery passed on to Mississippi Springs, where we surand infantry, back and forth, and evidently ex-prised a cavalry picket, capturing them, and on pecting a real attack. Keeping up appearances until night, the troops were reëmbarked. During the next day similar movements were made, accompanied by reconnoissances of all the country on both sides of the Yazoo. Whilst there I received Gen. Grant's orders to hurry forward toward Grand Gulf. Despatching orders to the divisions of Steele and Tuttle at once to march for Grand Gulf, via Richmond, I prolonged the demonstration till night, and quietly dropped back to our camp at Young's Point. No casualties were sustained, save a slight wound from a splintered rail by a man of the Eighth Missouri. Reaching Young's Point during the night of May first, the next morning Blair's division broke camp, and moved up to Milliken's Bend; at the same time Steele's division marched from Milliken's Bend, and Tuttle's from Dockport, Blair's division remaining as a garrison until relieved by troops ordered from Memphis. the following day, namely, May fourteenth, pushed on to Jackson by the lower road, McPherson's corps following the Clinton road. We communicated during the night, so as to arrive at Jackson about the same hour. During the day it rained in torrents, and the roads, which had been very dusty, became equally muddy, but we pushed on, and about ten A.M., were within three miles of Jackson. Then we heard the guns of McPherson to the left, and our cavalry advance reported an enemy to our front at a small bridge at the foot of the ridge along which the road we travelled led. The stream, owing to its precipitous banks, could only be passed on the bridge, which the enemy did not attempt to destroy, and forming the troops in similar order beyond the bridge, only that Mower's brigade, from the course he took in following the enemy, occupied the ground to the left of the road, and Matthie's brigade to the right, the two batteries in the centre, and Buckland's brigade in reserve. The enemy opened on us briskly with a battery. Hastily reconnoitring the position, I ordered Mower's and Matthie's brigades of Tuttle's division to deploy forward to the right and left of the road, and Buckland's to close up. Waterhouse's and Spoore's batteries were placed on commanding ground and soon silenced the enemy's guns, when he retired about half a mile into the skirt of woods The march from Milliken's Bend to the planta- in front of the intrenchments at Jackson. Mowtion of Hard Times, on the west bank of the Mis-er's brigade followed him up, and he soon took sissippi, four miles above Grand Gulf, occupied refuge behind the intrenchments. until noon of May sixth, distance sixty-three miles. We crossed over the river during the night of the sixth and day of the seventh, and on the eighth marched eighteen miles out to Hankinson's Ferry, across the Big Black, relieving Crocker's division of McPherson's corps. At noon of the tenth, by order of General Grant, the floating bridge across the Black was effectually destroyed, and the troops marched forward to Big Sandy. On the eleventh we marched to Auburn, As we emerged from the woods to our front, and on the morning of the twelfth, at Fourteen and as far to the left as we could see, appeared a Mile Creek, first met opposition. The Fourth line of intrenchments, and the enemy kept up a Iowa cavalry, Lieut.-Colonel Swan, commanding, pretty brisk fire with artillery from the points leading the advance, was fired on as it approach-that enfiladed our road. In order to ascertain ed the bridge across the creek. One man was killed, and the horse of Major Winslow was shot under him. Lieut.-Colonel Swan dismounted the men armed with carbines, (about one hundred,) and began to skirmish with the enemy, which afterward proved to be Wirt Adams's cavalry, but the bushes were so dense that nothing could be seen but the puffs of smoke from their guns. the nature of the flanks of this line of intrenchments, I directed Captain Pitzmann, acting Engineer, to take a regiment of the reserve, namely, the Ninety-fifth Ohio, and make a detour to the right, to see what was there. While he was gone, Steele's division closed up. About one P.M. Captain Pitzmann returned, reporting he found the enemy's intrenchments abandoned at the point The bridge also was burning; arriving at the where they crossed the railroad, and he had left head of the column, I ordered Landgraeber's bat- the Ninety-fifth Ohio there in possession. I at tery forward to give the bushes a few quick rounds once ordered General Steele to lead his whole of canister, and Wood's brigade of Steele's divi- division into Jackson by that route, and as soon sion to cross over, its front well covered with skir-I heard the cheers of his men, Tuttle's division mishers. This disposition soon cleared the way; and the pioneer company was put to work to make a crossing in lieu of the burned bridge. was ordered in by the main road. The enemy's infantry had escaped to the north by the Canton Iroad, but we captured about two hundred and fifty prisoners, with all the enemy's artillery (eighteen guns) with much ammunition and valuable public stores. other as soon as I had completed the work of destruction ordered. Steele's division marched at ten A.M., and Tuttle's followed at noon. As the march would necessarily be rapid, I ordered General Mower to parole the prisoners of war and to evacuate Jackson as the rear of Tuttle's division passed out. I paroled these prisoners because the wounded men of McPherson's corps had been left in a hospital enemy, that I knew would reënter Jackson as we left. The whole corps