issippi campaign, including the capture of Vicksburg, and urged it upon the Government. He had had repeated personal interviews with the President on the subject, and Mr. Lincoln fully appreciated his views, and seconded his purposes.

In January 1863, the army of the Mississippi, under the commands of Generals McClernand and Sherman, acting in conjunction with the fleet under command of Rear Admiral Porter, captured Arkansas Post. This was a brilliant open-* ing of the campaign, and the fruits of the victory were 7,000 prisoners, 8,000 stand of arms, and a large amount of cannon, ordinance and stores. On the 18th of January, General Grant went up White River, and held a consultation with Admiral Porter and Generals McClernand andSherman.

On the 2d of February, General Grant arrived in the vicinity of Vicksburg, and assumed command in person. The attack under General Sherman in 1862, had demonstrated the strength of the defensive works of Vicksburg on the North. To get his army below the city, and in its rear was the immediate object of General Grant. Various means were resorted to. An attempt was renewed to cut a new channel across the bend in front of Vicksburg. This proved a failure. The vicinity of this stronghold, above the city, in its rear, and upon the Louisiana shore was a net work of bayous, lakes, ponds, and old channels of streams. General Grant spent several weeks, in trying to cut and clear out a channel, by which he could with the fleet and transports, pass around Vicksburg. Some effort was made to cut an opening through the Yazoo pass on the east side of the Mississippi. In these efforts, even the persistent Grant was baffled.

A most daring attempt was made in February by Colonel Charles E. Ellet, in the wooden steamer, Queen of the West, fitted up as a ram and protected by cotton bales, to destroy the rebel steamer City of Vicksburg, and to run the batteries of the city. He succeeded in striking, but not fatally, the rebel steamer, and demonstrated the practicability of running the batteries by transports. The Queen of the West went down the river, capturing boats and supplies; entering

Red river, she continued her successes, until on her return, she ran around and was abandoned by her gallant and enterprising commander. Meanwhile, the persistent and indefatigable Grant was exploring every pass, bayou, lake and water, course, with a view of finding a passage below Vicksburg, so as to approach it from the ridge in the

rear.

After being often baffled, but never disheartened, General Grant commenced preparations for running his transports and the gunboat fleet below the frowning batteries of Vicksburg. A large fleet of iron-clad gunboats and transports were prepared, protected as far as possible by cotton bales, hay, railroad iron, timber and chains. The night of the 16th of April was selected for the attempt. Everything was in readiness before dark. The plan was that the iron clads should pass down in single file-with intervals between them, and when opposite the batteries, should engage them and then that under cover of smoke,the transports should endeavor to pass.

The country had been growing impatient of the long delays at Vicksburg.* The cutting of the canals and the

* For a description of the scene which followed, and the brilliant and rapid progress of Grant, to the complete investment and final capture of Vicksburg, I am much indebted to Mr. Washburne, at present the oidest member of the House of Representatives, who was ever the staunch and true friend and defender of General Grant, from the time he left his home at Galena, Illinois, to aid in the organization of the Illinois Volunteers, until he fought his way up to the position of Lieutenat General of the armies of the United States, and until he received the final capitulation of Lee. See Washburne's speech in Congress, February 1, 1864, volume 50, Congressional Globe, page 427, from which I make the following extracts:

"It was my good fortune to be with General Grant, and with that noble army, every man of whom is a hero, at the commencement of the expedition which culminated in the taking of Vicksburg. We all know how ill at ease the public mind was, last winter pending General Grant's operations on the lower Mississippi. The expedition by Grenada, the opening of the canal, the opening of the bayous had not succeeded. The country saw all the attempts to flank that stronghold likely to prove abortive, and there was great anxiety. But with unshaken confidence in himself, General Grant pursued the even tenor of his way, and with entire reliance upon the success in the plan finally adopted, and which could not be undertaken until the river and bayous should sufficiently recede to enable him to move. Then, sir,was seen that bold and daring conception which I say is without parallel in all military history. It was to send his army and his transportation by land on the Louisiana side from Milliken's Bend to a point below Vicksburg, and then run the frowning batteries of that rebel Gibraltar, with its hundreds of guns, with his transports, and thus enable him to cross the river below Vicksburg, and get on to

opening of the bayous, had proved failures. All the attempts thus far to flank the stronghold, seemed likely to prove abortive, and great anxiety existed in the public mind. After all these failures, Grant, with a persistence which has marked his whole career, conceived a plan without parallel in military history for its boldness and daring. This was to march his army and send his transportation by land on the Louisiana side of the Mississippi, from Milliken's Bend to a point below Vicksburg, and then to run the bristling batteries of that rebel Gibraltar, exposed to its hundreds of heavy guns, with his transports and then to cross the Mississippi below Vicksburg, and returning, attack that city in the rear.

The crews of the frail Mississippi steamers used as transports, conscious of the hazardous service, with one exception, refused to go. Volunteers were called for by General Grant, and no sooner was the call made, than from the noble army

the Mississippi side. The country was startled at the success which attended the running of those batteries by the frail Mississippi steamboats used as transports and the rebels stood aghast when they saw seven or eight transports and all of Porter's gunboats below Vicksburg.

