For months, there were loud cries that Grant was incompetent, a drunkard, and that Lincoln should quickly replace his command. Instead, during May of 1863, Grant guided the most dynamic fighting of this war, and he cemented his place as one of the ablest leaders ever to guide American soldiers. South of Vicksburg, General John C. Pemberton was unaware about Grants offensive intentions during the start of this Union campaign. He expected the Union forces to attack Vicksburg from the North and did not realize that 23,000 soldiers that landed on April 29th-30th at Bruinsburg, Mississippi to take Port Gibson. Grant pushed General John McClernand, a political general, who coveted Grant’s position, to make the first movements towards Jackson.
Secretary of War Edwin Stanton was informed that McClernand understood little of how to wage war and was often difficult for Grant to manage. Stanton directed Grant that he had the authority to handle his officers the way he saw fit. During this fighting stretch, Grant strengthened his confidence to lead his soldiers and lead subordinates like McClernand. At this moment, a former music teacher, turned cavalry leader, Colonel Benjamin H. Grierson operated in parts of Mississippi and Louisiana. Grierson’s horse soldiers tore up railroad lines, destroyed Confederate resources, struck fear behind enemy lines, and diverted reinforcements away from Pemberton.
Confederate General J.S. Bowen was unable to hold onto Port Gibson and he retreated from this position and destroyed bridges to prevent a quick Union advance. Taking a brief rest, Grant only had a toothbrush and his cigars, and like his men, he slept on the ground without a blanket. With wagons of resources that were brought down the river by General William Tecumseh Sherman’s forces, Grant utilized the supplies on hand, and ordered his army to live off the land. Having experienced the United States-Mexico War, Grant experienced the leadership of General Winfield Scott to feed his army within Mexico, and he reasoned that he could do the same in Mississippi. To aid Pemberton, Confederate President Jefferson Davis dispatched noted General Joseph E. Johnston to crush Grant’s forces that began to cut of their own supply and communication lines to quickly move towards Jackson.
Grant respected the military prowess of Johnston who wanted Pemberton to leave Vicksburg to deter the Union forces from moving closer to Vicksburg. Grant preached the ability of speed and agility as being vital towards the ability to cut off the railroad lines and trap Pemberton. Aided by Sherman’s forces, Grant looked to fight Johnston, before reinforcing Pemberton, follow the Big Black River and assault Vicksburg from the northeast. Pemberton ordered some of his forces to resist the Union advances and to hit the supply lines near the town of Raymond outside of Jackson. Whereas the Confederates only had 3,000 soldiers, they inaccurately believed that they matched General James B. McPherson’s forces that had 12,000 men. The Confederates had the element of surprise and terrain that halted McPherson’s soldiers to a stalemate for several hours. It was not until artillery was placed on an elevated position and it reigned shells on the Confederates, that they were forced to have a disorderly retreat.
As Pemberton scattered his soldiers in front of Vicksburg and behind the Black River, Johnston with 6,000 soldiers tried to hold onto Jackson. Grant moved to protect his flanks and prevent both southern figures from uniting to attack his army. On May 14th. Frederick Grant rode with his father and went ahead of the army columns, as he was almost taken prisoner by retreating Confederates. That night, Grant stayed in the same hotel room that Johnston was in the evening before. Looking out his window, he could see the massive fires across this captured city that Sherman set against captured war materials and cotton.
Grant gained his key goal of tenacity against the Confederate armies and to make Vicksburg into a useless fortification. Johnston ordered in vain for Pemberton to direct his garrison to strike Grant and for him to pull his soldiers out of Vicksburg before it was too late. Grant cut off the resources and communication between Pemberton and Johnston, divided these armies, and proved to Johnston that Vicksburg was a lost cause. Believing that the risk was too great to fight Grant, Johnston retreated, and Jackson fell to the Union. Grant was now on the cusp of one of the most significant battlefield victories in American history as Pemberton defiantly refused to pull out of Vicksburg.
(Next week the fall of Vicksburg by US Grant and Union Forces)