The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1885-11-21

secure f0othold somewhere on the
Yazoo River, above Haine's Bluff,
so that an advance might be made
by dry land on the north against
Vicksburg. But in all of these
movements failure was the result.
About this time many people in the
country began to lose confidence in
Grant and clamor for his disp!ace-
ment. The President of the United
States, however, heeded not the
clamor of the. multitude. Having
implicit confidence in Grant, hc said
to those who came To him that he
would trust him "a little longer
Abou, this time Grant determined
upon q plan which was recognized
by the military authorities of the
country as wholly unmilitary and
dangerous. They believed that it
was military suicide and against all
science of war. 1t was movement,
however, full of audacity and in its
results showed the genius Of the
man planning it. He abandoned all
his lines of communication and
moved rapidly down the west side
of the Mississippi River to Bruens-
burg, point four miles below
Grand Gulf. AT the same time he
loaded seven transports with sup
plies, and manned them with men
selected from my command, then
the Third Division of the Seven
tcenth Corps, and ran them by
the batteries of n hundred guns
which vomited forth their fire and
iron hail at them as they passed by.
All passed safely except one. This
being accomplished, he crossed the
river, moving rapidly upon Port
Gibson, where he met the enemy
and defeated him. His forces
amounted to $1,000 men, less in
number than the enemy held encir-
cling Vicksburg inside their works.
In rapid succession came the vic
tories of Raymond, Jackson, Cham
pion Hills, Black River, and the
Investment of Vicksburg. At Cham
pion Hills the enemy received the
severest defeat in its results that
they had yet received up to that
time. Halleck had written a letter
to Grant directing him to leave
Vicksburg alone and move down to
Port Hudson and assist Banks: he
(Banks) being his superior officer,
would then have been in command
of the combined forces. After
Port Hudson should fall Halleck
suggested that he should assail
Vicksburg. Hallecll's letter, how
ever, came too late. Five battles
had been fought, and Grant was
crossing Black River and moving in
the direction of Vicksburg. While
these battles were being fought,
Porter, with a gunboat fleet, passed
up the Yazoo River and took possess
sion of Haine's Bluffs, which had
been evacuated in the meantime by
the enemy. Thus it was that safe
communication was reopened with
Grants army, and again he had
base of supplies. Pemberton was
driven within the walls of Vicks-
burg and locked up, as it were, in
that stronghold, with but GO days.
rations. Grant had then completely
turned the tables on the enemy, and
had Pemberton and his whole army
within his grasp.
On the 4th day of July, 1868, the
long and bloody siege came to its
termination. Pemberton surrendered
to Grant. Grant, at the head of a
victorious army, entered the city
and planted The old flag upon the
courthouse, where it was unfurled
to the breeze amid the shouts
of his gallant soldiers. In the cap
ture of Vicksburg there were sur
rendered to Grant 5000 men, in
cluding II general officers and 40
cannon, the largest capture of men
and munitions of war ever made in
any modern war up to that time,
numbering the killed, wounded and
captured. In the five battles, and
including the siege of Vicksburg,
Grant had killed, wounded and
captured larger number of the
enemy than his whole effective force
numbered in this campaign. On
the Sth day of July, upon the news
reaching the occupants that Vicks-
burg had been captured, Port Hud-
son was surrendered. Thus the
backbone of the rebellion was
broken, the so-called Confederacy
was cut in two, and thereafter the
majestic Mississippi rolled on 'un-
veXed to the sea-" Grants loss in
the whole campaign was 5000,
killed, wounded and missing. Grant
was now applauded by the loyal
people everywhere, and throughout
the Nation denominated the mill
tary genius of the age. Even Hal
leck joined in the acclaim and tele-
| graphed to Grant. cOmmendinU him