marched from Jackson to Bolton, near twenty miles, that day, and next morning resumed the march by a road lying to the north of Baker's Creek, reaching Bridgeport on the Big Black at noon. There I found Blair's division and the pontoon train. The enemy had a small picket on the west bank in a rifle-pit, com Disposing the troops on the outskirts of the town, in obedience to a summons from General Grant, I met him and General McPherson at the hotel near the State House, and received orders to at once occupy the line of rifle-pits, and on the following day to destroy effectually the railroad tracks in and about Jackson, and all the property belong-in charge of Surgeon Hewitt to the mercy of the ing to the enemy. Accordingly, on the morning of the fifteenth of May, Steele's division was set to work to destroy the railroad and property to the south and east, including Pearl River bridge, and Tuttle's division that to the north and west. This work of destruction was well accomplished, and Jackson, as a railroad centre or government depot of stores and military factories, can be of little use to the enemy for six months. The rail-manding the crossing, but on exploding a few roads were destroyed by burning the ties and warping the iron. I estimate the destruction of the roads-four miles east of Jackson, three south, three north, and ten west. shells over the pit they came out and surrendered, a lieutenant and ten men. The pontoon-bridge was laid across under the direction of Captain Freeman, and Blair's and Steele's divisions passed over that night, Tuttle's following next morning. Starting with the break of day we pushed rapidly, and by half-past nine A.M., of May eighteenth, the head of the column reached the Benton road, and we commanded the Yazoo, interposing a superior force between the enemy at Vicksburgh and his forts on Yazoo. Resting a sufficient time to enable the column to close up, we pushed forward to the point where the road forks, and sending forward on each road the Thirteenth regulars to the right, and the Eighth Missouri to the left, with a battery at the forks, I In Jackson the arsenal buildings, the government foundry, the gun-carriage establishment, including the carriages for two complete six-gun batteries, stable, carpenter, and paint-shops, were destroyed. The penitentiary was burned, I think by some convicts which had been set free by the confederate authorities, also a very valuable cotton factory. This factory was the property of the Messrs. Greene, who made strong appeals based on the fact that it gave employment to very many females and poor families, and that, although it had woven cloth for the enemy, its principal use was in weaving cloth for the people. But I de-awaited General Grant's arrival. He came up cided that machinery of that kind could so easily be converted into hostile uses, that the United States could better afford to compensate the Messrs. Greene for their property and feed the poor families thus thrown out of employment than to spare the property. I therefore assured all such families if want should force them, they might come to the river, where we would feed them until they could find employment or seek refuge in some more peaceful land. Other buildings were destroyed in Jackson by some mischievous soldiers (who could not be detected) which was not justified by the rules of war, including the Catholic church, and the confederate hotelthe former resulting from accidental circumstances and the latter from malice. very soon and directed me to operate on the right, McPherson on the centre, and McClernand on the left. Leaving a sufficient force on the main road to hold it till McPherson came up, I pushed the head of my column on this road till the skirmishers were within musket-range of the defences of Vicksburgh. Here I disposed Blair's division to the front, Tuttle's in support, and ordered Steele's to follow a blind road to the right till he reached the Mississippi. By dark his advance was on the bluffs, and early next morning he reached the Haines's Bluff road, getting possession of the enemy's outer works, his camps, and many prisoners left behind during their hasty evacuation, and had his pickets up within easy range of the enemy's new line of defences, so that by eight General Mower occupied the town with his bri- A.M. of May nineteenth, we had compassed the gade and two companies of cavalry, and maintain-enemy to the north of Vicksburgh, our right rested as much order as he could among the mass of soldiers and camp followers that thronged the place during our short stay there; yet many acts of pillage occurred that I regret, arising from the effect of some bad rum found concealed in the stores of the town. ing on the Mississippi River, with a plain view of our fleets at the mouth of Yazoo and Young's Point; Vicksburgh in plain sight, and nothing separated us from the enemy but a space of about four hundred yards of very difficult ground, cut up by almost impracticable ravines and his line On the morning of the sixteenth I received a of intrenchments. I ordered the Fourth Iowa note from General Grant, written at Clinton, re- cavalry to proceed rapidly up to Haines's Bluff porting the enemy advancing from Edward's De-and secure possession of the place, it being perpot, and ordering me to put in motion one of my divisions toward Bolton, and to follow with the fectly open to the rear. By four P.M. the cavalry was on the high bluff behind, and Colonel Swan being assured that the place had been evacuated, despatched Captain Peters to go in and secure the place. I inclose Colonel Swan's report, with one from Lieut. Clark, from which you will