A NOVEL OF

THE SIEGE OF VICKSBURG

JEFF SHAARA

Ball antine Bo oks

New York

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A Chain of Th under is a work of historical fi ction. Apart from the well-known actual people, events, and locales that fi gure in the narrative, all names, cha-racters, places, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fi ctitiously. Any resemblance to current events or locales, or to living persons, is entirely coincidental.

Copyright © 2013 by Jeff rey M. Shaara

All rights reserved.

Published in the United States by Ballantine Books, an imprint of Th e Ran-dom House Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York.

Ballantine and colophon are registered trademarks of Random House, Inc.

[Permissions acknowledgments, if any, go here.]

ISBN 978-0-345-52738-7eBook ISBN 978-0-345-52740-0

[CIP Information]

Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper

www.ballantinebooks.com

2 4 6 8 9 7 5 3 1

First Edition

Book design by Christopher M. Zucker

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TO THE READER

This story focuses on the campaign that results in the siege and conquest of the crucial Mississippi River city of Vicksburg. It is the second volume of a series that explores the oft en-

overlooked story of the Civil War in the “west.” Quotation marks are necessary because to our eye today, “west” would certainly take us far beyond the shores of the Mississippi River. Yet, throughout much of the Civil War, events that occurred just west of the Appalachian Mountains were oft en overshadowed by the great battles to the east, which took place close to what we would refer to now as the great media centers of their day. Th ose events, from Kentucky to the Gulf Coast, from Texas and Arkansas, to Missouri and even New Mexico, were as bloody and as signifi cant to our history as what took place in and around Virginia.

Th roughout the war, both sides understand the critical importance of railroads and rivers, the two primary means of moving goods (and peo-ple) across vast distances. In the fi rst volume of this series, A Blaze of Glory, the issue, primarily, is railroads, specifi cally the Union’s eff ort to capture a critical rail junction at Corinth, Mississippi, which results in the Battle of Shiloh. Now, roughly one year later, the Federal armies,

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x TO THE READER

under the command of Ulysses S. Grant, seek to further divide and thus weaken the Confederacy by seizing the last major Southern obstacle to Northern control of the Mississippi River, the city of Vicksburg.

Th is story follows several pivotal characters through the spring and summer of 1863, as Grant and his generals push through the state of Mississippi, facing off against Confederate forces under the command of General John Pemberton. Some of the voices in this story will be famil-iar to any student of the war: Generals William T. Sherman and Joseph Johnston, as well as Grant and Pemberton. Brought forward from the fi rst volume is Private Fritz “Dutchie” Bauer of Wisconsin, whose bap-tism of fi re at Shiloh shapes the kind of soldier he will become. Th e fourth primary voice is something of a departure for me. Th e story of Vicksburg is not just a story of battles and generals, and so my research sought out the voices of the civilians, the citizens of Vicksburg, who suf-fer mightily and whose tenacity is a part of this story that cannot be overlooked. So oft en in war, civilians are tragically involved simply by being in the way. In Vicksburg, their ordeal aff ects the way many civil-ians throughout the divided country will come to view the horrors of this war. Th ey come to represent what the confl ict has become, evolving from what some saw as a gentlemen’s spat between men of honor, into a brutal war that will deeply impact towns and cities, and their inhabit-ants. Th ere is a poignant comparison to be made between Vicksburg and what has taken place a few months earlier at Fredericksburg, Vir-ginia. In December 1862, the citizens of Fredericksburg embark on a mass exodus away from their town, fearing the horrifi c battle that does indeed occur. In the spring of 1863, the residents of Vicksburg are of-fered the same opportunity for escape, and yet an overwhelming per-centage of them decide to remain in their homes. And thus, one of those voices is essential to telling this story, nineteen-year-old Lucy Spence.

I am not an academic historian. If you know of my work, you know that, from the Revolutionary War through World War II, my focus has been on the people, whose accomplishments and failures have become a visceral part of our history. Th is is a novel by defi nition because there is

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TO THE READER xi

dialogue, and even if a character is well known historically, the point of view has to be described as fi ctitious. My research has always focused on a study of the original source materials: diaries, memoirs, collections of letters, the accounts of the people who were there. Oft en, when it fi ts the fl ow of the story, I quote their words verbatim. But in every case, their experiences and the events from the historical record are as accurate as I can portray them. If I don’t believe in the authenticity of the voices here, neither will you.

I am frequently asked if there are veiled references in any of my stories to more modern events, a nudge-nudge wink-wink that what I’m really off ering is a parable to more modern times. Absolutely not. Th ere is no judgment here, no history-in-hindsight, no veiled references to any more recent event or person.

One enormous irony of the campaign for Vicksburg is that it ends exactly one day aft er the conclusion of the Battle of Gettysburg. Obvi-ously, since Gettysburg is much closer to both Washington and Rich-mond, that battle has always received enormous attention. But it is a point of debate even today whether Vicksburg or Gettysburg had the greater impact on the outcome of the war. Th at debate I leave to others. Th is is a story told through the eyes of the characters, and to most of them, the events they experienced were the most important of their lives. To me, that’s what makes a good story. I hope you agree.

