Pemberton a scapegoat?

[major bill]

Without the Union Navy, it is possible that Pemberton could have prevailed. One question I have always had of Pemberton is about the Union Navy. What was the prevailing view of a fleet being able to run past the guns of Vicksburg? Is it possible that Pemberton was relying on the Union Navy being unable to get past Vicksburg or being destroyed by his guns? We could ask our naval experts, but I am not sure any general could have predicted the ability of the Union Navy to aid Grant in the way they did. Take away the Union Navy and the Vicksburg campaign might have went very differently. I do not believe either Pemberton or Johnston had any clue that Grant could accomplish this move around Vicksburg and neither had any plans to counter it.

 

[Nytram01]

Interesting I didn't know Pemperton...

I just read the Wiki account of Pemperton. Pemperton...Pemperton...Pemperton...Pemperton...

Per that article Pemperton...Pemperton...Pemperton...

Maybe Pemperton...Pemperton...Pemperton...

I'm sorry. This is once too many for my taste. One time is a typo - repeatedly is deliberate. The name is in the title of the thread. It's Pemberton no Pemperton. It's just getting on my nerves, that's all.

 

[Nytram01]

...Had Johnston came sooner when Grant was further south then maybe there was a chance, but with Johnston delaying it was already a done deal when the Union troops came up through Mississippi.

The case can certainly be made that Johnston could have acted before the end of May and attempted ot strike at the Federals before they were fully invested within their seige of Vicksburg, and Johnston certainly should be blamed for stripping Mississippi of it's Cavalry and conslodiating that with Bragg, but I dont think he can be acused of "delaying" and failing to "come sooner" when "Grant was further south" because he was with the Army of Tennessee on the orders of Davis at the time.

He had been sent to the AoT to take command from Bragg while Bragg travelled to Richmond for consulation with the President. Upon arriving he discovered Bragg's wife was ill and delayed assuming command so Bragg could put off answering his summons to Richmond to be with his wife, then he himself fell ill and was on his sick bed when the Vicksburg Campaign began.

Whatever legitimate criticism there is of Joe Johnston in regards to the Vicksburg Campaign I dont think failure to take direct action after Grant had crossed the river is one of them.

 

[Forrest]

Without the Union Navy, it is possible that Pemberton could have prevailed. One question I have always had of Pemberton is about the Union Navy. What was the prevailing view of a fleet being able to run past the guns of Vicksburg? Is it possible that Pemberton was relying on the Union Navy being unable to get past Vicksburg or being destroyed by his guns? We could ask our naval experts, but I am not sure any general could have predicted the ability of the Union Navy to aid Grant in the way they did. Take away the Union Navy and the Vicksburg campaign might have went very differently. I do not believe either Pemberton or Johnston had any clue that Grant could accomplish this move around Vicksburg and neither had any plans to counter it.

The Union Navy passed Vicksburg during the summer of 1862, so everyone knew it could be done. On the other hand, the Confederates also felt, as a result of what they learned that summer, that the Union Navy could not render the city-front artillerists ineffective (and they didn't). So when the siege ramped up in 1863 everyone knew the basic lay of the land on the city-front.

As a result, the primary job of the heavy artillery during the summer of 1863 was to prevent a city-front invasion. The Union definitely needed their Navy, but it was involved since the Spring of 1862. Grant had several ideas about how to take Vicksburg - the final, successful plan involved several effective moves of deception. Pemberton was fooled by some of it and didn't deploy his forces in the optimal way to counter Grant's moves, but they were calculated risks - he basically didn't know Grant's plan and didn't guess it correctly.

 

[Forrest]

I'm sorry. This is once too many for my taste. One time is a typo - repeatedly is deliberate. The name is in the title of the thread. It's Pemberton no Pemperton. It's just getting on my nerves, that's all.

At least it wasn't someone constantly referring to 'Grant' as 'Grunt'.