GRANT
GRANT
appointed general-in-chief of all the Federal
forces; on July 15 Grant returned to Coriutli as
commander of the army of the Tennessee, and
on October 25 he was made commander of the
department of the Tennessee, hicludiug Cairo,
Forts Donclson and Henry, Nortli Jlississippi, and
Kentucky and Tennessee west of the Tennessee
river. On Sept. 19-30. 1863, the battle of luka was
fought and on October 3-4 the battle of Corinth,
when the Confederates were repulsed with great
loss, and on the 5th the battle of the llatchie River
took place, which still further deiuonilized the
Confederate forces and Grant piu-sued the retreat-
ing army into Mississippi. On Nov. 4, 1863, he
seized Grand Junction and La Grange, on the
13th the cavalry occupied Holly Springs, aiul on
December 5 Grant reached Oxford. On the 8th
he ordered Slierman to take transports down the
Mississippi to co-operate in the attack on Vicks-
burg, and on December 20 the Confederates
recaptured Holly Springs where the Federal
government had a large supply of stores. This
determined Grant to abandon the land expedition
and lie took personal command of the expedition
down the Mississippi, establisliing his headquar-
ters at Memphis, Jan. 10, 1863, and on the 39th
with 50,000 men, in co-operation with Admiral
Porter's gunboat fleet of 380 guns and 800 men
and with the army of General Banks who was
ascending the Mississippi from New Orleans to
capture Port Hudson, he began the investment
of Vicksburg, with the purpose of besieging the
city from the high groimd to the east of the
place. He constructed a canal across the penin-
sular to open a line for supplies, but was detained
by high water and constant breaking of the
levees from carrying out the plan. He next
undertook to turn the Mississiijpi from its course
by opening a new channel to the Red river, but
this plan, too, was abandoned. He then deter-
mined to run the batteries of Vicksburg and
ferry the army across the river thirty miles
south of Vicksburg and march to the rear of the
city by way of Port Gibson. He drove General
Bowen, the Confederate commander, out of the
place, routed his army, captured 650 prisoners,
took possession. May 1, 1863, entering Grand Gulf
on the 15tli. Pemberton was at Vicksburg with
53,000 men, Joseph E. Johnston at Jack.son with
an equally effective army, and Grant placed his
force between the two armies and determined to
prevent their concentration. He defeated Johns-
ton at Raymond, May 12, 1863, captured the city
of Jackson on the 14th and attacked Pemberton
at Champion's Hill on the 16th, defeating him
and causing a Confederate loss Of 4000 killed and
wounded, besides 3000 prisoners and 30 guns.
He carried Big Black River bridge. May 17,
where he captured 1757 prisoners and 18 guns
and on the 18tli drove Pemberton's army within
the vrorks at Vicksburg. The siege began May
33 and by June 30 the Federal army had 320 field
guns in position and 71,000 troops who, besides
conducting the siege, had to defend their rear
against the army of Johnston, work night and day
in mining the enemy's works, and meet the con-
stant assaults in front and rear. General Pember-
ton surrendered July 4, 1863, with 31,600 officers
and men, 173 cannon, 60,000 muskets and quan-
tities of ammunition. On the fall of Vicksburg,
Port Hudson surrendered to General Banks and
the Mississippi river was opened to the Federal
army. Grant was made a major-general in the
regular army and congress voted a gold medal to
him and its thanks to him and his army. He
proposed to the government at Washington that
he move on Mobile, but was overruled and his
army was divided up to reinforce Banks and
Schofield and for use in Kentucky. He then
visited New Orleans where he was injured by a
fall of his horse. On recovering from his injury
he returned to Vicksburg and on Oct. 6, 1863,
was directed to send what force he could to
Chattanooga to co-operate with Rosecrans and to
report at Cairo to take command of the military
district of the Mississippi. He reached the place
October 16 and on Oct. 33, 1863, assumed com-
mand of the army at Chattanooga and concen-
trated his troops around the place. The same
day he assaulted the enemy's lines, continued the
assault on the 34th, and on the 35th repelled the
lines and drove the Confederates out of Tennessee
after capturing 6443 men, 40 pieces of artillery,
and 7000 stand of small arms. He was in Knox-
ville, Tenu., December 35-38, and then went to
Nashville where he established liis headquarters,
Jan. 13, 1864. On March 1, 1864, he was nomi-
nated by President Lincoln for lieutenant-gen-
eral, the rank having b,>en revived by congi'ess,
and on March 3 the appointment was confirmed
by the senate. He arrived in Washington, D.C.,.
on the 8th and there first met President Lincoln
on the 9th and received from him his commission.
He was given command of the entire Federal
army, March 13, 1864, and establislied his head-
quarters at Culpeper, Va. , on the 36th. He planned
a vigorous and continuous movement against the
armies of the Confederacy wherever stationed,
and assigned Sherman to move against Johnston,
Banks to operate against Jlobile, Sigel against
Breckinridge, Butler against Richmond from the
south of the James, and Meade to cover Washing-
ton and assume the offensive against the army
of Lee —all to move, Maj' 4, 1864. Grant fought
the battle of the Wilderness, May 5-6 and 7. On
the morningof the llthhesentto Washington the
famous sentence, " I propose to fight it- out
on this line if it takes all summer," and there