Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1864-03-31
THE REBEL CAMPAIGN IN MISSISSIPPI


Late Richmond papers publish the official reports of
Gen. Pemberton and Gen. joseph Johnston Of the opera
tons 10 the Valley Of the Mississippi which terminated in
the fall Of Vioksburg
Gen. Pemberton attributes all the rebel disasters at that
place to his deficiency Of cavalry 1t appears however,
that Gen. Grants strategy completely deceived Pember-
ton for from tho 18th to the 3Oh Of April he to
had so little information Of Grants movements as to have
been unable to meet them On the Goth of April he tee
grsphed Gen Johnston forces were at Hard
Times aud to Brunsburg and on the Ist of
May that furious bano has been going on all day be-
low Port Gibson" On the I'd Of May Gen. johnston
pied; Grant CROSSES, unite all your troops to beat
nm Success will give back what abandoned to win
it, The battle Of Port Gibson won Grant pushed direct
Toward jackson Pembsrton's want Of cavalry did not
permit the interruption Of Grants communications and
ne moved forward unmoested to Clinton MeanWh ils
Pemberton ds0beyed Of J0hnstons orders and ne
the upshot, Grant took vicksburg. The Richmond En-
qurer says that while the verdict of history
ousy against Gen PembertoD, there extepuang
cumstances His army greatly outnumbered by the
enemy and his deficiency in cavalry prevented his
tanning the strength and position Of the enemy The to-
biography Of the country presented many mpedments to
quick movements, and these greatly by re
cent and heavy rsns Grersons raid had destroyed the
railroad and interrupted communication and diminished
his effective force BY the heavy detachments required to
guard vital positions. q
Gen. johnston in his report states that while he
at Mobile in March, 1868, he received orders to assume
command OF Braggs army and to send that General to
Richmond but owing to his i'll health be was unable to
comply with them Subsequently early in May, he was
ordered to take chief command of the forces u
p which he at once proceeded to do His first advces
from Pemberton who was in command at vcksburg in
formed him that Grants movements more likely to
affect Bragg than Vcksburg, and confident was Penn
beron that vcksburg would not be attacked that he Of
ered to send portion Of his troops to reinforce Bragg
Before Johnston himself came the ground however
ukoa Oha had kaka a.
eeaed movement had begun he had the Mssssp
pi below Ycksburg and rapidly closing in upon that
point with view TO its isolation from all reinforcements
and it, ultimate capture Before Johnston was in cuff
cent strength to cooperate with Pemberton or June
ton could BE- effected Of the forces of the two rebel
manders. Gen. Grant had rapidly forced himself etween
Johnston to fall back the northward and pushing Penn
berton back towards Vicksburg The battles on the Big
Black and its vicinity followed adding new momentum to
PembertOn's retrOgrade movement on Vicksburg,
Gen Johnston, perceiving that if Penbertoa were shut
up 10 Vcksburg 1t would be impossible to relieve him and
that he must ultimately surrender sent Pembertou an or
der that Hsines Bluff was untenabe, Vicksburs wa Of
no value and could not be held and that II he were in
vested there bis surrender inevitable He was there
fore instructed in order to the roops under hs con-
msnd to Immediately evacuate before he was penned up
by Gen. Grants work Instead OF 0beying Pembert IN
fell back into Vcksburg and his first act was To DESTROY
and abandon the works Haines Blnf which Johnston
had indicated essential to the defence Of vickburg and
all hope Of his vanished On the same day that
Johnston sent the instruction Pemberton for the evacua
ton Of Vicksburg he sent similar orders Gen Gardner
IN command at Port Hudson t0ovacuate that point but
they reached that officer.
Both garrsOns were now completely hemmed 10 and
surrounded all sides aud the 18th June Johnston
advised the rebel War Department that he had hope of
saving Vcksburg STILL ha addressed himself to plans for
extrcatng the army at vcksburg, by concerted move
ments and assaults from within and without they all
msoraby failed On the Sd Of July Gen Pembarton was
apprxed that another Of these diversions would be made
and that with view to ensble him to cut way out
Johnston would attack Grant the 7tb. On the 4 tn
however, Pemberton surrendered the fall of vicksburg
was accomplished, and nothing left to Johnston but
TO get out of the of victorious forces which he did
with commendsble CELEBRITY
Gen. Johnston's report concludes with animal
versions upon Gen. Pemberton whom he of die
obedience Of ORDERS which resulted n fatal
He also INDUCES in pointed thrust at the rebel War
Departn emit for giving him vast task without The means
for successfully performing IL
The entire report 10 tribute TO the mastery skill and
energy Of Gen Grant and evnces that from the very
inception Of his campaign, his orsgone con-
cuson and only required time make it as complete as
il at length resulted.