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SANITARY AND CHRISTIAN COMMISSIONS.

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Anderson, Hampton, Jones, and Jenkins; and among the captured, were Brigadier-generals Archer and Kemper.

The Sanitary and Christian Commissions are worthy to live in history, for the kind care with which they ministered to the wants of the wounded on this battle field. Many of them were furnished with surgical treatment, at the hos pital of the Cooper Shop Volunteer Refreshment Saloon, Philadelphia. This benevolent institution, during the war, fed gratuitously six hundred thousand brave defenders of their country, and, like its rival in beneficence, the Union Saloon, is worthy the gratitude of the nation, and of all future generations of posterity. The former of these saloons, so called from its President, William M. Cooper, originated the Soldier's Home, of Philadelphia, an institution of extensive usefulness to the brave defenders of their country.

CHAPTER XXXVI.

APRIL-JULY, 1863.

GENERAL GRANT TAKES COMMAND IN PERSON OF THE ARMY BEFORE VICKS. BURG HIS DIFFERENT ATTEMPTS AND FAILURES-RESOLVES TO ATTACK FROM BELOW-THE GUNBOATS PASS THE BATTERIES-THE ARMY MARCHES TO HARD TIMES-THE ATTACK ON GRAND GULF; ITS RESULTS-THE TROOPS AT BRUINSBURG-BATTLES WHICH FOLLOW-CAPTURE OF JACKSON, MISS15SIPPI-THE ARMY MARCHES WESTWARD-BATTLES OF CHAMPION HILL, AND BLACK RIVER BRIDGE—VICKSBURG INVESTED—THE ASSAULTS, SIEGE, AND SURRENDER-RESULT OF THE CAMPAIGN-BATTLE OF MILLIKEN'S BEND-OPERATIONS AGAINST PORT HUDSON-ITS CLOSE INVESTMENT AND SURRENDER-ATTACK ON BRASHEAR AND TERREBONNE-INHUMAN MASSACRES OF NEGROES-THE ATTEMPT ON HELENA-PROGRESS OF THE WAR.

ALL the attempts to capture Vicksburg had hitherto failed. Since the abortive efforts of Sherman, at Chickasaw Bluffs, in the end of 1862, the works and garrison had been strengthened, and an attack would now be attended with great loss of life. Grant had hoped to reach the rear of the stronghold by gaining the command of the Mississippi Central railroad, as far as Jackson, and making Memphis his base, but the severance of his communications by the enemy, in 1862, had frustrated this design.

In January, 1863, he took command in person of the army before Vicksburg, and followed up a series of operations, which, after innumerable difficulties and failures, at last accomplished his grand design, to the lasting honor of its author.

A canal across the neck of land opposite Vicksburg, for the isolation of the place, by turning the river into a new route, had been projected by General Williams, who was killed at Baton Rouge in 1862. Grant thought that he could send transports below Vicksburg by this canal, which he undertook with great labor to finish, but the rise of the river, on the 8th of March, and the consequent pressure on the dam across the canal, caused the failure of the project.

Grant now directed the opening of a route from Milliken's Bend, through Roundaway Bayou into the Tensas river, which would join the Mississippi at New Carthage. He

GENERAL GRANT'S OPERATIONS BEFORE VICKSBURG. 367

sent some vessels through this route, but the rapid fall of the river in April, and the roads being then passable between Milliken's Bend and New Carthage, caused this method to be abandoned.

A passage also was cut from the river into Lake Providence, which communicated with the Mississippi below, through Bayous Baxter and Macon, and the Tensas, Washita, and Red rivers.

A channel was now opened from the Mississippi to Cold water river, through Yazoo Pass, with the intention of de stroying the enemy's gunboats and transports, in the Yazoo river. Grant hoped by this route to be able to reduce the strong outwork at Haines' Bluff. Only light gunboats could sail through this passage, and these, after an ineffectual attempt to silence the batteries, remained below in the Tallahatchie river. A reconnoissance of Admiral Porter up Steele's Bayou, disclosed a passage through it, as well as through Black Bayou, Deer creek, Rolling Fork, and the Sunflower river, into the Yazoo, at a point where the rebel vessels could be hemmed in between the two squadrons. This route was tried on the 25th of March, but failed in its main design.

The indomitable Grant now adopted the plan of assailing the stronghold from below, and in the rear, by making the Louisiana side, at some point below, his base, and from thence, by rapid marching, to gain and occupy the hills which looked out upon the high bluffs of Vicksburg. was a bold and perilous enterprise, as strong batteries lined the eastern bank of the Mississippi from Vicksburg to Port Hudson, and from Young's Point to Warrenton.

