Siege of Vicksburg
The Failed Union Assaults of May 1863
Judging the morale of the Confederate army defending Vicksburg under General John C. Pemberton to be very low after their humiliating defeat at the Battle of the Big Black River, Union General Grant ordered his three army corps commanders (Generals Sherman, McClernand and McPherson) to prepare for an immediate attack, but only Sherman was ready.
The First Attack
Following an extensive artillery bombardment, Sherman sent his men forward in a serious assault on the northern end of the Vicksburg defenses on the afternoon of May 19, 1863. The defenses consisted principally of a series of earthen forts protected by ditches. Each fort contained several cannons and infantrymen with additional riflemen in pits nearby. In addition the defenders took advantage of the terrain, which consisted of rolling hills with deep ravines in between. In the ravines the Southerners had placed numerous felled trees. Many of Sherman's men got bogged down in these ravines and could go no further. Only one unit was able to reach the main Confederate line and it was forced back by the withering fire of the determined defenders. Union losses in the assault amounted to over 1000 men. Less than 200 Confederates were killed and wounded in the day's fighting.
The Second Attack
One of the reasons for the failure of the first attack was poor reconnaissance of the ground by commanders prior to the assault. Another factor was that the non-participation of the other Union corps commanders allowed the Confederates to concentrate their defense against Sherman's men. After a thorough review of the defensive works, Grant ordered a second assault for May 22. This time it would be a general attack by all three army corps. The defenders used the time between attacks to strengthen their fortifications. The parapets of the forts were raised higher and many of the rifle pits were connected making them into continuous trenches.
At dawn on May 22 a tremendous artillery bombardment was unleashed against the Vicksburg defenders by the Union army. At the same time Union gunboats in the Mississippi River added their guns to the shelling that the defenders were forced to endure. At ten o'clock the artillery pieces fell silent and all along a three mile front the Union attack moved forward. Sherman again attacked in the north. McClernand's corps moved out from the south and McPherson's men filled up the space between.
Some of Sherman's men, led by a group of 150 volunteers dubbed the Forlorn Hope, reached the ditch in front of a fort called the Stockade Redan. A few managed to scramble up the steep face of the fort but could go no further. Most of Sherman's men got bogged down on the narrow approach road or were caught between the lines. Large numbers of casualties occurred as a result. The men hung on as best they could until nightfall when the survivors were able to withdraw under cover of darkness. At the other end of the line, McClernand and McPherson achieved very little in their assaults. The biggest gain of the day was registered by one of McClernand's division when it captured a small fort on the Rebel line. But Pemberton quickly rushed reinforcements to the location and a determined counterattack drove the attackers out and re-established the original defense line. Union loses for the day were over 3000 men. The Confederates had less than 500 killed and wounded.
Impact of the Attacks
The failure of the attacks proved to General Grant that he could not carry Vicksburg by assault. He began the construction of siege works which ultimately led to the surrender of the garrison.
Sources:
Foote, Shelby, The Beleaguered City: The Vicksburg Campaign. NY: The Modern Library, 1995.
Vicksburg National Military Park.
Attack of May 22
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