7/4/63: Turning Point of the American Civil War

1863 is most remembered for the famous Battle of Gettysburg which took place from July 1st to July 3rd and eventually culminated in the Gettysburg Address. But a lesser known, however no less important event occurred on July 4th. The Battle of Vicksburg, along with the northern victory at Gettysburg, helped turn the tide in favor of the Union and promoted Ulysses S. Grant to General-in-Chief of the Union armies.

 

(Ulysses S. Grant)

Up until the fall of Vicksburg, Robert E. Lee had been kicking some major Union ass and many in the north feared that the war was becoming a lost cause. In fact, In May of 1863, Abraham Lincoln received word that General Lee had achieved yet another victory at the Battle of Chancellorsville (which lasted from April 30th to May 6th). Lincoln paced around saying, "My God! My God! What will the country say? What will the country say?" When Lincoln left the Executive Mansion, a reporter named John Russell Young quoted Secretary of War Edwin Stanton saying, "Mr. Lincoln has fully made up his mind to go to the Potomac River and there end his life, as many a poor creature - but none half so miserable as he was at the time - had done before him." (Abraham Lincoln: The War Years by Carl Sandburg). But on May 18th, Grant began what has gone down in history as one of the most remarkable campaigns of the Civil War.

(Map of the Vicksburg Campaign. Click the image to enlarge it)

Vicksburg was an important river fortress/town for the Confederacy due to its prime location on the Mississippi river. Grant had been unable to capture the area since it was well protected by extremely dangerous terrain that had made his troops vulnerable to Confederate counter strikes led by John Pemberton. But although Grant had been beaten back in the past, he had no intention of that happening again.

 

(John Pemberton)

Instead of attempting to sail directly to Vicksburg, Grant sailed below it to Bruinsburgh where he surprised and overtook Joseph Johnston who was station with his troops in Jackson.

While marching toward Vicksburg, Union and Confederate troops met at Champion Hill. "The Hill of Death" would become the site of the bloodiest conflict in the Vicksburg campaign but Grant would emerge victorious and force the battered Confederates to retreat behind the walls of Vicksburg.

(Union forces pursuing retreating Confederates at the Battle of Champion Hill on May 16th)

 



After failing to attack Vicksburg head on, Grant decided that he would lose fewer men if he starved the fortress into surrender. Just as Lincoln had blockaded the South, Grant set up his own blockade around Vicksburg, bleeding dry the soldiers and civilians inside.

 

(Grant can be seen in the lower right corner looking out over his entrenched troops toward Vicksburg) 

After 47 days, Pemberton gave up his forces and allowed Grant, his troops, and much desired food and medical supplies to enter Vicksburg.

 

(Union troops-said to be the 4th Minnesota-entering Vicksburg in this painting by Francis Millet) 

About 110,000 troops engaged in the campaign (77,000 Union and 33,000 Confederate). 806 Union soldiers died. 3,940 were wounded and 164 either went missing or were captured. 805 Confederates perished. 1,938 were killed and 29,620 went missing or were captured/surrender to Grant. (Figures from civilwar.org)

President Lincoln was thrilled to receive news of Grant's victory, especially so soon after the Battle of Gettysburg, and wrote to him a few days later.

My dear General

I do not remember that you and I ever met personally. I write this now as a grateful acknowledgment for the almost inestimable service you have done the country. I wish to say a word further. When you first reached the vicinity of Vicksburg, I thought you should do, what you finally did -- march the troops across the neck, run the batteries with the transports, and thus go below; and I never had any faith, except a general hope that you knew better than I, that the Yazoo Pass expedition, and the like, could succeed. When you got below, and took Port-Gibson, Grand Gulf, and vicinity, I thought you should go down the river and join Gen. Banks; and when you turned Northward East of the Big Black, I feared it was a mistake. I now wish to make the personal acknowledgment that you were right, and I was wrong.

Yours very truly
 
A. Lincoln

"With the Mississippi River now firmly in Union hands, the Confederacy's fate was all but sealed." (civilwar.org)

 

(Grant at Vicksburg)

May God bless America, from sea to shining sea, in the home of the free because of the brave.

Until next time.