see that the Fourth Iowa cavalry first got possession of the enemy's battery, (evacuated, of course, when we were in full possession of the Benton road,) and delivered it over with its guns, magazine (filled) and material to the gunboat De Kalb, at the time (four P.M., May nineteenth) lying two miles below in Yazoo River. Also on that day communinication was opened with our fleet at Young's Point and the mouth of the Yazoo, and bridges and roads made to bring up ammunition and provisions from the mouth of the Chickasaw, to which point supply-boats had been ordered by General Grant. Up to that time our men had literally lived upon the country, having left Grand Gulf May eighth with three days' rations in their haversacks, and received little or nothing until after our arrival here on the eighteenth. sault by all the army, at ten A.M., on the twentysecond, the assault to be rapid, by the heads of columns. I placed Blair's division at the head of the road, Tuttle's in support, and left General Steele to make his attack at a point in his front about half a mile to the right. The troops were grouped so that the movement could be connected and rapid. The road lies on the crown of an interior ridge, rises over comparatively smooth ground along the edge of the ditch of the right face of the enemy's bastion, and enters the parapet at the shoulder of the bastion. No men could be seen in the enemy's works, except occasionally a sharp-shooter would show his head and quickly discharge his piece. A line of select skirmishers was placed to keep them down. Also a volunteer storming party of about one hundred and fifty men carrying boards and poles to cross the ditch. This, with a small interval, was followed by Ewing's brigade, his by Giles Smith's and Kirby Smith's bringing up the rear of Blair's division. The several corps being in position on the All marched by the flank, following a road nineteenth, General Grant ordered a general as-selected the night before, by which the men sault at two P.M. At that hour Blair's division were partially sheltered, until it was necessary moved forward, Ewing's and Giles Smith's bri- to take the crown of the ridge and expose themgade on the right of the road, and Kirby Smith's selves to the full view of the enemy, known to brigade on the left of the road, artillery disposed be lying concealed behind his well-planned paraon the right and left to cover the point where the pet. At the very minute named in General road enters the enemy's intrenchments. Tuttle's Grant's orders, the storming party dashed up the division was held on the road, Buckland's brigade road at the double-quick, followed by Ewing's' deployed in line to the rear of Blair, and the brigade, the Thirtieth Ohio leading. The artilother two brigades in the road under cover. At lery of Wood's, Barrett's, Waterhouse's, Spoor's, the appointed signal the line advanced, but the and Hart's batteries kept a concentric fire on the ground to the right and left of the road was so bastion, which was doubtless constructed to impracticable, cut up in deep chasms, filled with command this very approach. standing and fallen timber, that the line was slow and irregular in reaching the trenches. The Thirteenth regulars, on the left of Giles Smith, reached the works first, planted its colors on the exterior slope; its commander, Captain Washington, was mortally wounded, and five other officers were wounded more or less severely. Seventy-seven out of two hundred and fifty are reported killed or wounded. Two other regiments reached the same position about the same time-the Eighty-third Indiana, Colonel Spooner, and the One Hundred and Twenty-seventh Illinois, Colonel Eldridge. They held their ground and fired upon any head that presented itself above the parapet; but it was impossible to enter. Other regiments gained position to the right and left close up to the parapet; but night found them outside the works unsuccessful. As soon as night closed in, I ordered them back a short distance, where the shape of the ground gave them partial shelter, to bivouac for the night. The twentieth and twenty-first instant were Consumed in perfecting our system of supplies, opening roads, and putting our artillery in new and more commanding positions, but we could see the enemy similarly employed. During these days our pickets were kept up close, and the enemy was kept uneasy by the appearance of assault at several points. On the twenty-first General Grant issued his orders for a general as The storming party reached the salient of the bastion, and passed toward the sally-port, when rose from every part commanding it a double rank of the enemy that poured on the head of the column a terrific fire. It halted, wavered, and sought cover. The rear pressed on, but the fire was so terrific that very soon all sought cover. The head of the column crossed the ditch on the left face of the bastion, and clamb upon the exterior slope where the colors were planted, and the men burrowed in the earth to shield themselves, from the flank fire. The leading brigade of Ewing being unable to carry that point, the next brigade of Giles Smith was turned down a ravine, and by a circuit to the left, found cover, formed line, and threatened the parapet about three hundred yards to the left of the bastion, and the brigade of Kirby Smith deployed on the off slope of one of the spurs, where, with Ewing's brigade, they kept up a constant fire against any object that presented itself above the parapet. About two P.M. General Blair reported to me that none of his brigades could pass the point of the road swept by the terrific fire encountered by Ewing's, but