The National tribune., 1905-11-09
CHATTER XXI.
THE SIEGE OF VICKSBURG.

CHATTER AAAl.
THE SIEGE OF VICKsBURG.
The bitterly Disappointed Army Settles
Down to Digging Regular Approaches
to the FOrtfhcatiOns-FOreth thought of
Quartermaster-Dissa With
McClernand-He IL Relieved and Sue
ceeded by Maj.-Gen. e. D. c. Ord.
1t was sickening disappointment to
Gen. Grant and his men that they were
not able to push their way into Vicks-
burg at the point Of the bayonet. The
rebels had fought astoundingly Well.
Nowhere in the long line of eight miles
had there been any weakening before
the fiercest attacks launched against
them by the men who had driven them
from the strong position of Champions s
Hill and sent them flying in disorder
across the Big Black. On the other
hand, there had been found no place
where they could be attacked with the
force brought To bear against them on
the former battlefields. Everywhere
the narrow, winding roads, fanked on
either side by perpendicular gulches and
impenetrable chaparral, had compelled
every attack to be made by thin head
OF column which melted down at once
under a terrific enfilade fire. Search as
the blin1ing chaparral, no place could
be found where even a regimental line
could advance upon the enemy
The elation among the Confederates
was in proportion to the depression
among the Union soldiers The ease
with which they had repelled the attack
of the whole army raised their hopes to
a high point, and made them confident
that they could maintain themselves
until the President of the Confederacy
could relieve them. The vigor of the
attack. however. impressed Gen. Penn
berton profoundly with the number of
his opponents. which he placed at from
60, 900 to $4,000. This paralyzed any
thought of trying to beat off the enemy
and making his way out to join John
ston. He reported this number of as
sailants to Gen. Johnston, which had a
corrcspondingly depressing effect upon
that General IS to the number Of troops
which would be necessary to relieve
him.
Preparations for a Siege.
Everybody in the Union camps re-
Iuctantly admitted that there was MOTH
ing else but 10 settle down to a regular
siege, and the soldiers were as prompt
TO recognize this as their commanders
When they first arrived before Vicks-
ourg thy would rot have been at all
satisfied to go to digging, because they
believed they could settle the matter
With Pemberton's men in a few min
utes II they were let loose at them.
Now the bloody lessons Of the 18th and
I'D had shown them how impregnable
The enemy's position was, and that they
must rely on the spade instead of the
bayonet.
Here the value of a foresighted, ca
pabIe QuartermaSter was demonstrated
The Quartermaster does his work in
the rear, where it is out of sight of the
brilliant achievements in front, and he
gets little credit. Yet his careful pre-
vision is as necessary to the success of
q campaign as the spectacular strategy
OF the commander and the heroic fight
ing OF the soldiers. Col. John Condit
Smith. the Assistant Quartermaster-
General of the Fifteenth Corps, was one
of those able, foreseeing officers who
are literally the right hand of their
commanders. He was born in New
Jersey, and entered the service as a
First Lieutenant in the 42d Ill. He be-
came Regimental Quartermaster, and
then his ability brought him to the
front, and he was promoted successive
1y TO Captain, Major and Lieutenant
Colonel Throughout the campaign he
Is constantly mentioned, but without
any special praise except that he is al
ways on hand. always doing the thing
he ought TO do, and has resources suffi-
cient for every demand that is made
upon him. Higher praise than this
could not be given. He is furnishing
steamboats, for transportation of great
bodies, supplying yawls and fiatboats
for landing parties and expeditions into
the narrow waters, bringing forward
hundreds of wagons with rations at very
Leedful times, etc, etc. AS soon as the
troops arrived in front of Vicksburg
Col. Smith saw the likelihood of a siege
and getting access to the river, dis
patched one of the fastest steamboats,
that he could find to st. Louis for q load
of picks and shovels
The steamboat got back with its
precious load as the troops recoiled
from their assault, and the digging
tools were most welcome supplies. The
men now took them eagerly where they
would have before disdained to touch
them. Col. Smith resigned June 80
1864. TO the great loss of the army
went into private business, became
a prominent and wealthy railroad man
and died in 1884.
The only advantages gained by the
assault OF May 22 were better positions
close TO the rebel line throughout its
length. Every command took up the
ground to which II fell back and began
tntrenching there. The first thought
was to put the men into good camps
sheltered from the fire of the enemy
which the confguration Of the ground
lent itself to. The deep gulches, with
their precipitous sides. made admirable
PTotecllol from the confederate mus
kerry and artillery. Hard work was at
once started to make camps and good
roads connecting them with the base
of supplies on the YaZoo, and to enable
the men TO rapidly concentrate to repel
any sortie from the beleaguered garri-
son. SuD-bases of supplies were made
for each corps and each division, with
only limited supply of rations and
ammunition in each, since there was
no telling at what moment all might
have to he abandoned to concentrate
the army and go out and fight Johnston
Osterhaus's Division OF the Thirteenth
Corps was sent back to guard the Big
Black Bridge, and Blair was sent with
six brigades on q strong reconnaissance
10 discover what Johnston's intentions
were. Johnston was organizing his
army in the vicinity of Canton, and il
was rumOred that A. p. Hill had Joined
him from Gen. Lees army, so that
Johnston had under his command about
$4,000 men. Blair went as far as Me
chanicsburg. and satisfied himself that
there was no large force between the
YaZoo and the Big Black. He returned
To Haynes's Bluff. destroying all sup
plies that might be of use to the enc
my, and gunboat expedition went up
the YaZoo as far as YaZoo City to de-
stroy all the boats that might be OF as
sistance to Johnston.