The Mississippi River Falls Under Federal Control
The New York Times was well represented on the battlefield. Its reporters were usually in the thick of it when the cannons roared, but it was not so on that day in July when Vicksburg fell to General U.S. Grant and the besieging United States Army and Navy. The defeat The New York Times felt that day could only be surpassed by the surrendering Confederates.
The Times war correspondent, Franc Bangs Wilkie, known for his integrity and reliability, had charge of the reportage of all the military operations in the Western Theater. He chose to be away from the army for a few days at a time when Grant’s ongoing siege had been under way for more than forty days. He left his two aides to cover events per his intructions if, indeed, Vicksburg ever fell. When Vicksburg did fall during Wilkie’s absence, the assistant assigned to carrry the dispatches and reportage to the newspaper, while enroute, was forced to switch trains at Indianapolis. As he waited at a hotel for his connecting train, he encountered two newspaper competitors and bragged openly that he could drink them both under the table. The challenge was accepted, the drinking bout began, and so did the legerdemain of the two competitors, who apparently were less concerned about drinking than about beating the competition to press.
Wilkie’s assistant awoke the next day in the care of the chambermaid. The New York Times, instead of having a first-hand report of the surrender at Vicksburg, was forced to run stories of the celebrations in such cities as Philadelphia, Boston, and Syracuse, New York.
July 4, 1863 – From the Charleston Mercury
The Administration on Johnston
The Richmond Sentinel, the organ of the Administration, says:
From Vicksburg the news is calculated to increase our solicitude. Grant has not retired as we had hoped he would; nor has General Johnston struck his blow yet. We cannot for a moment think of Vicksburg falling without an effort on the part of Johnston to relieve it. The enemy say he has less than twenty thousand men – for with that force he would strike. We are sure he has many more than twenty thousand men, and we believe he will strike. Doubtless he is surrounded with many disadvantages. But this has been the fate of all our Generals in every great battle of the war. If we had declined battle whenever the odds were against us, we would never have fought a battle. Johnston must at least try and show that the fault wasnot his—that victory was not in reach of an effort. If Vicksburg falls without a blow from him, his reputation, were it ten times what it is, would not survive it. It would be impossible to imagine Jackson, were he alive, sitting by inactive while his gallant brethren were being assailed by night and by day, and starved into capitulation; and Jacksonexample and his great success have taught our people to attach great value to daring and activity, and to place large calculation on such qualities. On the other hand, the sleeping fox catches no poultry. Let Johnston bestir himself.
July 9, 1863
Telegraphic News—Surrender of Vicksburg
RICHMOND, July 8 – The following despatch was received at the War office today.
JACKSON, July 7. – To Hon. J. A. Seddon, Secretary of War: Vicksburg capitulated on the 4th inst. The garrison was paroled and are to be returned to our lines, the officers retaining their side arms and personal baggage. This intelligence was brought by officers who left on Sunday, the 5th.
(Signed) J. E. JOHNSTON, General.
MAP OF VICKSBURG SHOWING THE SURROUNDING FORTIFICATIONS, BATTERIES, AND PRINCIPAL PLANTATION (TOMLINSON). LIBRARY OF CONGRESS.
JACKSON, MISS., July 7—General LORING attacked AUSTERHAUS yesterday near Edward Depot, and, after threehours hard fighting, drove him across the river. Our loss is reported to have been heavy. The enemyloss is not known.
An officer from the vicinity of Port Hudson says that General DICK TAYLOR crossed under cover of our guns at that point last Saturday. He joined his forces with GARDNER and attacked BANKS, routing him with heavy loss. GARDNER and TAYLOR are now moving to reinforce JOHNSTON.
We have nothing further in regard to the fall of Vicksburg.
JACKSON, July 7. – Vicksburg has fallen. It was surrendered on the morning of the 4th, the men being in a starving condition, and completely worn out with excessive fatigue. The terms of capitulation are that officers be allowed their side arms, horses and all private property—they and the men to be paroled immediately, and allowed to march out with all their colors flying. Immediately after the surrender GRANT sent a boat load of supplies to the famished garrison. Some of the officers have arrived here.
Later
But little more is known of the fall of Vicksburg. Officers who have come out say that had Gen. JOHNSTON reached there twelve days sooner, he could not have relieved the garrison, as they could not muster over 7,000 men for duty.
Many citizens are leaving here with their families, negros and stock. The Mississippian newspaper is packing up to leave.