This

A considerable number of Porter's gunboats, with a small fleet of transports, and coal barges, would have to run the gauntlet of these formidable batteries. The main army. consisting of the Nineteenth, Fifteenth, and Seventeenth corps, would be obliged to march down the right bank of the river, to a point below, at which a safe crossing could be effected. The soil was marshy, and the roads wet from recent inundations. The troops would have to march seventy miles, from Milliken's Bend, the head-quarters, to Hard Times, and crossing the river at that point, a further route of one hundred miles, through an enemy's country, exposed at every step to attack, would be yet before them, as well as

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THE GUNBOATS PASS THE BATTERIES.

works almost as strong as those in the front. It was at this conjuncture, that in order to weaken the enemy, by destroy. ing his communications, General Grant sent Colonel Grierson on the raid already described.

On the 29th of March, the Thirteenth army corps, under General McClernand, was sent from Milliken's Bend toward Hard Times; the Fifteenth and Seventeenth following as fast as supplies of provisions and ammunition could be transported. General Sherman, with the Fifteenth, was to remain to the last, and by making a feint on Haines' Bluff, engage the enemy's attention.

During the slow and laborious progress of the army, the gunboats and transports were preparing for the hazardous passage. Brave seamen and pilots were found ready to volunteer. Eight gunboats, and three transports, the latter large river steamers, having their boilers protected by cotton bales, were made ready for the expedition, and left the Yazoo on the 16th of April, at eleven o'clock P. M., being seen, by anxious spectators, to creep silently down the western shore, cross, and pass the upper batteries in safety. The boom of cannon announced that the batteries were now opening upon them, while the increasing distance of the sound made it evident that the vessels were still proceeding on their dangerous way. The light of beacon fires, now revealed their position on the river, and they were assailed with redoubled efforts by the batteries, to more than one of which the responsive Parrott shells of the gunboats carried destruction. The transport Henry Clay was burned and destroyed by the explosion of a shell, which fired the cotton around her engines, killing and wounding two men. With this exception, all the vessels made the passage successfully.

On the 22d of April, six more transports, and twelve barges, also successfully passed the batteries, one transport, the Tigress, being sunk by a shot. The troops were transported across the river on the 29th of April, on which day they moved in front of Grand Gulf, where the gunboats attacked the batteries. In a severe naval action of five hours and a half, the batteries were not silenced, and Grant landed the troops at Hard Times.

The next morning, he crossed with them to Bruinsburg, Mississippi. The Thirteenth army corps, being furnished with three days' rations, was sent on to Port Gibson, and

ATTACK ON GRAND GULF; ITS RESULTS.

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McPherson was to follow, with the Seventeenth corps, as soon as it could cross the river. On the 1st of May, at an early hour, the rebel skirmishers were encountered four miles from Port Gibson, at a place where the road branches off, and their main body, about twelve thousand strong, was met on one of these roads by three divisions of McClernand's corps, to the right, and by the division of General Osterhaus, on the left. Then resulted the battle of Schaeffer's plantation, in which the gallant Osterhaus, although without the reinforcements, for which he had sent to McPherson, drove the enemy before him. The action ended at three P. M., and in another at Clear Hills, near Port Gibson, the enemy, after losing heavily in killed, wounded, and captured, fled in disorder, burning behind them the bridge over the Bayou Pierre, on the Grand Gulf road. The patriots slept that night on their arms, and the Bayou Pierre being pontooned, at Port Gibson, the advance crossed on the 3d of May, at five A. M. Grand Gulf was evacuated by the enemy. General Grant, riding to Bruinsburg, arranged for a change of base to that place, and General Sherman having arrived with the Fifteenth army corps, he ordered an advance from Hawkinson's Ferry on the 7th of May. The left, formed by McPherson's corps, was to keep the road nearest to Black's river; McClernand's corps was to follow the ridge road from Willow Springs, and Sherman was to divide his corps between the two roads. The advance of the troops was not made without hard fighting, in which the Confederates were worsted with heavy loss, but were soon reinforced, being now commanded by General Joseph Johnston, in person.

Sherman's and McClernand's corps had been ordered to move toward Raymond. On the 14th, Sherman, with McClernand within supporting distance, advanced toward Jackson, and engaged the enemy. McPherson engaged and routed another force. Pemberton had left the fortifications of Vicksburg, and was marching on Grant's rear, and the latter hearing this, ordered McPherson and McClernand to face about, and march toward Edward's Station, while he himself proceeded to Clinton, leaving Sherman to destroy the railroad bridges, factories, and arsenals, and then rejoin the other two corps. This work was thoroughly performed.

McClernand's corps was sent to feel the enemy on the 16th, toward Edward's Station, at which point the corps of

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