Jeff ShaaraApril

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INTRODUCTION

From the earliest months of the Civil War, many of the strate-gists and political leaders of both sides consider control of the Mississippi River the key to victory. Th e original “Anaconda

Plan,” as designed by Union general in chief Winfi eld Scott, includes control of that river as an essential part of any strategy that will ensure victory (along with a total blockade of Southern seaports). In the South, Jeff erson Davis is equally determined to maintain control of the river, understanding that free access for Federal troops and supplies along the waterway will split the Confederacy in two and eliminate the valuable trans-Mississippi states of Texas, Arkansas, and much of Louisiana as a source of troops, supplies and food.

Th roughout the fi rst two years of the war, the superior numbers and strength of the Union navy successfully subdues various Confederate strongholds along the river, many of which, including Memphis, are not suitable for a strong military defense.

Once Federal forces become ensconced in Memphis, eff orts are made to seal off the southern leg of the river. In April 1862, a stunning blow is delivered to Confederate hopes when Admiral David Farragut captures

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xxi i INTRODUCTION

the crucial port city of New Orleans. In the process, Farragut destroys the fl edgling Confederate naval fl eet stationed there. Confi dent that his gunboats and oceangoing warships can subdue Vicksburg on their own, Farragut sails northward. Confronting the garrison at Vicksburg, Far-ragut’s offi cers make loud, blusterous demands that the city avoid cer-tain destruction and simply surrender. But the Confederate commander there, General Martin Luther Smith, understands the strength of his position. Th ough Farragut shells the town, Smith does not yield. In late May 1862, a frustrated Farragut concedes that his forces cannot com-plete the task alone, and he returns to New Orleans. But the mouth of the river is now fi rmly in Federal hands, and so Vicksburg becomes the last signifi cant Confederate stronghold between Memphis and New Or-leans, what most Federal strategists realize will be the toughest nut to crack along the entire length of the river.

At roughly the same time as Farragut’s gunboats are making their eff orts at opening the river, far to the north, Union gen-eral Ulysses Grant embarks on what becomes a bloody yet

successful campaign to wrest control of the western half of Tennessee from Confederate forces. Th at campaign, which concludes with the Bat-tle of Shiloh, opens the door for Federal armies to drive hard into Mis-sissippi and Alabama, with the goal of capturing valuable railroad hubs and slicing the Confederacy into pieces. But Grant’s superior, Henry Halleck, is not a man who recognizes opportunity. Aft er his victory at Shiloh, Halleck vacillates, and thus he misses the opportunity to de-stroy a sizable army under Pierre Beauregard that is entrenched around the rail center of Corinth, Mississippi. When the Confederates escape Corinth, the entire face of the war in the West changes. Disgusted with Beauregard’s failure to prevail at Shiloh, Jeff erson Davis removes Beau-regard from command and replaces him with Braxton Bragg. But Bragg’s various campaigns are ineff ective, and Davis knows he has to fi ll that command with someone more capable of inspiring his troops and de-

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INTRODUCTION xxi i i

feating the enemy.From the opening weeks of the war, Confederate General Joseph

Johnston has openly feuded with Jeff erson Davis. Th ey have clashes of ego as well as policy, Johnston never accepting that Davis’s presidency gives him legitimate control over how the war will actually be fought. Johnston has proven himself a capable battlefi eld commander at the First Battle of Manassas (Bull Run), and in subsequent actions on the Virginia peninsula. By his loft y rank as full general, Johnston is entitled to a sizable command, and so, despite their hostility, Davis acquiesces. Johnston is named to fi ll the vacancy created by the death of Albert Sidney Johnston, who is killed in battle at Shiloh. His authority now spreads over the entire department west of the Appalachians, all the way to the Mississippi River. As Bragg’s superior, Johnston keeps his focus primarily on Tennessee, as Bragg struggles against Federal forces in a series of battles from Perryville, Kentucky, down through Stones River, near Chattanooga. By the spring of 1863, aided by the exceptional abili-ties of cavalrymen John Hunt Morgan and Nathan Bedford Forrest, Johnston’s command in Tennessee settles into something of a stalemate with a Federal army commanded by William Rosecrans. But Johnston must deal with a new crisis more to his west. Realizing that Federal ef-forts are being directed more and more toward securing the Mississippi River, Johnston shift s his attention to the state of Mississippi. Th ere his subordinate is another man Johnston fi nds utterly disagreeable: General John Pemberton. Pemberton commands the Confederate Department of Mississippi and thus is in control of the fortifi cation eff orts at Vicks-burg. Pemberton, who is a close friend of Jeff erson Davis, receives or-ders directly from Davis that Vicksburg must be held at all costs. It is a strategy completely at odds with Johnston’s own focus on Tennessee, and it puts Pemberton squarely in the middle of the Johnston-Davis feud. Backed by the authority of the orders he receives from his presi-dent, Pemberton continues to fortify and arm the earthworks and river batteries at Vicksburg. Pemberton becomes increasingly confi dent his defenses will prevail in the event that the Federal army and navy attempt

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xxiv INTRODUCTION

any direct assault against the city.