JACKSON, July 8. – Everything here is in the wildest state of excitement. The citizens are flying in every direction, and the streets are filled with stock, negros, families, oxcarts and every species of conveyance. There was a terrible storm last night, with very heavy rain.
The citizens from beyond Clinton report that the enemy is burning every dwelling he passes. A fight here is looked for hourly.
NATCHEZ, July 6 – A transport, towing two barges loaded with coal, passed down this morning; also one last night. An officer on General SMITH’S staff reports that PRICE was ordered on Sunday, June 28th, to take Helena, Ark. He moved immediately.
An extra of the Natchez Courier says: ‘A letter has beenreceived from a member of CONNOR’S Battery, dated last week, near Lake Providence, Louisiana, reporting a battle to have just occurred, in which the enemy was severely punished, with a loss of 1,500 prisoners. CONNOR’S Battery was in the fight, and met with no loss.’
A gentleman from the vicinity of Port Hudson reports that the movements there indicate that BANKS is about to raise the siege. All flats and skiffs were burned at Natchez, by order of Colonel SMITH. The river is rising. We have plenty of rainhere. The crops and weather are fine. Thermometer 91 degrees.
Latest from the Border
WINCHESTER, VA., July 7. – There has been four days’ fighting in Pennsylvania, beginning on the 1st and lasting till the 4th instant. Our men carried the immense fortifications of the enemy by assault. Our loss is estimated at 10,000. Between 3,000 and 4,000 of our wounded arrived here tonight. Generals SCALES and PENDER were among our wounded, and are here. The hills around Gettysburg are covered with the killed and wounded of the Yankee army.
July 14, 1863
Local Intelligence from the West
Movements of Grant and Johnston
JACKSON, July 11. – Another day has passed without any engagement. In the morning the enemy threw a force over our right, threatening to flank FEATHERSTONE, but BUFORD having been sent to reinforce him, drove the enemy back after a half hour of hard fighting. BUFORD lost sixty men, chiefly from the 7th and 8th Kentucky regiments. The enemy withdrew from our right, but in the afternoon made a demonstration upon our left and centre. DAN ADAM’S brigade repulsed them after a hard fight. Our loss today was about 200. The enemy is still fortifying.
JACKSON, July 11 – 11, p.m. – The enemy is still concentrating on our right to reach a supply of water at Pearl River. Our forces are driving them back in the centre. We have burned the houses occupied by their sharpshooters.
JACKSON, July 12. – The enemy opened fire on six batteries upon our left at 8, a.m., and rained shells upon the city. The enemy finally made a charge, but the Washington Artillery and COBB’S Battery repulsed him with heavy loss. Three hundred prisoners and three stands of colors were taken by our troops. ADAMS’ and STOVALL’S brigades acted most gallantly. The enemy is moving around our right. Our scouts report that BURNSIDE, with two divisions, is crossing at Birdsong Ferry. Colonel WITHERS, an old citizen of Jackson, was killed in the trenches by a shell. General JOHNSTON, on the 10th instant, issued to the troops the following battle order, which was read along the line amid deafening shouts from the soldiers:
Headquarters on the Field
July 9, 1863
‘Fellow Soldiers! An insolent foe, flushed with hope by his recent success at Vicksburg, confronts you, threatening the people, whose homes and liberty you are here to protect, with plunder and conquest. Their guns may even now be heard at intervals, as they advance.
‘This enemy it is at once the mission and the duty of youbrave men to chastise and expel from the soil of Mississippi. The Commanding General confidently relies on you to sustain hispledge, which he makes in advance, and he will be with you inthe good work, even unto the end.
‘The vice of ‘he begs you to shun, and to frown on. If needs be, it will be checked by even the most summary remedies.
‘The telegraph has already announced a glorious victory over the foe, won by your noble comrades of the Virginia army on Federal soil; may he not, with redoubled hope, count on you, while defending your own firesides and household goods, to emulate the proud example of your brothers in the east?
‘The country expects, in this, the great crisis of its destiny, that every man will do his duty.’
HAGERSTOWN, July 11 – To the Savannah Republican. There was considerable skirmishing yesterday. The enemy are reported as advancing by the Boonsboro and Sharpsburg Pikes. Brigadier General Paul J. SEMMES died of his wounds at Martinsburg yesterday.
MARTINSBURG, July 12 – The telegraph wires were cut near this place yesterday. Constant skirmishing is going on between LEE’S and HOOKER’S armies. The enemy occupies the line of the Antietam River. General LEE is near Hagerstown. Our army has been in line of battle since Friday evening. A fight is expected every day. The Potomac is falling at Williamsport.
