Donald Miller Vicksburg

[tony_gunter]

Something that just struck me as wild about Donald Miller's Vicksburg book …

The meat of the Vicksburg Campaign is Bruinsburg to Big Black River. Sure, it's a period of only 18 days, but the story of those 18 days is an absolute nail-biter. Surprise encounters, lightning marches, cavalry raids, bloody toe-to-toe fights, close calls, all while the Confederates are rushing tens of thousands of reinforcements towards Vicksburg to stop Grant's army as the fate of the war itself sits squarely on the shoulders of Pemberton, Johnston, and Grant.

The portion of Miller's book that covers this period is 40 pages. Of a 500 page book.

 

[Sowbelly and Hardtack]

 

[tony_gunter]

It would take me longer to watch one of those videos than to read his section that covers Bruinsburg to Big Black River.

 

[bankerpapaw]

Just finished Mr. Miller's book. Excellent read. Question: Did Grant's troops do more damage to the surrounding countryside than Sherman's March? Grant's men did a lot of looting and burning.

 

[tony_gunter]

Just finished Mr. Miller's book. Excellent read. Question: Did Grant's troops do more damage to the surrounding countryside than Sherman's March? Grant's men did a lot of looting and burning.

Probably about the same. Both areas have a suspiciously large number of antebellum structures standing for it to have been as destructive as legend would have you believe.

There wasn't a lot of time for policing the troops' behavior. They were authorized for foraging and destruction of anything with military value, troops tended to forage for food but also took liberties with valuables and occasionally destroyed property with no military value.

Sherman on the way to Vicksburg caught some soldiers burning a mill and had them arrested. A court martial cleared them of all charges, which frustrated the hell out of Sherman.

If you really want to see Sherman at his most "I give zero expletives" read some personal accounts from the Meridian Campaign. Sherman was fresh from being denied justice by the court martial and had just lost his son. He literally applied no effort to keeping the troops in line.

 

[CavTrooper]

I am several chapters into Miller's book now. I actually love the way he starts at Cairo. For all of the detail, I will read Smith's books. But starting at Cairo puts the strategy in context and I think shows how Grant was a good strategist as well, seeing the big picture of the war in the West.

 

[johncla]

Grant was a good strategist as well

Oh my goodness, double dittos!
Something in your post made me think of the career issues Grant was facing simultaneous with the strictly military problems. At one level he was worried about the prospects for his campaign - he felt he couldn't handle another apparent "retreat" after the collapse of the 2-prong December '62 attack, thus the multiple crazy experiments during flood season. Then, the problems fending off Generals Banks and Halleck.
If you think he was paranoid, look at what happened to him after his great victory over Pemberton - he was sidelined!! All this in the context of his immediate past as a drunk, failed store clerk. Grant was juggling lots of balls at once. Very interesting situation.

 

[DixieRifles]

If you really want to see Sherman at his most "I give zero expletives" read some personal accounts from the Meridian Campaign. Sherman was fresh from being denied justice by the court martial and had just lost his son. He literally applied no effort to keeping the troops in line.

Willie became ill while General Sherman and his family were traveling up the Mississippi River in October 1863. When they arrived at Memphis, they took Willie to the Gayoso Hotel where he died Oct 3rd. I think this may have influenced General Sherman's actions at the Battle of Collierville the following week.

The Meridian Campaign was 4 months after Willie's death.

 

[tony_gunter]

Willie became ill while General Sherman and his family were traveling up the Mississippi River in October 1863. When they arrived at Memphis, they took Willie to the Gayoso Hotel where he died Oct 3rd. I think this may have influenced General Sherman's actions at the Battle of Collierville the following week.

The Meridian Campaign was 4 months after Willie's death.

4 months is still pretty fresh with regard to the death of a close loved one, much more so for your own child.

 

[Siegemaster]

Something that just struck me as wild about Donald Miller's Vicksburg book …

The meat of the Vicksburg Campaign is Bruinsburg to Big Black River. Sure, it's a period of only 18 days, but the story of those 18 days is an absolute nail-biter. Surprise encounters, lightning marches, cavalry raids, bloody toe-to-toe fights, close calls, all while the Confederates are rushing tens of thousands of reinforcements towards Vicksburg to stop Grant's army as the fate of the war itself sits squarely on the shoulders of Pemberton, Johnston, and Grant.

The portion of Miller's book that covers this period is 40 pages. Of a 500 page book.

Glad to see Tim Smith new book gives much more coverage of this most brilliant campaign. Starting to read it tonight.

 

[tony_gunter]

Glad to see Tim Smith new book gives much more coverage of this most brilliant campaign. Starting to read it tonight.

If you've read Ballard or Bearrs, you'll be disappointed I'm afraid. It's basically a regurgitation of previous material on the topic, and he says as much in the preface to the book.

 

[Bradley]

If you've read Ballard or Bearrs, you'll be disappointed I'm afraid. It's basically a regurgitation of previous material on the topic, and he says as much in the preface to the book.

I'm finishing up Bearss' third volume this week and will read Smith's five volumes, next. There are a lot of things that I suspect Smith will improve upon. We'll see.

 

[Kathy the history sleuth]

I enjoyed this presentation.

 

[huskerblitz]

I'm finishing up Bearss' third volume this week and will read Smith's five volumes, next. There are a lot of things that I suspect Smith will improve upon. We'll see.

He does. Tony does comes to his own conclusions based on his research and knowledge of the campaign, so he doesn't seem to agree with the accepted scholarship.

 

[tony_gunter]

He does. Tony does comes to his own conclusions based on his research and knowledge of the campaign, so he doesn't seem to agree with the accepted scholarship.

I thought he was talking specifically about the latest book. The other volumes are different from this one, and Smith pours a lot of research into them. This one, he all but says he's basing it on the material already presented but trying to cover it from an "operational" level. So he didn't actually deep-dive into any of the battles, which I was sad to see.

 

[huskerblitz]

I'm just about 100 pages in and hope to pick it back up tonight after being sick most of this past week. So can't comment much accept on what I've read so far.

But I think Smith does a fine job in his previous four entries and has made this series the best treatment of the entire campaign.

 

[Siegemaster]

I'm just about 100 pages in and hope to pick it back up tonight after being sick most of this past week. So can't comment much accept on what I've read so far.

But I think Smith does a fine job in his previous four entries and has made this series the best treatment of the entire campaign.

Completely agree. I love that, as an intended series, Smith does not recover much ground already covered. When I started his new Campaign book, I expected to relive the Halleck-Grant-McClernand drama.

He immediately began answering in-depth questions I hear on my 9-hour Campaign tours. The whys, Grant's thoughts and fears as they are moving, the blending of old and revolutionary methods of war.

This book provides the mortar that connects all of his other books regarding the campaign for Vicksburg. As someone who has studied this virtually my entire life, I never knew how much I didn't know about the inner thinkings of these armies. I have already worn out one highlighter lol.

 

[Bradley]

That's a great endorsement. I have 50+ pages of notes for Bearss' trilogy. Will be interesting to see my page count after reading Smith's books.