 

XOXO, Kate

Now He Belongs to the Ages

I can hardly believe that the 150th anniversary of President Lincoln's assassination is almost here.

Tomorrow night Ford's Theatre will be hosting "Now He Belongs to the Ages: A Lincoln Commemoration." This once in a lifetime event will be "a moving commemorative tribute to President Abraham Lincoln, 150 years to the day since his assassination" and will include "readings of Lincoln’s words and stories, Civil War-era music, excerpts from Lincoln’s favorite theatre and operas, and more. The event seeks to remind us that we not only lost a president; we lost a man who treasured his family, his friends and his country with a love so strong it could hold the Union together."

For those who could not secure tickets, the event will be streamed live at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery in Washington D. C. and online at the Ford's Theatre website.

Click the following link if you wish to visit the Portrait Gallery: Lincoln at the Portrait Gallery.

Click this link if you want to see the event virtually: Lincoln Online.

Also, check back here (and on the BoothieBarn twitter) for updates throughout the evening.

It's about to go down, everyone.

XOXO, Kate

Assassination Smithsonian

Most of us know that the 150th anniversary of President Lincoln's assassination (April 14th) is just ten days away (bring on the tissues). In honor of the sesquicentennial, Smithsonian Magazine has published two different issues packed with lots of interesting conspiratorial facts.

Since the issue with Booth's derringer pistol on the cover is the regular edition that gets sent to subscribers, SmithMag (my personal abbreviation) has generously thought of us nonsubscribers and published some of the articles online. Just click the links below to start reading:

The Blood Relics From the Lincoln Assassination by James Swanson

The Spiritualist Who Warned Lincoln Was Also Booth’s Drinking Buddy by Terry Alford

The Closest Source We Have to Really Knowing John Wilkes Booth Is His Sister by Paige Williams

What the Newspapers Said when Lincoln was Killed by Harold Holzer

The one featuring John Wilkes Booth and Abraham Lincoln as cover models is the collector's edition which you have to purchase in order to read. Luckily, it is readily available at any location with a newsstand. (So no excuses if you haven't gotten one yet).

T-minus ten days to ALL THE LINCOLN FEELS.

XOXO, Kate

(Picture courteous of boothiebarn.com, which you should all go check out right now because of it's sheer Lincoln assassination awesomeness. And you can quote me on that).

The Civil War Recipe Box: Corn Pudding

The hiatus is over. I'm officially back with more Civil War tidbits and I decided to start with a tasty one. (Also, it's almost 8 o'clock at night and I've spent the afternoon working on a history paper. My writing skills are faltering).

Anyway, here is another installment from the Civil War Recipe Box. Corn Pudding. As before, this recipe can be found in Roxe Anne Peacock's History Lovers Cookbook. (Which is available on Amazon). And if you are interested in other Civil War era cookbooks, the Surratt House Museum in Clinton, Maryland sells the Surratt House Museum Cookbook which also has a wonderful collection of recipes. (The book is available at the museum and on their website. www.surrattmuseum.org)

Ingredients:

4 cups (or 6 ears) of fresh sweet corn. The husks and silk must be removed.

1 tablespoon of unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled.

1 teaspoon of salt.

1 teaspoon of granulated sugar.

4 large eggs, well beaten.

1 cup of whole milk.

3 tablespoons of all purpose flour.

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, add the 4 cups of fresh corn.

Add the butter, salt, sugar, and eggs.

Stir with a wooden spoon.

Add the milk and flour and stir until mixed.

Pour the mixture into a 7.5 X 10.5 inch buttered baking dish.

Bake the pudding for 1 hour at 350 degrees or until a knife (or toothpick) inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Happy feasting.

Until next time.

XOXO, Kate

A Message from Miss Kate

Hi everyone.

I know it has been some time since something new has been posted. These past few weeks have been very busy and filled with various time consuming tasks, including an end of summer trek to Washington DC (which, rest assured, you will be hearing about very soon).

This week I began my third year of college and have been working on completing assignments, getting comfortable back on campus, and memorizing my constantly changing schedule (I had to switch around a few classes this semester).