"And that which must ever be regarded by the historian as the most extraordinary feature of this campaign is the astounding fact that when General Grant landed in the State of Mississippi, and made his campaign in the enemy's country, he had a smaller force than the enemy. There he was in the enemy's country, cut off in a measure from his supplies, with a great river in his rear, and in one of the most defensible of countries through which he had to pass. To his indomitable courage and energy, to his unparalleled celerity of movement, striking the enemy in detail, and beating him on every field, is the country indebted to those wonderful successes of that compaign which have not only challenged the gratitude and admiration of our own countrymen, but the admiration of the best military men of all nations. My colleague, Mr. Farnsworth, has well said that General Grant is no" carpet knight." If gentlemen could know him as I know him, and as his soldiers know him, they would not be so reluctant about conferring this honor. If they could have seen him as I saw him on that expedition; if they could have witnessed his terrible earnestness, his devotion to duty, his care, his vigilance, and his unchallenged courage, I think their opposition to this bill would give way. "When he left his headquarters at 'Smith's Plantation' below Vicksburg, to enter on the great campaign, he did not take with him the trappings and paraphernalia so common to military men. As all depended upon quickness of movement, and as it was important to be encumbered with as little baggage as possible, he set an example to all under him. He took with him neither a horse, nor an orderly, nor a servant, a camp-chest, an overcoat, nor a blanket, nor even a clean shirt. His entire baggage for six days-I was with him at that time-was a tooth brush. He fared like the commonest soldier in his command, partaking of his rations, and sleeping upon the ground, with no covering excepting the canopy of heaven. How could such a soldier fail to inspire confidence in an army, and to lead it to victory and to glory? Confer upon him the rank contemplated by this bifl, and you excite the enthusiasm of all your armies, and all your soldiers will be eager to follow his victorious banners."

of the west, pilots, engineers, firemen and deck-hands offered themselves for the dangerous adventure in such numbers, that it became necessary to select those needed from the crowd of volunteers, by lot. Such was the generous emulation among the soldiers to participate in the dangerous service, that one Illinois boy who had drawn the coveted privilege of exposing his life was offered one hundred dollars in greenbacks for his chance; but he refused to take it, and held his post of honor.

Ten o'clock at night was the hour at which the fleet was to start. At that hour the camps of the Union army were hushed into silence, watching with intense anxiety the result. All was obscurity and silence in front of the city. Soon an indistinct, shadowy mass was seen, dimly, noiselessly floating down the river. It was the flag-ship, the iron clad Benton. It passed on into the darkness, and another, and another followed, until ten black masses, looking like spectral steamers, came out of the darkness, passed by, and disappeared down the river. No sound disturbed the stillness. Every eye was fixed on the space in front of the city. Every ear intent, expecting every moment to see the gleam and flash of powder and fire, and hear the thunders of cannon. For three-quarters of an hour the silence was unbroken, when first came a sharp line of light from the extreme right of the batteries, and in an instant after the whole length of the bluffs was one blaze of fire, and roll of crashing thunder. The light exhibited the fleet squarely in front of the city; and immediately its heavy guns were heard in reply, firing directly upon the city. Clouds of smoke enveloped the gunboats, and then the transports putting on full steam, plunged down the river. The batteries were passed in an hour and a quarter; and although some of the transports were injured and one set on fire, no person on either of the transports was killed; and General Grant immediately prepared and sent the remaining transports. Meanwhile, the army marched around and struck the river below Vicksburg, nearly opposite Grand Gulf. This was a strong position on the east bank of the Mississippi, below the mouth of the Big Black. It was hoped that Admiral Porter with the gunboats could re

duce the batteries at Grand Gulf, after which the troops would be taken over in the transports, and carry the place by assault. But after nearly five hours bombardment, Admiral Porter drew off his fleet. Grant after consulting with Porter adopted a new expedient: this was to march his troops three miles below Grand Gulf, and after night the transports were to run these batteries, as they had done those of Vicksburg. When darkness came Porter renewed the attack with his gunboats; and amidst the thunder and smoke of this attack, the transports went safely by, and reaching the camps below, as they approached, cheered the soldiers by responding "all's well" to their anxious inquiries. In the morning they were in readiness to transfer the army to the long coveted position below Vicksburg.

Early the next morning, General Grant on the Benton, led the way to a landing for his eager army. Going ashore at Bruinsburg, he found faithful and intelligent negroes to guide him in the important movements which were now to be made. Instantly the debarkation of the troops commenced, and the line of march was taken up towards Port Gibson. Before two o'clock the next morning, May 1, 1863, the enemy was encountered, and the battle of Port Gibson was fought, the first of the series of battles and victories resulting in the investment and capture of Vicksburg. The attitude of Grant was certainly a bold one. He was in the enemy's country,

a fortified city above him, a fortified city below him, a large army gathering under Johnson to assail him and relieve Vicksburg, with another large army to protect and garrison its fortifications. Celerity was of the highest importance. No better troops ever met an enemy than those he commanded; and he was most ably seconded by Sherman, McClernand, McPherson, Logan, Blair, Osterhaus and others.

To the indomitable will, energy and activity of Grant, striking the enemy in detail, beating him in every field, giving him no time for concentration, is the country indebted for these wonderful successes, which have not been surpassed by any achievement in military history. General Grant seemed fully conscious that success in this, the boldest movement of the war, depended upon striking quick and rapid blows,