A Sesquicentennial for the Fourth
150 Years Ago Today:
It was to be an Independence Day like no other. But the day began somberly in Washington. The news of the tremendous battle in Pennsylvania had preoccupied the whole city, but the telegraphs to the Gettysburg area were not very efficient. The news of the Union victory would not reach the capital until late in the morning.
At Helena, Arkansas, the Confederates made their attack with 7,600 infantry and cavalry. The defending Northerners had just 4,100 men, but they also had good artillery and a nearby gunboat. At first, the Rebel assault went well, and a Union redoubt with several cannon was captured. The Southerners attempted to turn the guns onto their foes, but soon discovered that the Federals had just had time to sabotage the cannon before being overrun.
More, the Confederates found out they were in a place exposed to the remaining Union guns, who knew the range. As if this weren't bad enough, the gunboat USS Tyler steamed into a good firing position, and began lobbing large-caliber shells. Soon the Southerners had had enough, and general retreat was ordered. Casualties were 57 killed,146 wounded, 36 missing for the Union, and 169 killed, 659 wounded, 786 missing for the Confederacy. The ability of the Rebels to take the offensive in Arkansas was, for the time being, at an end. And as matters turned out, it was too late to help the garrison at Vicksburg.
In Southern Tennessee, Confederate commander Braxton Bragg had decided that every position north of the Tennessee River was untenable because of Union Commander William Rosecrans' flanking moves. Without consulting his subordinates, he had ordered a retreat all the way back to Chattanooga, just a few miles north of the Georgia border. On this date, the Southern Army of Tennessee crossed the river into the city, ending possibly the most brilliant and least bloody campaign of the war. Western and Middle Tennessee were now firmly in Union hands.
At Gettysburg, the two armies were quiet. Robert E. Lee knew well that his army needed rest and reinforcements before any further offensive action, and where he was he could get the first but not the second. George Meade again waited to see what Lee would do, knowing that the Southerners had dug in to defensive positions, and believing that he could best attack when Lee's force began to move.
In the meantime, both sides had the appalling job of burying around 8,000 dead soldiers, burning the bodies of at least 3,000 dead horses, and caring for over 27,000 wounded. For miles around, nearly every building which had space was turned into a makeshift hospital. By the evening, Lee knew that he would have to retreat, and he would have to leave his most severely wounded behind to be cared for by Northern hands. But his foraging parties had collected hundreds of wagons, enough to carry the food and other supplies the invasion of Pennsylvania had captured, and to carry the wounded who could be moved, but who could not walk on their own. As darkness fell, the long retreat began.
At Vicksburg, just after midnight, Grant received the reply to his offer of parole. Pemberton requested that his men be allowed to march out of the city and stack their arms, and also for Grant to pledge that the property of private citizens would be respected. Grant did not want any of the Vicksburg garrison running off to join Johnston's relief army. He also declined to limit himself as to the seizure of property (both sides had pulled down houses when they needed wood during the siege). He did, however, allow the Confederates the dignity of marching out and stacking their arms and colors, as long as they marched back into Vicksburg to be counted for parole. Pemberton agreed, and the surrender was set for 10:00 A.M.
At the appointed hour the garrison of Vicksburg marched out of their works and formed line in front, stacked arms and marched back in good order. Our whole army present witnessed this scene without cheering. Logan's division, which had approached nearest the rebel works, was the first to march in . . . Our soldiers were no sooner inside the lines than the two armies began to fraternize. Our men had had full rations from the time the siege commenced, to the close. The enemy had been suffering, particularly towards the last. I myself saw our men taking bread from their haversacks and giving it to the enemy they had so recently been engaged in starving out. It was accepted with avidity and thanks.
--The Personal Memoirs of General U. S. Grant
Evidence of how valuable Vicksburg, and the supply route it had guarded, was to the Confederacy was quickly found. It was discovered, for one of the few times in the entire war, that the Southerners had actually been better equipped than the Northerners:
At Vicksburg 31,600 prisoners were surrendered, together with 172 cannon about 60,000 muskets and a large amount of ammunition. The small-arms of the enemy were far superior to the bulk of ours. Up to this time our troops at the West had been limited to the old United States flint-lock muskets changed into percussion, or the Belgian musket imported early in the war--almost as dangerous to the person firing it as to the one aimed at--and a few new and improved arms. These were of many different calibers, a fact that caused much trouble in distributing ammunition during an engagement. The enemy had generally new arms which had run the blockade and were of uniform caliber. After the surrender I authorized all colonels whose regiments were armed with inferior muskets, to place them in the stack of captured arms and replace them with the latter.
-- The Personal Memoirs of General U. S. Grant
"Losing at Gettysburg, the Confederates had lost more than they could well afford to lose; at Vicksburg, they lost what they could not afford at all."
-- Historian Bruce Catton
Interestingly, the U.S. Navy had developed an efficient telegraph system for its fleet on the Mississippi River. The news of the fall of Vicksburg first reached the Navy Department in Washington. Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles brought the glad tidings to Lincoln, but found the President excitedly discussing Gettysburg with other Cabinet members. Rather than raise his voice, the elderly Welles indicated that he had good news by throwing his hat in the air when he entered the room.
It was a gesture that a number of Washingtonians probably imitated. By nightfall, the city was celebrating an exuberant Fourth of July as none had been celebrated since the American Revolution.
