Today in History:

249 Series I Volume XXIV-I Serial 36 - Vicksburg Part I

Page 249 Chapter XXXVI] GENERAL REPORTS.

and to show that in his short campaign General Pemberton made not a single movement in obedience to my orders and regarded none of my instructions, and, finally, did not embrace the only opportunity to save his army-that given by my order to abandon Vicksburg.

Most respectfully, your obedient servant,

J. E. Johnston,

General

General S. COOPER,

Adjutant and Inspector General.

MERIDIAN, December 6, 1863.

Major A. P. MASON, Richmond, Va.:

Amend my report by inserting after "force," in the paragraph beginning "Small as was this force," the words"about 24,000 infantry and artillery. "* Leave the remainder of the paragraph as it is now.

J. E. Johnston.


Numbers 11. Reports of Lieutenant General John C. Pemberton, C. S. Army, commanding Department of Mississippi and Eastern Louisiana, of operations April 4-July 4.


HEADQUARTERS, Gainesville, Ala., August 25, 1863.

GENERAL: I have the honor to forward, by the hands of my aide-decamp (Lieutenant J. H. Morrison), my report of the operations previous to and during the siege of Vicksburg, together with the reports of subordinate commanders and Appendices A. B, and C. The report is, necessarily, very voluminous, but as brief as I could make it.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
J. C. PEMBERTON,

Lieutenant-General.

General S. COOPER,

Adjutant and Inspector General, Richmond, Va.

P. S. -I leave tomorrow morning for Demopolis; thence to Atlanta.

[Inclosure.]


HEADQUARTERS,
Gainesville, Ala., August 2, 1863.

GENERAL: At the earliest moment compatible with the performance of other and very pressing duties, I have the honor to present the following report of the operations of the troops in the Department of Mississippi and Eastern Louisiana preceding and during the siege resulting in the capitulation of Vicksburg:

The enemy, after long-continued and strenuous efforts to reach the right flank of Vicksburg by forcing a passage through the Upper Yazoo River, finally relinquished his design, and on the night of April 4 and 5 re-embarked his troops, and before daylight was in rapid retreat. About the same time a heavy force of the enemy, which had been collected at Baton Rouge, was mostly withdrawn and transferred to Western Louis-

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*See p. 242.

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Page 249 Chapter XXXVI] GENERAL REPORTS.