After midnight, early the morning of July 4th, Grant responded with the following letter. "I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your communication of 3d July. The amendment proposed by you cannot be acceded to in full. It will be necessary to furnish every officer and man with a parole signed by himself, which with the completion of the roll of prisoners, will necessarily take some time. Again, I can make no stipulations with regard to the treatment of citizens and their private property. While I do not propose to cause them any undue annoyance or loss, I cannot consent to leave myself under any restraint by stipulations. The property which officers will be allowed to take with them will be as stated in my proposition of last evening; that is, officers will be allowed their private baggage and side-arms, and mounted officers one horse each. If you mean by your proposition for each brigade to march to the front of the lines now occupied by it, and stack arms at ten o' clock A.M., and then return to the inside and there remain as prisoners until properly paroled, I will make no objection to it. Should no notification be received of your acceptance of my terms by nine o' clock A.M. I shall regard them as having been rejected, and shall act accordingly. Should these terms be accepted, white flags should be displayed along your lines to prevent such of my troops as may not have been notified, from firing upon your men." 102
Pemberton agreed to these terms in the following correspondence. "I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your communication of this day, and in reply, to say that the terms proposed by you are accepted." 103
At 10 o' clock on the morning of July 4, 1863, the Confederates marched out from behind their lines, stacked their weapons and marched back inside. Logan's division was the first National force to enter Vicksburg. With that, the surrender was consummated. Grant and his staff entered the town and rode to the rebel headquarters. There he was greeted most uncivilly by Pemberton and his generals, so much so that for a long time no one even offered him a chair. When Grant asked for a drink of water they told him to look inside the house. After about a thirty minute interview, he left and went to the river to exchange congratulations with Admiral Porter.
The evening of the Fourth of July, Grant notified Halleck about the surrender.
VICKSBURG, July 4, 1863.
The enemy surrendered this morning. The only terms allowed is their parole as prisoners of war. This I regard as a great advantage to us at this juncture. It saves probably several days in the capture, and leaves troops and transports ready for immediate service.
Sherman, with a large force, moves immediately on Johnston to drive him from the state. I will send troops to the relief of Banks, and return the Ninth Army Corps to Burnside." 104
The final results of the surrender produced the largest capture of men and material in the history of the world up to that point in time. The Confederates surrendered 31,600 men, 60,000 rifles (some of which were better than the ones their captors were using) and 172 cannon. Some 2153 officers were surrendered which included fifteen generals.
As negotiations proceeded during July 3rd, Grant notified Sherman to be ready on a moment's notice to pursue Johnston and drive him from the State of Mississippi. He had previously posted Sherman to a defensive position from Haines's Bluff to the Big Black River in anticipation, so Sherman would be ready to move against Johnston with his force of 40,000 men. Upon receipt of orders, Sherman moved against Johnston on the 4th.
Ulysses S. Grant's campaign against Vicksburg was one of the most remarkable military campaigns ever conducted. Yet, because the Battle of Gettysburg ended on July 3rd, Grant's achievement was overshadowed. As a Union victory, its strategic value far outweighed the importance of Gettysburg. Indeed, the backbone of the rebellion had been broken and the Confederacy severed by what Grant achieved at Vicksburg.
Militarily, Grant's feats, during the campaign were astounding. Between the time he crossed the Mississippi, until the investment of Vicksburg, only 19 days had elapsed, while his army had marched over 100 miles from Bruinsburg to Jackson and Jackson to Vicksburg. It had fought and won five major battles. His army had inflicted 9091 casualties and captured 38,600 prisoners. Over 250 pieces of artillery were captured and huge quantities of military stores were destroyed.
Grant purposely went where the enemy least expected and where all the textbooks said you should not be caught. He engaged in innumerable deceptions to confuse the enemy and when he finally moved it was with such rapidity the enemy could not gauge where he would strike and when.
It was quite clear, early on, that the enemy had been totally outwitted, outmaneuvered and outgeneraled. Grant broke entirely new ground in this campaign, disregarding old axioms and setting new precedents.
Some historians have tried to downplay his success in this campaign. Livermore said his accomplishments were not so noteworthy. After all, he marched with his left flank protected by the Big Black and had only marched five miles per day. In fact, he did only march 100 miles in 19 days, but he also fought five battles during that march. When one day is deducted for each battle, he marched 100 miles in 14 days or roughly seven miles per day. In addition, Grant really did not begin the business of the campaign until he had Sherman's corps across the Mississippi. Taking that into consideration, the rapid movements of the campaign did not begin until May 7th and from Hankinson's Ferry. Using these assumptions, his army moved 80 miles in 13 days or 6 miles per day, but once again deducting for the remaining four battles, the army marched 80 miles in 9 days or nine miles per day. Grant using the Big Black River to protect his left flank is nothing more than the action of a very astute general. Livermore was right, Grant's campaign was not noteworthy, it was extraordinary.
