The Failed Vicksburg Canal

One of the primary goals of the Union was to deprive the Confederacy of the use of the Mississippi River. Whomever controlled the vital water source and her myriad of tributaries would control the heartland of America. Union victories at Fort Henry, Fort Donelson, Island No. 10 and elsewhere quickly brought the upper waters under Union control. Only one, very stubborn obstacle stood in the way — Vicksburg.

An early attempt to circumvent the Vicksburg defenses was to build a canal across a sharp bend, DeSoto Point, bypassing the city. Gunboats of the West Gulf Blockading Squadron under David Farragut bombarded the city while 3,000 Union troops began construction on the canal. Begun on June 27, 1862, the canal was built to a depth of 13 ft. and width of 18 ft. The oppressive summer heat took a heavy toll on the workers and over 1,000 "contraband" African-Americans were brought in to assist. It became apparent that the river would not cooperate by changing course and it was temporarily abandoned. 

Despite having little faith in the enterprise, Union General Ulysses S. Grant reinitiated work in January 1863 to keep his troops busy. Efforts were abandoned soon after one of the end dams broke, flooding the canal with water and sediment. Grant laid siege to the city in May and accepted its surrender on July 4th.

Ironically, the Mississippi River, which would not cooperate during the war, eventually did change course — in 1876, limiting Vicksburg's access to the river. A short portion of the  canal still exists and can be visited as a unit of Vicksburg National Military Park.

Battle of Assaye

The Battle of Assaye was contested between the British East India Company and the Maratha during the Second Anglo-Maratha War. Forces led by Arthur Wellesley, the future Duke of Wellington and victor over Napoleon at Waterloo,  defeated the combined armies of the Rajah of Berar and Daulat Scindia.

The Battle took place on September 23, 1803 near the village of Assaye in western India. Wellesley's plan to surprise the Maratha camp was foiled by a Maratha army under the leadership of German Colonel Anthony Pohlmann. Though outnumbered Wellesley pressed the attack. Both sides suffered heavy casualties — the British 1600 of their 9500 men; the Maratha's 6000. Repeated bayonet and cavalry charges eventually forced the Maratha army to quit the field. Along with victories at Ahmednagar, Gawilghur and Aragon, Wellesley's campaign greatly advanced Great Britain's effort to become India's dominant power well into the 20th Century.

Battle of Fort Wayne

Can't find a map, but it is worth noting that today marks the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Fort Wayne, fought in northeastern Oklahoma Territory on October 22, 1862. Maj. General James Blunt led a surprise attack on a Confederate camp that drove the Rebels to the Arkansas River and resulted in the capture of the baggage train and fifty prisoners.

Japanese Official Surrender

Okay, it is not a map. However, as a follow-up to a post about the Japanese surrender several weeks ago, I believe this photo is appropriate for today (actually two days ago, can't believe I missed it). September 2, 1945 marked the end of the Second World War. At the cost of an estimated 50 million lives the world could once again live in relative peace. While many people believe all WW2 photographs are black & white, a surprising number of color photos exist. Here the somber Japanese delegation boards the USS Missouri for the signing of documents officially ending the war. Contrary to Japanese belief, the Allied powers did not eliminate the Emperor but instead helped Japan rebuild into one of the great industrial nations of the latter half of the twentieth century.

V-J Day

Today marks V-J Day,  the 57th anniversary go Japan's agreement to surrender unconditionally. The surrender came as a relief to Allied commanders who faced the daunting task of invading the Japanese home islands. Operation Olympic was the planned October 1945 (X-Day would have been November 1st) invasion of the Japanese island of Kyushu. Bases established by the capture of Kyushu would have supported the spring 1946 invasion of the Kanto Plain near Tokyo on the island of Honshu.

American soldiers did not doubt the will of the Japanese to fight tenaciously even when defeat was obvious. Having witnessed mass suicides by Japanese civilians during the battle of Okinawa, Allied planners expected to encounter resistance from not only the Japanese soldiers but civilians. Estimated American casualty rates varied wildly. General Douglas MacArthur's staff estimated 105,000 casualties in the first 120 days. A report put together for Secretary of State Henry Stimson suggested that casualties could reach four million!