Anyway, since I refuse to write, post, and have you read half formed thoughts, this message is here to tell you that this Down Yonder Diary will be going on hiatus for the next few weeks so I can focus on school work and finding an internship. I am NOT closing the blog forever. This is merely a short break. In fact, I have some great posts planned (including a tour down John Wilkes Booth's escape route) so make sure you stay tuned.

Until next time.

XOXO, Kate  

Tomb Raider: President Abraham Lincoln vs. Dr. H. H. Holmes

This is the first time I'm doing a cross blog post and intertwining my Civil War blog with my Murder Castle blog. The Lincoln related information is here. To find the Holmes related information, click here: Holmes' Tomb.

I figured that instead of just writing facts about the graves of both men, I would be a little more creative and compare and contrast the tombs to see which would be harder to break into (there are pluses and minuses to each). Which do you think will prevail? Will it be the tomb of 16th President Abraham Lincoln? Or will it be the tomb of the World's Fair Serial Killer, Dr. H. H. Holmes?

DISCLAIMER:

 

THIS IS AN EDUCATIONAL (AND CREATIVE) POST DETAILING HOW THESE TWO MEN WERE BURIED. THIS DOES NOT PROMOTE GRAVE ROBBING OR BODY SNATCHING. LET THE DEAD REST IN PEACE! IF YOU DO NOT, YOUR DUMB ASS WILL BE ARRESTED AND I WILL NOT TAKE BLAME FOR YOUR STUPIDITY. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

 

Now that all the bases are covered, here are the statistics regarding the burial of President Lincoln:

 

Good: We know where Abraham Lincoln is buried. (Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield, Illinois).

Bad: That is a huge memorial. It's really easy to see since it isn't secluded in a back corner somewhere. The exact location of it is known by a good percentage of Americans (and most likely everyone in Illinois - they don't call it the "Land of Lincoln" for nothing).

Good: The cemetery isn't open 24/7 so the crowds will have to leave at closing time.

Bad: It's freaking Abraham Lincoln. There has to be a camera or a guard somewhere around that tomb or at the front entrance. Heck, the tomb probably has it's own Secret Service branch.

Good: We know all the specifics of Lincoln's burial.

Bad: Have you read them? First you would have to find a way into the memorial. Then you would have to drill ten feet down into the marble floor to get into the concrete burial chamber. Also, not only is the crypt encased in concrete, it is also in a steel cage. You would need a jackhammer or dynamite to get through the concrete alone. And imagine the noise that will make.

Good: At least the body isn't encased in concrete like some people we know (ahem-Holmes-ahem).

Bad: Have fun getting it out of the ground without a machine (which will need to ascend the 56 stairs and fit inside the memorial) and then back out the door, down the stairs, and out of the cemetery without causing damage or attracting attention. That is if you didn't already get arrested for attempting to blow up Lincoln's tomb.

Although both men are well protected in death, I think Lincoln has Holmes beat this time. It seems that you'd attract more attention before you would even get to the memorial. In both cases you get arrested. But you'll get arrested much faster (and probably by higher level security) if you go anywhere near Lincoln's tomb after the cemetery closes. (Think of it this way. If a newspaper report was published stating that Lincoln's tomb was broken into, people would say, "Is Lincoln okay?" Attempt to dig up Holmes' grave and the question becomes, "Is the dirt okay?").

Until next time.

XOXO, Kate

A Perfect Hell

"The next morning there was an unusual movement of feet hurrying to and fro, the rattling of chains and dragging of ponderous balls on the brick pavement in front of my cell. I could not surmise the cause for all these mysterious movements...About 2 o'clock in the afternoon General Dodd came to my cell...and asked if I had noticed anything of an unusual nature pervading the prison. I replied in the affirmative, giving him an account of the bustle and confusion, attended with the clanking of irons throughout the morning, and that I judged from these circumstances that other prisoners had arrived. He replied no, and in a soft and feeling manner informed me of the execution of four of our number."

 

"A little to the south of it the eye rested upon four mounds of new heaped earth, testifying the undeniable fact that beneath those cold and cheerless hillocks rested in the quiet sleep of death all that but a few days before were life and sensibility."

 

-Samuel Arnold

 



 

 

I have no words. Go here for a more detailed description: Thus Perished Four

 

Kate