that Giles Smith had got a position to the left in connection with General Ransom, of McPherson's corps, and was ready to assault. I ordered a constant fire of artillery and infan try to be kept up to occupy the attention of the poins, one in Blair's, and the other in Steele's enemy in our front. Under these circumstances, front. Our position is now high, healthy, and Ransom's and Giles Smith's brigades charged up good. We are in direct and easy commmunicaagainst the parapet, but also met a staggering tion with our supplies, and the troops continue fire, before which they recoiled under cover of to manifest the same cheerful spirit which has the hillside. At the same time, while McPher- characterized them throughout this whole moveson's whole corps was engaged, and having heard ment. I have as yet received no detailed reports General McClernand's report to General Grant, of my division commanders; indeed our means that he had taken three of the enemy's forts, and of transportation have been so limited, and our that his flags floated on the stronghold of Vicks- time so constantly employed, that but little burgh, I ordered General Tuttle to send directly writing has been done; but as soon as possible to the assault one of his brigades. He detailed Gen- I will supply you with accurate reports of all the eral Mower's, and whilst General Steele was hot-details of events herein sketched with names of ly engaged on the right, and I could hear heavy firing all down the line to my left, I ordered their charge, covered in like manner by Blair's division deployed on the hillside, and the artillery posted behind parapets within point-blank range. General Mower carried his brigade up bravely and well, but again arose a fire more severe, if possible, than that of the first assault, with a similar result. The colors of the leading regiment, the Eleventh Missouri, were planted by the side of that of Blair's storming party, and remained there till withdrawn after nightfall by my orders. killed and wounded, and the names of such officers and men as deserve mention for special acts of zeal and gallantry. I have sent in about five hundred prisoners, with lists of their names, rank, regiment, etc., and now inclose the papers relating to those paroled at Jackson, Mississippi. I have the honor to be, your obedient servant, HEADQUARTERS SEVENTEENTH ARMY CORPS, VICKSBURGH, MISS., July 4, 1863. ( Hardly had your flag floated to the breeze on the capitol of Mississippi, when, springing to the call of our noble commander, you rushed upon the defiant columns of the enemy at Champion Hills and drove him in confusion and dismay across the Big Black to his defences within the stronghold of Vicksburgh. McClernand's report of success must have been premature, for I subsequently learned that both his and McPherson's assaults had failed to break through the enemy's line of intrenchments, and were equally unsuccessful as my own. At the time we were so hotly engaged along the road, General Steele, with his division, made his assault at a point about midway from the bastion and Mississippi River the ground over which he passed was more open and exposed to the flank fire of the enemy's batteries in position, and was deeply cut up by gullies and washes. Still his column passed steadily through this fire and reached the parapet, which was also found to be well manned and defended by the enemy. Your assaulting columns, which moved promptHe could not carry the works, but held posses-ly upon his works on the twenty-second of May, sion of the hill-side till night, when he withdrew and which stood for hours undaunted under a his command to his present position. These withering fire, were unsuccessful only because several assaults, made simultaneously, demon-no men could take the position by storm. strated the strength of the natural and artificial defences of Vicksburgh, that they are garrisoned by a strong force, and that we must resort to regular approaches. Our loss during the day was severe, and the proportion of dead to wounded exceeds the usual ratio. The loss in my corps for the attack of May twenty-second will not fall much short of six hundred killed and wounded. Our skirmishers still remain close up to the enemy's works, while the troops are retired a short distance in the ravines which afford good cover. Strong working parties are kept employed in opening roads to the rear, and preparing covered roads to the front. By taking advantage of the shape of the ground I think we can advance our works to within a hundred yards of the redoubt which commands the road, after which the regular "sap" must be resorted to. Captain Jenney, engineer on my staff, has organized the parties and will set to work immediately at two distinct With tireless energy, with sleepless vigilance, by night and by day, with battery and with riflepit, with trench and mine, you made your sure approaches, until, overcome by fatigue and driven to despair in the attempt to oppose your irresistible progress, the whole garrison of over thirty thousand men, with all their arms and munitions of war, have, on this, the anniversary of our national independence, surrendered to the invincible troops of the army of the Tennessee. The achievements of this hour will give a new meaning to this memorable day, and "Vicksburgh" will brighten the glow in the patriot's heart which kindles at the mention of "Bunker Hill" and "Yorktown." This is indeed an auspicious day for you. The God of battles is with you; the dawn of a conquered peace is breaking upon you; the plaudits of an admiring world will hail you wherever you may go, and it will be an ennobling heritage sur |