Other historians have claimed Grant outnumbered his opponent during the entire campaign, so the campaign was not as dangerous as it may have appeared. Civil War records confirm Grant captured 38,600 men and there were 9091 Confederate casualties. This totals roughly 48,000 soldiers. In addition, Johnston had a force in excess of 25,000 men in the vicinity, attempting to raise the siege. Granted, these men were not all available to confront Grant when he crossed the river, but this force still totals 73,000 men. When Grant crossed the river on April 30th, he had approximately 20,000 men. Pemberton controlled 50,000 men throughout the State of Mississippi. Grant cannot be faulted because Pemberton failed to concentrate his forces to confront Grant. As Grant entered enemy territory, he was outnumbered by more than 2 to 1. Grant was able to enter every battle outnumbering his opponent due to deception and celerity in movements not because he outnumbered the enemy in total force size. Instead of attempting to demonstrate Grant's good fortune was due to superiority in numbers or luck, this type of criticism substantiates Grant's brilliance in how he maneuvered to give himself the advantage by beating his opponents in detail and keeping his adversaries from being able to combine their forces.
Grant was educated as a soldier at West Point learning the principles of war. From there, his education continued during the Mexican War where he learned combat tactics through actual experience. After the war, Grant went through the trying experiences of a peacetime army where he learned the everyday operations of the military. When the War of the Rebellion broke out, he found himself in command of a large body of men, but with no experience in that position. Relying on principles learned twenty years earlier and on his profound use of common sense, he set about learning the job of a commanding general.
During the first two years of the war, Grant learned the lessons of celerity in movements; the value of holding reserves; and the need for reconnaissance. What is so extraordinary is not only did he learn these lessons, but how quickly he implemented remedies to correct these deficiencies. Correcting his faults as he learned his job is the sign of a wise man, but Grant had the basic instincts of a great commander which did not require on the job training.
Grant displayed two traits of an outstanding general: 1) to advance is to conquer; and 2) the doctrine of the rear attack. Whether he learned these two principles at West Point
, one can only speculate, but he demonstrated these two qualities early in the war before he had the opportunity to show what he had learned. No one had to tell Grant to be aggressive he demonstrated this quality throughout his time in Missouri and at Cairo. If anything, his superiors had to hold him back. His penchant for the rear attack has been addressed on a number of occasions. History has recorded Grant as an advocate of the frontal assault, but in reality no general during the Civil War or possibly in all history relied so heavily on maneuver.
With his victory at Vicksburg, he graduated from what many referred to as his developmental period. It was fortunate for the Union that Grant had time to develop as a commander. His development was complete and his masterful campaign at Vicksburg was proof of this.
Grant was always restless during inactive periods and no sooner was Vicksburg finished than he was eager to press forward with his quest of restoring the country. He never lost sight of his goal. Coppee best summarized Grant's restlessness in the pursuit of his cause. "We cannot read his history from first to last without being struck with the manifest foresight he has displayed. He goes on from action to action, in logical connection, as though each was only a means to an end, the end becoming a new means, until the final goal should be reached." 105
When Vicksburg fell, a giant step was taken toward achieving that goal.
CHAPTER EIGHT
"In war anything is better than indecision"
July 5, 1863 - March 7, 1864
On the Defensive Again
Grant took up residence in Vicksburg following the surrender. On July 5th, the paroling process began. He had foreseen that by paroling these men instead of transporting them North to be exchanged, many would disappear from the ranks, never to return. When Pemberton realized this, he asked Grant for arms to control his men, but Grant refused.
During the paroling process, Grant found time to jot his father a note in which he mentioned that many of the prisoners would probably escape prior to the end of the process, a result which did not displease him.
VICKSBURG, July 6th, 1863
Dear Father,
Vicksburg has at last surrendered after a siege of over forty days. The surrender took place on the morning of the 4th of July. I found I had continuously underestimated the force of the enemy both in men and Artillery. The number of prisoners surrendered was Thirty thousand & two hundred. The process is so tedious however that many who are desirous of getting to their homes will escape before the paroling officers get around to them. The Arms taken is about 180 pieces of Artillery and over 30000 stand of small arms. The enemy still had about four days rations of flour & meat and a large quantity of sugar.
The weather now is excessively warm and the roads intolerably dusty. It can not be expected under these circumstances that the health of this command can keep up as it has done. My troops were not allowed one hours idle time after the surrender but were at once started after other game.
My health has continued very good during the campaign which has just closed.---Remember me to all at home.
ULYSSES 1
Notice how concerned he was for the health of his men. He knew they were tired from their strenuous activities and wanted them to have a breathing spell before new campaigning began.
On July 7th, Grant was appointed a Major-General in the Regular Army; a fitting reward for a remarkable achievement. He now outranked everyone in the Army except Halleck. Grant's life would change from this point forward. Prior to this appointment, he had hoped to go back to Galena as just another obscure resident, but now he had a permanent position, something he had been trying to achieve since he left the army ten years earlier.
Several months later, he casually mentioned this in a letter to his childhood friend, Daniel Ammen, who was now in the Navy. ".....My only desire as it has been, to whip out rebellion in the shortest way possible, and to retain as high a position in the army afterward as the administration then in power may think me suitable for." 2 Has any public figure in America ever been as humble and modest as Ulysses S. Grant?