In July 1862, Federal general Henry Halleck is called to Washing-ton to assume the position of general in chief of the Federal forces. Th e choice is a wise one, but not for reasons Halleck might appre-

ciate. In the various campaigns in the West, Halleck has proven to be an able administrator, but no one believes him to be the kind of battlefi eld commander the Union must have. Th ough the Federal armies in the West have been mostly victorious, capturing the important hub of Nash-ville as well as Memphis, and preventing new Confederate incursions into Kentucky, the war seems no closer to being decided. In October 1862, Lincoln promotes Ulysses Grant to overall command of the Fed-eral armies along the Mississippi. Th ough intensely disliked by Halleck, Grant has considerably exceeded the expectations of his critics in Wash-ington, and in his own command. While under Halleck, Grant notches signifi cant victories in Tennessee, including the bloody horror at Shiloh. Grant understands the value of the Mississippi River, and with coopera-tion from the Federal navy, he believes the war’s end can be hastened considerably by slicing the Confederacy in two. Appreciating that a di-rect assault against Vicksburg could be far more costly than Lincoln will accept, Grant maps out strategies to secure the city with as little loss of life as possible. Upriver, north of Vicksburg, the Federal naval forces, under the command of Commodore (later Admiral) David Dixon Porter, agrees with Grant’s new strategy that any attempt to capture Vicksburg must come from the north. As had happened in Grant’s successful cap-ture of Forts Henry and Donelson in early 1862, Grant understands the value of cooperating with the navy.

In the fall of 1862, shortly aft er taking command, Grant pursues a plan, championed by Federal engineers, to bypass Vicksburg altogether by rerouting the fl ow of the river. A canal is designed that will slice through one of the looping meanders of the river. If successful, the canal will allow Federal shipping to sail harmlessly past Vicksburg, out of

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INTRODUCTION xxv

range of Confederate guns. But engineering cannot compete with Mother Nature, and the plan soon becomes a boondoggle. Th e muddy swamps of Louisiana, directly across the river from Vicksburg, prove to be a far greater challenge than Grant’s engineers predicted. Aft er numer-ous failures, which include a signifi cant loss of life from sickness, the canal idea is abandoned.

Grant then changes tactics. In December 1862, he leads a sizable force of infantry out of his bases at Memphis, driving down into north-ern Mississippi. His troops are the eastern half of a two-prong pincer movement, designed to engulf the city with overwhelming strength. But Grant underestimates the power and audacity of Confederate cavalry. Grant’s confi dence begins to wane as he learns of relentless harassment of Federal outposts by Nathan Bedford Forrest. But the greatest blow comes on December 20, 1862. Th irty-fi ve hundred horsemen, com-manded by Confederate general Earl Van Dorn, sweep into Grant’s pri-mary supply depot at Holly Springs, Mississippi. Grant’s meager defenses there are caught completely by surprise, and the Federal army loses more than $1.5 million in matériel, which drains the energy from Grant’s campaign. Grant is forced to retreat toward Memphis, though he does not order the withdrawal of the second prong of his pincer movement. Th ose troops, led by General William T. Sherman, continue their march southward by keeping much closer to the Mississippi River. In the swamps and boggy bayous near the Yazoo River, Sherman fi nds the going far more diffi cult than expected. Th ough he reaches a point only a few miles north of Vicksburg, Sherman is not aware that Grant has with-drawn, and thus is not aware that the Confederates are now mobilizing all their energy in his direction. On December 29, 1862, Sherman’s forces are soundly and unexpectedly defeated at Chickasaw Bayou, and like Grant, a humiliated Sherman is forced to withdraw northward.

Still under orders from President Abraham Lincoln to secure Vicks-burg by any means necessary, Grant uses that discretion to launch a new strategy. Once again, the Federal forces will make their move on the western side of the river, across from Vicksburg. But Grant has learned

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xxvi INTRODUCTION

from past mistakes. Th ere will be no canal, and no attempt at a push by infantry straight toward Vicksburg. Th e plans call for a maneuver by Grant’s entire army southward, seeking a crossing of the Mississippi River well below the city. When the assault against Vicksburg fi nally comes, Grant is convinced the confrontation will be on his own terms.

Sherman and Grant are both aware that another failure will not only extend the war, but also likely will strip Grant of his command. As he continues to fortify the heights along the river, Pemberton pours his energy toward the construction of earthworks inland from Vicksburg as well, in the event there is another overland campaign. Joseph Johnston reluctantly accepts that he must focus on events in Mississippi, never believing that Pemberton’s eff orts will bear fruit. Whether or not he chooses to actively support John Pemberton remains to be seen.

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