V-J Day eliminated the need for an invasion of the Japanese home islands. The surrender was formalized on September 2, 1945 onboard the battleship Missouri. MacArthur was named Supreme Allied Commander (SCAP). In this position, arguably the most powerful position ever held by an American, MacArthur rewrote the Japanese constitution and initiated post-war reconstruction.

149th Anniversary of the Siege of Vicksburg

Today marks the 236th anniversary of the founding of the United States. It also marks the anniversary of one of the greatest events of the American Civil War, the surrender of Vicksburg, Mississippi. Major General Ulysses S. Grant's campaign to isolate and subdue Vicksburg, and thus assure Union control of the Mississippi, has been documented on this blog.

The Battle of Big Black River Bridge was the last event before the commencement of the siege of Vicksburg. Lt. General John C. Pemberton pulled his 18,500 weary troops into the 6.5 miles of defensive works surrounding Vicksburg on May 17, 1863. Grant's 35,000 troops converged and prepared for the final assault. The May 19th union assault was repulsed with almost 1,000 Union casualties. Confederate losses were less than 100. A more cautious assault on the 22nd was also repulsed. Unfortunately, Maj. General John A. McClernand dispatched false reports of success in breeching the Confederate defenses, leading Grant to pour more troops into the cauldron. Union casualties numbered over 3,000 while Confederate losses amounted to approximately 500.

Realizing the futility of direct attacks, Grant decided to starve the city into submission. He was assisted in this task by Union gunboats that lobbed a steady stream (over 22,000 in all) of shells into the city, forcing Rebel soldiers and citizens to burrow caves in the yellow clay hills. over the next six weeks, both sides, sweltering under the hot summer sun, worked to extend and fortify their lines. Snipers kept a watch out for anyone brave enough to expose themselves. One major attempt to breach the lines occurred on June 25th when Union soldiers, having mined under the 3rd Louisiana Redan, blew the fortification into the sky, leaving a 40-foot crater in its place. Federal troops, rushing into the crater, were easily disposed of by Rebel troops who rolled artillery shells with fuses into the crater.

The fate of the Rebels became apparent as June gave way to July. Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston was not coming to rescue the beleaguered. Grant continued to receive fresh troops and supplies while Pemberton's men weakened from malnutrition. On July 3rd Pemberton started negotiations with Grant believing that he would receive better terms from the Federals on Independence Day than any other day of the year. The surrender was formalized on July 4th and Union forces entered the city. The Union troops, long at odds with their Souther counterparts, were gracious, sharing their rations with the defeated soldiers.

Coupled with the defeat and retreat of General Robert E. Lee's forces at Gettysburg on July 3rd, Abraham Lincoln rejoiced at the news of the fall of Vicksburg, stating, "The Father of Waters again goes unvexed to the sea."

A portion of the original battlefield lies in the Vicksburg National Military Park on the northeastern corner of this map. The park is worth a visit in that the undulating terrain underscores the immense challenges faced by Union forces who desired to bring the siege to a quick conclusion.

Battle of Big Black River Bridge

The day after the near-run Battle of Champion's Hill, Confederate General John C. Pemberton was fighting to save his army for a last stand at Vicksburg. The last natural barrier between Union forces under Ulysses S. Grant and Vicksburg was the Big Black River. Pemberton ordered Brig. General John S. Bowen to defend the crossing with just three brigades while soldiers crossed over a bridge and a steamboat positioned as a bridge. The Confederates hastily constructed a breastworks made out of cotton bales lined up against a bayou.

John A. McClernand's XIII Corps closed in on the defenders. Brig. General Michael K. Lawler led his brigade in an assault that carried them through waist-deep water to the breastworks. The rebels broke and attempted to cross the river any way possible. Over 1700 Confederates were captured, killed in combat or drowned attempting to cross the river. The rebels who succeeded in crossing burned the bridge and steamboat, but merely delayed what was to come — Grant would place Vicksburg under siege.