The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1868-01-24


and Grants hasty retreat. he holds him re-
spousible for Sherman's bloody repulse at
Chickasaw Bayou, December, 1862-the
arrangement being that Grant should at
tack at the same time from the rear. Go
ing down the river then to Milliken's Bend
bis successive moves are thus sketched ::
Badeau says Grants problem was now
to obtain footing on the highlands of the
Eastern bank, and base from which to
operate against the city aud its communi-
cations" The first move made to secure
q foothold on the Highlands of the East
ern bank" was to commence digging a
ditch on the Western bank Of tie riVer, and
some three mile distant from the city. The
ditehsailed. the next move to gain a foot
hold Eastern bank was to break the
levegss0n the Western bank of the Missis-
sippi; ;esixty miles above Yicksburg, and
then Vsfden bayous aud dig canals through
the iIi ior Of Louisiana, for distance OF
nearly hundred miles, into the Missis-
sippi be- This masterly plan of get
ting on one bank Of wide river by digging
canals on the other side of the same river
was likewise failure.
The next move to gain a footing on the
Eastern bank was to open route into the
Yazoo Pass from the Mississippi. From
MiTliken's Bendao Yidksburg, via Yazoo
Pass, was only some nine hundred noiles.-
All that ever preEeated the capture of
VicksBurg by this plan was little battery
of two'heayy guns which the Rebels erect
ed at Greenwood. The ironclads attacked
the battery, and were repulsed levees
were cut to drown out the battery, but the
operation failed; and the nine hundred
pile route 70 the rear Of Ficssburg was re-
laGtsntfE abandoned.
The next move on Yicksburg vas TO
send forces up Yazoo river, etc, etc.
fanking Haines' Bluff, relieving the forces
held by the likle, Battery at Greenwood,
and fanKSag Wleksburg. How POrter's
gunboats went up and how Sherman fol-
lowed after and saved the gunboats ; and
how there never was a broader farce than
this move up throug b the Yazoo swamPs-
are all facts we'll known to the public.
Grants next plan was to open some bay
Gus which rae from the Mississippi at Mill
ken's Bend to the Mississippi below Vicks-
burg. Along there lie could send trans
ports with troops and supplies B.; and these,
he intended, should go down to cooperate
with Banks against Port Hudson.
THE MOVE ON JACKSON.
On the Sd of April. Grant found him
self in possession of Grand Gulf. Trans
ports had run the Vicksburg batteries
Grand Gulf bad been fanked and evacuat-
ed. Up to this moment. let it be under
stood, Grant had been operating to effect a
Judgement with a view to the support oi
Banks.
Il was when in possession of Grand Gull
that he first conceived the idea of march.
ing against the rear of Vicksburg via Jack
son. He was induced to take this course
from. receiving letter from Banks, which
stated that he (Banks) could not reach
Port Hudson before the 10th of May-a
period of near six weeks. In other words,
circumstances obliged Grant to give up
the idea of operating against Port Hudson.
Is there anything strange, that, placed
in this position, he should resolve to move
against Jackson The idea of capturing
Jackson, and thereby isolatiug Vicksburg,
was patent even to unmIlitary minds
Grants move upon Jackson was in no re-
spect the suggestion of a daring military
genius, but something which was one
half necessity, aud one-half patent ad-
vantage. There was not soldier 10 Grants
army that failed to cry son to Jackson !''
the moment Grant had established himself
on the eastern bank. Had the commander
failed to see the benefit of the movement,
he would have been blind beyond descrip-
ton.
What offered palpable advantages what
was patent a being at once sure success
and an inevitable necessity-look place
and the Federal army marched upon Jack.
son, and then closed in on Vicksburg, out.
numbering the opposing Rebels Eve tc
one at every step Of the movement.
Let US here note this important fact =
Upon the day that Grant occupied Grand
Gulf he stood strageticallY, with refer.
ence to Jackson and Vicksburg, precisely
where be stood, the November before, a.
COfeevilIe, just above Grenada, on the
Mississippi CentrA. In the later case, be
vas Iass than 5O r,;lao fro,, TsoLeo,
In plain English, Grant spent from No
vember to April in moving from one strs.
tegie position to another, each Of which
bore alike upon the coveted objective point
During this change of positions. thousands
Of our gallant soldiers died in the mud ol
Louisiana millions we're spent in making
the transfer !; the fortifcalions Of Yieks.