July 15, 1863
Telegraphic News
Sufferings of the Vicksburg Garrison
JACKSON, July 8 – A number of the Vicksburg heros arrived here to-day. I have conversed with a number of them, privates as well as officers. The privates praise General PEMBERTON in the highest terms. They say they went into Vicksburg prejudiced against him, but no man could have done more than he did. One man shed tears when he told me of what they had suffered, with no relief, and then for Vicksburg to fall. The Yankees were led to believe that if they took Vicksburg the war was ended, and they could all go home, and they would remark to our troops, ‘boys, we can all go home now.’ An officer who arrived from Vicksburg says that the garrison had been living on pea bread and mule meat for two weeks. He says that if it had been known that relief was coming, it would have held out longer. It is stated that all the officers of PEMBERTON urged him to surrender.
THE SIEGE OF VICKSBURG. APPROACH OF MCPHEARSON’S SAPPERS TO THE REBEL EARTH WORKS (DAVIS). LIBRARY OF CONGRESS.
July 13, 1863
From General Johnston’s Army
The Jackson Mississippian of July 7th says:
We are profoundly pained to learn, as we do on good authority, that the noble garrison at Vicksburg capitulated last Saturday morning, the 4th instant. There was no assault from the enemy, but some of his mines were sprung, which rendered further resistance useless. The terms of the capitulation are that the garrison, 17,500 in number, are to be moved out to some acceptable point on the Big Black to wait exchange. The officers were allowed to retain their side arms. We had up to this mournful event an excess of 30,000 prisoners, and an exchange will soon be effected.
The Yankees sent word to all the planters on theMississippi River above Vicksburg, whose negros they have taken, to send or come after their negro women and children, stating that they cannot afford to feed them any longer. The negro men they retain, to be slaughtered in battle! The women and children must starve, or be thrown upon the mercy of their owners!
THE REBELS MARCHING OUT AND STACKING ARMS, WITH GENERAL GRANT AND STAFF ON HORSEBACK (LEFT) MEETING THE MARCHING SOLDIERS (THEODORE DAVIS). LIBRARY OF CONGRESS.
The Jackson correspondent of the Mobile Register, writing on the same date, says:
Our troops and stock are suffering greatly for the want of water. There is little or none between here and the Big Black, and unless Johnston can obtain sufficient advantages over the enemy to enable him to hold that river, or a portion of it, he will be compelled to fall back to Pearl River, where he can obtain it. The railroad bridge over Pearl River will be completed this week, and the cars once more running into the city of Jackson.
For the last few hours the wagon trains of Johnston have been filing through the city to Pearl River. His army is reported to be falling back, and his rear skirmishing with the enemy. What an hour will bring forth I am unable to conjecture. Johnston is expected here, and is said to be here. A want of water forces this movement, and while it compels Johnston to fall back, it is equally as great an impediment to the advance of Grant.
I hope that Gardner will be warned in time to get away from Port Hudson. If true that he has whipped Banks off, he will be enabled to do so; if not, then look out, for the fall of Vicksburg leaves idle a large portion of Grant forces, whose mission is to open the Mississippi River to the Gulf. As I have before stated, when the enemy shall have these places, and the open navigation of the Mississippi River, he will have found his prize valueless for the want of Southern trade, and when the West finds out that the sword will not bring back the trade of the South, then you will hear a cry raised for peace in the West more potent and powerful than heretofore.
The New York Times July 8, 1863
WASHINGTON, Tuesday, July 7, 1-P.M.
The following dispatch has just been received
U. S. MISSISSIPPI SQUADRON.
FLAGSHIP Black Hawk July 4, 1863
Hon. Gideon Welles, Secretary of the Navy
SIR: I HAVE THE HONOR TO INFORM YOU THAT VICKSBURG SURRENDERED TO THE UNITED STATES FORCES ON THE 4TH OF JULY.
Very respectfully,
Your obedient servant,
D. D. PORTER,
Acting Rear Admiral.
Cairo, Ill., Tuesday, July 7.
The dispatch boat has just arrived here from Vicksburg. She left at 10 o’clock on Sunday morning. The passengers announce that Gen. PEMBERTON sent a flag of truce on the morning of the 4th of July, and offered to surrender if his men were allowed to march out.
Gen. GRANT is reported to have replied that no men should leave, except as prisoners of war. Gen. PEMBERTON then, after consultation with his commanders, unconditionally surrendered.
This news is perfectly reliable.
THE UNITED STATES GUNBOAT INDIANOLA, AN IRONCLAD, RUNNING THE BLOCKADE AT VICKSBURG. LIBRARY OF CONGRESS.
