History of the United States, Volume 4 | Page 6

Hall, JR. The Battle of the Rams at Memphis,
June 6, 1862.
On February 2d the largest fleet that had ever sailed under the
American flag left Fortress Monroe for the mouth of the Mississippi,
commanded by Commodore Farragut. It consisted of 16 gunboats, 21
mortar-schooners, six sloops of war, and five other vessels. Fifteen
thousand land troops, under General Butler, soon followed. Thirty
miles below New Orleans Forts Jackson and St. Philip, mounting 100
guns, frowned at each other across the Mississippi. Farragut's fleet
sailed up the river and the mortar-schooners were moored to the banks
within range of the forts. Boughs were tied to the top-masts so that the
enemy could not distinguish them from the trees along the shore. April
18th the mortars began shelling the forts. An incessant fire was kept up
night and day, for six days, till nearly 6,000 shells had been thrown.
[Illustration: Map.] Memphis to Iuka. 1862.
As the forts sustained little damage, Farragut decided to run the
batteries. A gunboat stole up by night and cut the boom of hulks
chained together, which crossed the river just below the forts. Some of
the boats were rubbed over with mud to make them invisible, and chain
cables hung over the sides to protect the engines. About half past two in
the night of April 23d the fleet moved up the river through the gap in

the boom. The enemy, on the alert, launched fire-rafts and lit bonfires
to lift the cover of night. Old Jackson and St. Philip poured a hot fire
into the fleet as vessel after vessel slowly steamed past, answering with
its most spiteful broadsides.
But the Union craft had more than the forts against them. Once past the
boom they were in the midst of a hostile fleet of fifteen vessels,
including a dangerous ironclad ram. A fierce water-fight followed. The
Union Varuna was sunk; the flag-ship Hartford set on fire by one of the
fire-rafts. The flames, however, were soon put out. Other vessels were
disabled. But every one of the Confederate ships was captured or
destroyed, and Jackson and St. Philip had to surrender. Farragut then
sailed up the river and took possession of New Orleans without
resistance. Butler at once occupied the city with his troops, and the
Stars and Stripes again waved over the Crescent City. Since that
eventful day New Orleans has never been in disunionist hands.
After the battle of Pittsburg Landing, Halleck himself came down from
St. Louis, and took the reins. Grant was nominally in command under
him, but had next to nothing to do. Re-enforced by 25,000 men under
Pope, Halleck slowly advanced toward Corinth, entering the place May
30th, Beauregard having evacuated it May 29th. A few Quaker
guns--logs mounted on wagon-wheels--were the only trophies. Halleck
now had 110,000 effectives, Beauregard less than 60,000. Halleck lay
inactive at Corinth for six weeks, when he was summoned to
Washington as General-in-Chief.
[Illustration: Portrait.] Farragut in the Main-Rigging. From the original
by William Page.
Grant once more took command of the forces about Corinth, which
re-enforcements to Eastern Tennessee soon reduced to 42,000. With
these he was expected to guard 200 miles of railroad, from Memphis to
Decatur in Northern Alabama. The Confederates under Van Dorn and
Price attempted to regain Corinth, but in the battles of Iuka, September
19th, and Corinth, October 3d and 4th, were repulsed with heavy losses.
Grant then took the offensive. Vicksburg, about half-way from north to
south on Mississippi's western boundary, was the only stronghold left

to the Confederates on the great river. Its capture would ideally
complete the western campaign. Grant's plan was for Sherman to
descend the river from Memphis, while he himself simultaneously
attacked Vicksburg by land.
[Illustration: Portrait.] General Henry W. Halleck.
[1863]
So long as the stout-hearted general continued his march south all his
supplies had to be brought over the Mississippi Central Railroad from
Holly Springs, near the Tennessee border. A troop of 3,500
Confederate cavalry, making a long detour around his army, swooped
down upon Holly Springs, December 20th, captured the garrison of
1,300 men, and destroyed all the stores, valued at $2,000,000. For two
weeks the Union army had to live from the enemy's country, and then
after all to fall back to Holly Springs. Meanwhile Sherman, ignorant of
his superior's ill fortune, descended the Mississippi, and with a force of
30,000 made during the last days of the year an unsuccessful attack
upon Vicksburg.
Very early in January, 1863, McClernand arrived near Vicksburg with
re-enforcements. The last of the month, Grant, who had given up the
land expedition, took command in person. Sherman's repulse had
shown that Vicksburg could not be taken from the water side. A
position must be gained in the rear. This seemed, and