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- Apr 4, 2017
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https://civilwarmonths.com/2023/06/18/vicksburg-grant-removes-mcclernand/ After June 15, 1863 news would have been trickling down from Memphis that Lee's army was headed north. As the days passed the US commanders in Mississippi most likely concluded that Lee was too far north to reinforce Bragg and General Bragg was then unable to reinforce Joe Johnstone's army. I think it was June 18, 1863 that Grant decided the situation was stable enough to relieve McClernand. John Rawlins wanted it over immediately and James Wilson gleefully delivered the order.
By June 21-22, 1863 it became apparent that the Confederate garrison at Vicksburg was going to have to surrender.
Grant planned his assault on the Confederate lines for July 6. That would give the US sappers time to finish their tunnels and trenches, and time for the Confederates to see the uselessness of further fighting.
Many reasons have been proposed as motivating Grant to allow parole for the Confederates at Vicksburg. I believe that he saw the US victory at Vicksburg as the beginning of the end and wanted the defeated Confederates disbursed into the secessionist states to spread the news. Since the weather was warm, some Confederate soldiers inevitably disbursed into US occupied Tennessee and Kentucky. Others recrossed the river and were no longer available to the main Confederate armies. Other Confederates refused the parole and were willing to go north in summer to await possible exchange.
The main official reason was to keep the US transport capacity available to reinforce the Banks' army at Port Hudson. I think by July the US had enough steamboats available to relay troops to Port Hudson and also begin sending prisoners north to St. Louis and points further north. If the Confederates were paroled, then the US commissary did not have to feed them. And the US would not be responsible for the men who were too sick to survive being sent north and imprisoned in a dirty POW camp.
By June 21-22, 1863 it became apparent that the Confederate garrison at Vicksburg was going to have to surrender.
Grant planned his assault on the Confederate lines for July 6. That would give the US sappers time to finish their tunnels and trenches, and time for the Confederates to see the uselessness of further fighting.
Many reasons have been proposed as motivating Grant to allow parole for the Confederates at Vicksburg. I believe that he saw the US victory at Vicksburg as the beginning of the end and wanted the defeated Confederates disbursed into the secessionist states to spread the news. Since the weather was warm, some Confederate soldiers inevitably disbursed into US occupied Tennessee and Kentucky. Others recrossed the river and were no longer available to the main Confederate armies. Other Confederates refused the parole and were willing to go north in summer to await possible exchange.
The main official reason was to keep the US transport capacity available to reinforce the Banks' army at Port Hudson. I think by July the US had enough steamboats available to relay troops to Port Hudson and also begin sending prisoners north to St. Louis and points further north. If the Confederates were paroled, then the US commissary did not have to feed them. And the US would not be responsible for the men who were too sick to survive being sent north and imprisoned in a dirty POW camp.
Bringing the