CONSTRUCTED AND ENGRAVED TO ILLUSTRATE "THE WAR WITH THE SOUTH" Entered asserting to act of Congrean..7883 by a Torton &C in the God off of the listrict court of the United States, for the southern Bistrice of New York Eng by W. Kemble. A Topographical Map of Vicksburg & its vicinity showing all Batteries that were in existence at the time of its fall, with the names of the owners of Plantations, &c. Charles: Sholl RETREAT OF GRANT. retrace his march to Holly Springs and to remain inactive there until his communications should be restored, the army of the enemy under Pemberton was free to pursue its progress to Vicksburg, where the Confederates were rapidly concentrating a large force to defend that important position. The original plan of the Unionists was to make a combined attack upon Vicksburg. General Grant was to move by land through Mississippi, following Pemberton closely, to overtake him if possible before reaching his destination, or if he failed in this, to form a junction with General Sherman, who was to set out from Memphis and unite with him in a combined assault upon the enemy in his stronghold upon the Mississippi. General Grant, as has been related, was foiled in his object by the enterprise of an alert enemy who had succeeded in gaining his rear. General Sherman, although his first expedition had proved fruitless, started on a second with the promise of a more successful result. Embarking a large number of troops in transports at Memphis, he sailed down the Mississippi under the convoy of a fleet of gun-boats, which were intended to co-operate in the attack upon Vicksburg. In the mean time great efforts had been made by the enemy to strengthen their fortifications and increase their force. Jefferson Davis, in the course of a tour to the West, had visited Vicksburg, and stimulated the energies of his generals and soldiers in the defence of a position which he declared was of vital 567 importance to the Confederate cause. One of his ablest generals, Joe Johnston, had been charged with the duty of overseeing the construction of the fortifications, and organizing the forces concentrating for their defence. New works and more powerful guns were added to those which had already so successfully resisted our naval power. The fortifications were said to be of the most skilful construction, and to extend eight miles back from the river. General Sherman, on reaching the mouth of the Yazoo, sailed some ten miles up that river, and disembarked his troops on the left or southern bank. Dec. His first operation was to detach a 26. brigade to destroy a portion of the Little Rock and Vicksburg Railroad. This force having landed on the shore opposite Vicksburg, proceeded promptly to its work, and having successfully accomplished it, rejoined the main body on the same day. At an early hour next morning, General Sherman formed his troops in line of battle and pushed them forward to meet the enemy, who soon presented themselves in large force. A severe fight ensued, which lasted for five Dec. hours, when the Confederates fell 27. back beyond two bayous in the rear of Vicksburg, until they reached an intrenched position on a hill. After an interchange of artillery fire, the contest closed for the day. The Unionists, being now separated from the enemy by the bayous, passed the night in constructing pontoons, and on the next morning crossed and re our movements with a shrewdness that does them credit, they have thrown up fortifications, dug rifle-pits, and planted batteries in their rear, to such an extent as to render the attempt to flank them most hazardous and desperate. At Vicksburg proper, or a little below, the bluffs upon which the city is partially built take their rise. These bluffs extend in a north-northeasterly direction from the point below Vicksburg where they take their rise, to Haines' Bluffs on the Yazoo River, a distance of twelve or fifteen miles, and are fortified throughout their entire length. The bluffs front the Mississippi and the Yazoo rivers, having an abrupt or precipitous ascent. Back of them the ground is high and broken, somewhat rolling, falling off gradually to the Big Black River. The only land approach to Vicksburg from up the Mississippi is by climbing the face of these bluffs. newed the battle. General Sherman impregnable defence, and anticipating Dec. formed his army thus: his centre 28. under Generals Morgan and Blair, his right under Generals A. J. and L. Smith, and is left under General Steele. The Unionists began the assault upon the intrenchments of the enemy with great vigor, and succeeded, notwithstanding a most desperate resistance, in carrying them, when the latter fell back to an inner line of defence. On the next day Dec. General Sherman attacked this, 29. which was their central or main work. The enemy, apparently unable to withstand the impetuosity of the assault, gave way at first; but soon being largely reinforced, they charged upon their assailants and repulsed them with great slaughter. General Sherman, now compelled to desist from any further effort, fell back under cover of the gunboats to his landing-place. General McClernand having, in the mean time, arrived, assumed command of the army, and re-embarking the troops, transported them to Napoleon in Arkansas. The loss of the Unionists was estimated at about 3,000 in killed, wounded, and missing; that of the enemy, in consequence of fighting under cover, was much less; it was reported by themselves to be only a hundred! "The Yazoo River, which finds its way into the Mississippi about ten miles above Vicksburg, through what is known as the Old River-supposed to have been once the main channel of the Mississippi, is crooked and narrow, very deep, and has but little current. Its general course as it approaches its mouth is from northeast to southwest. Following its windings from its mouth, we pass along the face of the range of bluffs above alluded to, being at the junction of the Yazoo proper with Old River, about six miles from them, and gradually approaching them until, at Haines' or Drumgoold's Bluffs, as they OPERATIONS AGAINST VICKSBURG. 569 are called on some maps, the river and low Haines' Bluffs, where all their works bluffs come together. This point is nine terminate. In addition to these battermiles from Vicksburg by the roads lead-ies, they have thrown up at various coming along the foot of the bluffs, and manding points along the range, both in twenty-three miles from the Mississippi its face and upon the summit, fieldby the course of the Yazoo River. We works for the reception and protection thus have a piece of triangular bottom of light artillery whenever it may be land east of the Yazoo River, nine miles needed. No effort seems to have been in length on one side, six on the other, spared to furnish shelter to their men, the third side being irregular, though and the intention seems apparent to rebeing, if straight, about the same length quire them to fight in no event, when it as the first side. Upon this triangle our can be avoided, out of cover. troops are disembarked, with the purpose of getting in the rear of Vicksburg and gaining that position by such a movement. "From the Yazoo above its junction with Old River, and in the upper half of the distance to Haines' Bluff, two bayous set in to this triangular piece of bottom land. As they approach the base of the bluffs, they intersect a third that leads along nearly parallel with the base of the hills, diverging from them as it approaches its outlet into the Mississippi, at which point it is about one mile from them. "Behind this latter bayou and between it and the bluffs is a plain, the timber upon which has been felled to form an abattis. This plain is cut up by deep gullies, which furnish admirable shelter to the sharp-shooters of the enemy, and are fully appreciated by them. Along the base of the bluffs, throughout their entire length, the rebels have dug rifle-pits, which are also defended by single gun batteries, stationed in the face of the bluffs at short intervals from Vicksburg to Milldale, half a mile be "To approach the enemy's position from any point on the Yazoo River beyond the reach of their batteries, it is necessary to cross the bayous above alluded to. These are at present full of water and unfordable. Pontoon bridges have had to be constructed at various points to enable the troops to cross. In constructing them we first met with opposition from the enemy. Their skirmishers and sharp-shooters were placed in the gullies above described, and behind logs, trees, and stumps, and kept up a constant and galling fire upon our working parties. Still our men did not suffer much from their fire, our own picked marksmen giving them a good deal of annoyance, and rendering them careful of showing themselves long enough to get accurate aims. "In addition to this annoyance, wherever our operations were within reach, the enemy opened their batteries. in the face of the bluffs upon us. But in this they were decidedly the losers, as our heaviest field artillery was brought on to the ground wherever this occurred, and in several instances silenced |