It had been a long campaign–as far back as October 1862, Grant had begun his attempt to reduce the stronghold. His first plan envisaged an advance along the Mississippi Central Railroad combined with a water movement against Chickasaw Bluffs by Major General William T. Sherman. The overland campaign was stopped by 3,500 Confederate cavalrymen under Major General Earl Van Dorn, who captured Grant’s advanced base at Holly Springs, Mississippi, December 20-25, while Nathan B. Forrest’s cavalry destroyed 60 miles of railroad north of Jackson, Tenn. Sherman failed, also, at Chickasaw Bluffs.

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George F. Daniel, 53d Regiment Illinois Volunteers, described the affair at Holly Springs: ‘Our regiment was left here to guard the railroad and 10,000 Secesh came in and took them prisoners and paroled them and burnt a part of the town and destroyed a large supply of provisions and clothing and left.’

Undaunted by these failures Grant attempted other stratagems. Four expeditions through the Bayous (February to April 1863) were unsuccessful. On March 29, 1863, he began the campaign that was to end in success, moving his army to the south of Vicksburg. Admiral D. D. Porter’s fleet ran the Vicksburg batteries with little damage. Grant advanced rapidly, cutting loose from his base and placing his army between the two Confederate forces opposing him. So successful was he that by May 19 he had Vicksburg surrounded. A general assault on that day failed. Another attempt on May 22 was beaten back.

Orderly Sergeant W. W. Gardner of Company C, 1st Battalion 13th U. S. Infantry, in a letter written on May 25, 1863, to Dr. Levi Fuller of West Union, Iowa, tells of the attack:

‘…The order was given to charge. In an instant our brave boys moved over the hill at the double quick through a most deadly cross fire of grape, canister shot, and shell but we heeded it not….

‘As we were crossing a deep ravine we received a most terrible cross fire, the balls coming like a dense hail storm. It was here that Captain Washington fell mortally wounded while cheering on his men. Here, too, fell our brave Color Sergeant, Sergeant James E. Brown of Howard County; he fell dead pierced by a ball through the head. No sooner had he fallen than the colors were hoisted by another who met with the same fate, until five different men were either killed or wounded with the colors. The fire at this moment being so terrible our men almost began to falter, but thank God they did not fall back an inch, but pressed forward to within 50 yards of the fort; here they had to take shelter behind fallen trees and stumps, to keep from being annihilated. We were now under fire from our own batteries, and infantry in our rear. But ten of our men got to the fort in safety, and I was one of that number; our ten men could do nothing in such a place as this. While lying in the ditch that surrounds the fort, I expected every minute would be our last. The fire from our own men behind us was so terrible, that we dared not move for fear of being shot by them. Here we lay with our bayonets fixed and our guns at a ready expecting that the rebels would discover our retreat and raise up over their breastworks to shoot us. But fortunately for us they did not see us. We remained here until sundown when we made good our exit from our almost living grave. Had we remained there until dark we would have been taken prisoners. We now returned to our regiment, which was lying on the side of the hill and at dark made our way off the battle field as best we could.’

Mrs. W. W. Lord, who was a resident of Vicksburg, saw this repulse in a different light:

‘…Towards evening the glorious news was brought in that in three tremendous charges by the enemy they had been repulsed with terrific slaughter. Then began the reincarnation of our army-men who had been gloomy and desponding men once more stood erect and hurled defiance at the foe.’

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