Washington, Tuesday, July 7
The Cabinet was in regular session to-day. Admiral PORTER’S Vicksburgh dispatch was received by Secretary WELLES, and read to the President. The news immediately spread throughout the city, creating intense and joyous excitement. Flags were displayed from all the Departments and crowds assembled with cheers. Secretary STANTON issued an order for a salute of one hundred guns.
The fall of Vicksburgh, conjoinly with the Gettysburg successes, is regarded as the turning point in the war. The President and high officials express a determination that the campaign shall not slacken off in consequence, but be carried on with renewed vigor. This sentiment is urged upon them by MESSRS. HAMLIN, WILSON, CHANDLER, WASHBURNE and other prominent loyalists now in town.
The President congratulates himself on his inflexible resistance to the efforts once made to induce him to remove Gen. GRANT. He always believed in GRANT’S genius and energy, and is now rewarded for his decision in his favor. HON. ELIHU WASHBURNE, GRANT’S nearest personal friend, who defended him last Winter in the House, is overjoyed at the result of the siege.
Albany, Tuesday, July 7
By order of the Adjutant-General, two salutes of thirty-four guns each were fired to-day—one in honor of our victorv in Pennsylvania, and the other for the fall of Vicksburgh. Tonight there is an impromptu demonstration by the citizens. Guns are exploding, bells ringing. and with music and fireworks. The demonstration will be kept up until a late hour by an immense gathering of both sexes.
Syracuse, Tuesday, July 7
A grand impromptu celebration is taking place here, to-night, in honor of our victories. There is a mass-meeting in Hanover square. A salute of 100 guns is thundering. All the bells of the city are ringing. There is a parade by the Davis Guards, and fireworks, bonfires, and illuminations flame in all the principal streets. Such a scene of enthusiasm and rejoicing was never known.
Utica, Tuesday, July 7
The fall of Vicksburgh has been celebrated here by the ringing of bells, firing of cannon, and every display of popular joy.
Burlington, N. J., Tuesday, July 7
The glorious news of the surrender of Vicksburgh was received here amid the ringing of the church bells and a salute of one hundred guns. The most intense enthusiasm prevails. The Union League rooms and several private residences are are iluminated.
Boston, Tuesday, July 7
The news of the surrender of Vicksburgh appeared to cause more joyous excitement in Boston than any previous event of the war. Bells were ringing, cheers and congratulations exchanged generally. At Newburyport the bells were rung, and a salute of one hundred guns fired. Dispatches from many quarters describe similar demonstrations of joy and gratitude for the glorious result.
HEADQUARTERS OF THE UNION ARMY, COMMANDED BY GENERAL GRANT, ON THE BANKS OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER NEAR VICKSBURG. STEAMBOATS IN THE BACKGROUNAD (LOVIE). LIBRARY OF CONGRESS.
Philadelphia, Tuesday, July 7 – 2 P. M.
The State House bell is ringing a joyful peal over the capture of Vicksburgh. All the fire-bells in the city are also now ringing, by direction of the Mayor, sent through the police telegraph.
Philadelphia, Tuesday, July 7
The newspaper offices are illuminated this evening. The Ledger building has stars placed along the entire front. The North American has the word “Victory.” The Bulletin and other offices are tastefully decorated in honor of the victory. Numerous private dwellings and other edifices are illuminated.
New Haven, Conn., Tuesday, July 7
There is great rejoicing in this city over the news of the capture of Vicksburg. A National salute is now being fired upon the Public Square by direction of the Mayor.
The siege of Vicksburg occurred during May 18–July 4, 1863, in Warren County, Mississippi. It was the campaign objective of Grant’s 1863 Operations against Vicksburg.
The principal commanders were Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant leading his Army of the Tennessee against Lt. Gen. John C. Pemberton commanding the Confederate garrison. The estimated casualties were 4,550 and 31,275 respectively.
In May and June of 1863, Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant’s armies converged on Vicksburg, entrapping a Confederate army under Lt. Gen. John Pemberton. On July 4, Vicksburg surrendered after prolonged siege operations. This was the culmination of one of the most brilliant military campaigns of the war. With the loss of Pemberton’s army and this vital stronghold on the Mississippi, the Confederacy was effectively split in half. Grant’s successes in the West boosted his reputation, leading ultimately to his appointment as Generalin-Chief of the Union armies.
The Union victory effectively split the Confederacy in two and gave control of the Mississippi to the Union Army and Navy.
