Note #1:
various sources report on a series of battles by Grant to reach
Vicksburg. In May 1863 he & his
subordinate generals began what looks like the third attempt. Battles occurred May 1 (Port Gibson), May 12
(Raymond), May 14 (Jackson), May 16 (Champion Hill) and May 17 (Big Black
River). The attack on the city itself
began May 19 with two defeats followed by a successful siege. See Note #4 for
information on ‘Haines Bluff’, mentioned later but relevant. A good source is Keegan, John. The
American Civil War: a Military History.
(New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2009). There is a good map on p. 210. It is interesting to note that Grant in his
campaign to take Vicksburg was repeatedly unsuccessful, and that the initial
attacks on the city itself were also unsuccessful. I do not know how fast news traveled,
however.
Written by William Smith
Written by William Smith