On July 8th, Halleck sent Grant a dispatch concerning the paroling being done. This was the first communication from the government since the fall of Vicksburg and Halleck, in his own short-sighted way, did not bother to congratulate Grant, but rather mildly reprimanded him.
WASHINGTON, 4 P.M., July 8, 1863.
I fear your parolling the prisoners at Vicksburg without actual delivery to a proper agent, as required by the seventh article of the cartel, may be construed into an absolute release, and that these men will immediately be placed in the ranks of the enemy. Such has been the case elsewhere. If these prisoners have not been allowed to depart, you will retain them until further orders. 3
Halleck failed to see what Grant anticipated. Most of these men wanted to go home and that is exactly what happened according to intelligence reports Grant received regarding Pemberton's force. In addition, Grant did not want to over burden the transportation lines by sending over 30,000 men north to prison camps. Last, by paroling these men, he was able to free up Sherman's 40,000 men to pursue Johnston and drive him from the State of Mississippi. Grant foresaw all these ramifications, but Halleck could only quote the regulations.
Grant did not receive this dispatch until after the paroling process was completed. The process was completed on July 11th and the Confederate garrison marched out of Vicksburg. The day before their departure Grant issued the following order:
"Paroled prisoners will be sent out of here to-morrow. They will be authorized to cross at the railroad bridge, and move from there to Edward's Ferry, and on by way of Raymond. Instruct the commands to be orderly and quiet as these prisoners pass, to make no offensive remarks, and not to harbor any who fall out of ranks after they have passed." 4
Just as no cheering was permitted upon notification of the surrender, no cheering was allowed as their courageous opponents passed by the victorious Federals on their way out of Vicksburg. Grant was always magnanimous in victory.
Earlier Grant had informed General Banks of the surrender of Vicksburg. At that time, Banks had Port Hudson besieged and he allowed a copy of the letter from Grant to fall into the hands of the Confederate commander, General Gardner. Upon confirmation that Vicksburg had surrendered, General Gardner also surrendered regarding any further resistance as futile. So on July 9th, Gardner surrendered Port Hudson to Banks and from that day forward, the Mississippi remained in Union control.
On July 13th, President Lincoln sent General Grant a letter of congratulations and an admission of Grant's wisdom during the campaign and his lack of military understanding. All Lincoln had ever sought was someone to take charge of the military effort and lift the burden from his shoulders. In Grant, Lincoln was beginning to believe he had found that man. Grant was independent, made do with what resources he had, was aggressive and sought the same end as Lincoln, the restoration of the country. It appeared these two men would eventually gravitate toward each other. This letter reflected Lincoln’s shortcomings and was possibly the first step toward what later became a close personal friendship.
MY DEAR GENERAL:
I do not remember that you and I ever met personally. I write this now as a grateful acknowledgment for the almost inestimable service you have done the country. I wish to say a word further. When you first reached the vicinity of Vicksburg, I thought you should do, what you finally did---march the troops across the neck, run the batteries with the transports, and thus go below; and I never had any faith, except a general hope that you knew better than I, that the Yazoo Pass expedition, and the like, could succeed. When you got below, and took Port Gibson, Grand Gulf and vicinity, I thought you should go down the river and join Gen. Banks; and when you turned Northward East of the Big Black, I feared it was a mistake. I now wish to make the personal acknowledgment that you were right, and I was wrong.
Yours very truly,
A. LINCOLN 5
Even though Grant was receiving accolades from every quarter,
a familiar scenario was beginning to appear. Just as Halleck's army was dismembered after the first capture of Corinth, it appeared Grant's army was headed down the same path. Notice in the following pieces of correspondence how Grant was busy handling requests for the dispensation of his troops. The first is a telegram from General Grant to General Halleck.
VICKSBURG, July 11, 1863.
General Banks writes me that he wants from ten to twelve thousand men to enable him to follow up the enemy and to move into Texas. Shall I send them? All my spare troops are now with Sherman, following Johnston. I have had no news since the morning of the 9th. Sherman was then at Clinton, his advance skirmishing with the enemy's cavalry. 6
The following telegram is from Grant to Halleck dated July 15, 1863.
VICKSBURG, July 15, 1863.
Sherman has Jackson invested from Pearl river, on the north, to the river on the south. This has cut off many hundred cars from the Confederacy. Sherman says he has force enough, and feels no apprehension of the result.
Finding Yazoo City was being fortified, I sent Herron there with his division. He captured several hundred prisoners on steamers; five pieces of artillery and all the public stores fell into our hands. The enemy burnt three steamboats on the approach of the gunboats. The DeKalb was blown up and sank in fifteen feet of water by the explosion of a torpedo. Finding that the enemy were crossing cattle for the rebel army at Natchez, and were said to have several thousand there now, I have sent steamers and troops to collect them, and to destroy their boats and all means for making more.
Grant The Forgotten Hero Page 28
