The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1863-09-30

seen difficulties continually ba1ed the enterprise,
and seemed TO render 1t impossible. Gen. Grant,
who vas at the head OF the Department oi the
Army OF the Tennessee, at length assumed the
active command Of the troops investing the
stronghold, and these were adequately reinforced
The naval squadron on the Mississippi, under
command of Admiral Porter, was also steadily
increased until more than 100 armed vessels
were employed upon the river, including many
iron clad gunboats Of great power. Part OF
the Cult squadron. usder Admiral Farragut,
calamity running the batteries OF Port Hudson
under a fierce fight, co-operated with the river
deets
LabOrious and persevering attempts were
made 10 open an artificial channel for the river
opposite Vcksburg, as bad been done with such
signal success az Island No 10. But the various
canals, projected and executed, and only iew
small steamers Of no considerable power were thus
enabled TO pass the city. Combined land and
naval expeditions were also sent forth, which,
with infinite pains and endurance, attempted TO
turn the enemy's works by navigating the va
rious bayous aud sluggish rivers. whose intricate
network forms so singular feature OF military
topography OF the banks OF the Mississippi.
All these attempts having failed from physical
obstacles found TO be insurmOuntable, General
Grant and Admiral Porter at last put ahoat
through the fires of the long line of shore bat
tsres which the insurgents had erected at Vicks
burg, and its chief supports, WarrentOn and
Grand Gulf. At the same time the land forces
moved down the right bank OF the river tD
point below Grand Gulf, where they crossed in
the steamers which had effected so dangerous a
passage The batteries Al and Gull for several
hours resisted bonbafdment by the gunboat-
a, short range, but they fcll into the har d. a.
the Admiral as soon as Gen. Grants forces ap
peared behind them Gen Grant, thro gh a
series Of brilliant mauPuvfes--with marches ln-
terruptcd by battles day by day. succeeded ia
dividing aud separating the iu-urgent forces
He then attacked the chief auxiliary column
under Johnston, aud drove il out OF Jark-nn,
the capital of Mississippi Having destroyed
the railroad bridges and military stores there
Gen. Grant turned at once to the west IN
merou- combats ensued in all of which the
loyal arms we're successful. Loring, with a con
siderable insurg-nt force, was driven of towards
the southeast, while PcmbeIton, after loss of
sixty pieces Of artillery and many prisoners, re-
gained hs shelter within the fortified lines of
Nicksburg, with an army reduced 10 be
tween 81, 900 and 10, 900 men. During these
movements the heavy batteries OF the Insurgents
which were now established near the mouth OF
the Yszoo river, and which constituted an i'm
pOItant part of the defensive system of Nicks-
burg, were taken aud razed by Rear Admiral
Porter who thereupOn sent detachment of his
fleet up that important tributary of the Msss-
sippi, and effectually destroyed the numerous
vessels and stores which were found within and
upon its banks. General Grant during these
brilliant operations, had necessarily operated BY
a movable column He now re-estabished his
communications with the river fleets above a.
I'll 81. 4
ignorant of the numbers enclosed within its de-
fenses, attempted an assault. Though bravely
and vigorously made, it was nevertheless nnsuc-
cesstul He thereupOn sat down before the for
tifcations to reduce them by the less bloody,
but sure methods of siege. PembertOn made
gallant defense, hoping for relief from Johnston.
Strenuous efforts were made by the chiefs at
Richmond to enable Johnston to render assist
ance. They detached and sent to him troops from
Bragg's army on the frontier of Alabama, and
from Beauregard' 5 command in South Carolina, and
in doing this they endangered both those armies.
All the capable free men of Mississippi were
called to the rescue of the capital Of their State,
and to save the stronghold of the reasonable
COniederacy which were beseged within their
limits Moreover the tesieged post was in the
very center Of the slave population of that
Confederacy and the Presidents proclamation of
TetuOm NOulu De sounded IN Luelr nearing II
the stronghold should fall But the efforts re
quired was too great for the demoralized and tx
hausted condition Of the Insurgents. Johnston
did not arrive to raise the siege, nor did success
attend any of the attempts from within to break
the skillfully drawn lines of Gen. Grant. On
the fourth OF July Gen. PembertOn laid down
his arms and surrendered the post, with thirty
thousand men, two hundred pieces of artillery,
seventy thousand small arms, and ammunition
sufficient for a six years defense. This capture
was a. remarkable as the famous one made bv
Napoleon at Ulm.
On the same day an insurgent attack upon
General Prentiss, at Helena, situated on the
west bank Of the Mississippi, in the State of
Arkansas was repulsed with the loss of many
prisoners on the part of the assailants. As if
the anniversary so identified with the nations
hopes was appointed to be peculiarly eventiul,
Lee, who had again entered Maryland, and
passing through that State had approached the
Susquehanna, threatening Harrisburg, Pittsbur z
Philadelphia, and Baltimore, fell back, after
pitched battles continued for three DAYS at Get
tysburg, and resumed his retreat, with an army
even worse shattered than before, to his accus-
toned position on the RappahannOck
On the sth OF July the insurgent garrison at
Port Hudson, 5000 strong, after enduring a
long siege with the utmost courage, surrendered
Internationally to Gen. Banks and thus the
United States recovered from the insurgents the
last OF the numerous posts by which for more
than two years they had effeetually destroyed
navigation OF the Mississippi. This great river,
which in time OF peace contributes relatively as
much toward supply of the increased wants of
mankind as the Nile did to those wants in the
time of the Roman Empire, s now again opened
to the inland commerce of the country. Steam
ers descend the river and its tributaries from
the navigable foods to the Gulf Of Mexico. 1t
is not to be doubted that the insurgent losses
in these operations upon the Mississippi amount
to 80, 900 men and 300 pieces of artillery, large
portion OF which were of heavy caliber. John
ston's army, which, at the time of the surrender,
was advancing to threaten the besiegers, at once
fell back to Jackson, and it was again driven
from that capital by a detachment which Gen.
Grant had committed to the command Of Gen.
Sherman In retiring Johnston fred many build
ings filed with munitions Of war, and abandoned
large quantity of railroad locomotives and
cars, which had been detained at that place by
reason Of the railroads north, south. east and
west Of Jackson having been previously cut by
the Government forces
Gen. Sherman now desisted frcm the pursuit
of Johnston and returned TO Vieksburg. where,a
portion of the army is enjoying repose, not more
necessary than we'll earned, while others are en-
gagged in expelling from the Mississippi rowing
bands of the insurgents who infest its banks, and
ire from thence on passing steamers. 1t is
reported that Johnston, with the troops at his
command, now said TO be twenty-five thousand
has fallen back to Meridian, on the eastern Dor.
der of MissisSipDi a hundred and twenty miles