It was to be an Independence Day like no other. But the day began somberly in Washington. The news of the tremendous battle in Pennsylvania had preoccupied the whole city, but the telegraphs to the Gettysburg area were not very efficient. The news of the Union victory would not reach the capital until late in the morning.
At Helena, Arkansas, the Confederates made their attack with 7,600 infantry and cavalry. The defending Northerners had just 4,100 men, but they also had good artillery and a nearby gunboat. At first, the Rebel assault went well, and a Union redoubt with several cannon was captured. The Southerners attempted to turn the guns onto their foes, but soon discovered that the Federals had just had time to sabotage the cannon before being overrun.
More, the Confederates found out they were in a place exposed to the remaining Union guns, who knew the range. As if this weren't bad enough, the gunboat USS Tyler steamed into a good firing position, and began lobbing large-caliber shells. Soon the Southerners had had enough, and general retreat was ordered. Casualties were 57 killed,146 wounded, 36 missing for the Union, and 169 killed, 659 wounded, 786 missing for the Confederacy. The ability of the Rebels to take the offensive in Arkansas was, for the time being, at an end. And as matters turned out, it was too late to help the garrison at Vicksburg.
In Southern Tennessee, Confederate commander Braxton Bragg had decided that every position north of the Tennessee River was untenable because of Union Commander William Rosecrans' flanking moves. Without consulting his subordinates, he had ordered a retreat all the way back to Chattanooga, just a few miles north of the Georgia border. On this date, the Southern Army of Tennessee crossed the river into the city, ending possibly the most brilliant and least bloody campaign of the war. Western and Middle Tennessee were now firmly in Union hands.
At Gettysburg, the two armies were quiet. Robert E. Lee knew well that his army needed rest and reinforcements before any further offensive action, and where he was he could get the first but not the second. George Meade again waited to see what Lee would do, knowing that the Southerners had dug in to defensive positions, and believing that he could best attack when Lee's force began to move.
In the meantime, both sides had the appalling job of burying around 8,000 dead soldiers, burning the bodies of at least 3,000 dead horses, and caring for over 27,000 wounded. For miles around, nearly every building which had space was turned into a makeshift hospital. By the evening, Lee knew that he would have to retreat, and he would have to leave his most severely wounded behind to be cared for by Northern hands. But his foraging parties had collected hundreds of wagons, enough to carry the food and other supplies the invasion of Pennsylvania had captured, and to carry the wounded who could be moved, but who could not walk on their own. As darkness fell, the long retreat began.
At Vicksburg, just after midnight, Grant received the reply to his offer of parole. Pemberton requested that his men be allowed to march out of the city and stack their arms, and also for Grant to pledge that the property of private citizens would be respected. Grant did not want any of the Vicksburg garrison running off to join Johnston's relief army. He also declined to limit himself as to the seizure of property (both sides had pulled down houses when they needed wood during the siege). He did, however, allow the Confederates the dignity of marching out and stacking their arms and colors, as long as they marched back into Vicksburg to be counted for parole. Pemberton agreed, and the surrender was set for 10:00 A.M.
At the appointed hour the garrison of Vicksburg marched out of their works and formed line in front, stacked arms and marched back in good order. Our whole army present witnessed this scene without cheering. Logan's division, which had approached nearest the rebel works, was the first to march in . . . Our soldiers were no sooner inside the lines than the two armies began to fraternize. Our men had had full rations from the time the siege commenced, to the close. The enemy had been suffering, particularly towards the last. I myself saw our men taking bread from their haversacks and giving it to the enemy they had so recently been engaged in starving out. It was accepted with avidity and thanks.
--The Personal Memoirs of General U. S. Grant
Evidence of how valuable Vicksburg, and the supply route it had guarded, was to the Confederacy was quickly found. It was discovered, for one of the few times in the entire war, that the Southerners had actually been better equipped than the Northerners:
At Vicksburg 31,600 prisoners were surrendered, together with 172 cannon about 60,000 muskets and a large amount of ammunition. The small-arms of the enemy were far superior to the bulk of ours. Up to this time our troops at the West had been limited to the old United States flint-lock muskets changed into percussion, or the Belgian musket imported early in the war--almost as dangerous to the person firing it as to the one aimed at--and a few new and improved arms. These were of many different calibers, a fact that caused much trouble in distributing ammunition during an engagement. The enemy had generally new arms which had run the blockade and were of uniform caliber. After the surrender I authorized all colonels whose regiments were armed with inferior muskets, to place them in the stack of captured arms and replace them with the latter.
-- The Personal Memoirs of General U. S. Grant
"Losing at Gettysburg, the Confederates had lost more than they could well afford to lose; at Vicksburg, they lost what they could not afford at all."
-- Historian Bruce Catton
Interestingly, the U.S. Navy had developed an efficient telegraph system for its fleet on the Mississippi River. The news of the fall of Vicksburg first reached the Navy Department in Washington. Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles brought the glad tidings to Lincoln, but found the President excitedly discussing Gettysburg with other Cabinet members. Rather than raise his voice, the elderly Welles indicated that he had good news by throwing his hat in the air when he entered the room.
It was a gesture that a number of Washingtonians probably imitated. By nightfall, the city was celebrating an exuberant Fourth of July as none had been celebrated since the American Revolution.