On the 14th General Parke arrived with two divisions of Burnside’s corps, and was immediately dispatched to Haines’ Bluff.  These latter troops—­Herron’s and Parke’s—­were the reinforcements already spoken of sent by Halleck in anticipation of their being needed.  They arrived none too soon.

I now had about seventy-one thousand men.  More than half were disposed across the peninsula, between the Yazoo at Haines’ Bluff and the Big Black, with the division of Osterhaus watching the crossings of the latter river farther south and west from the crossing of the Jackson road to Baldwin’s ferry and below.

There were eight roads leading into Vicksburg, along which and their immediate sides, our work was specially pushed and batteries advanced; but no commanding point within range of the enemy was neglected.

On the 17th I received a letter from General Sherman and one on the 18th from General McPherson, saying that their respective commands had complained to them of a fulsome, congratulatory order published by General McClernand to the 13th corps, which did great injustice to the other troops engaged in the campaign.  This order had been sent North and published, and now papers containing it had reached our camps.  The order had not been heard of by me, and certainly not by troops outside of McClernand’s command until brought in this way.  I at once wrote to McClernand, directing him to send me a copy of this order.  He did so, and I at once relieved him from the command of the 13th army corps and ordered him back to Springfield, Illinois.  The publication of his order in the press was in violation of War Department orders and also of mine.

CHAPTER XXXVIII.

Johnston’s movements—­fortifications at Haines’ bluff—­explosion of the
mine—­explosion of the second mine—­preparing for the assault—­the flag
of truce—­meeting with Pemberton—­negotiations for surrender—­accepting
the terms—­surrender of Vicksburg.

On the 22d of June positive information was received that Johnston had crossed the Big Black River for the purpose of attacking our rear, to raise the siege and release Pemberton.  The correspondence between Johnston and Pemberton shows that all expectation of holding Vicksburg had by this time passed from Johnston’s mind.  I immediately ordered Sherman to the command of all the forces from Haines’ Bluff to the Big Black River.  This amounted now to quite half the troops about Vicksburg.  Besides these, Herron and A. J. Smith’s divisions were ordered to hold themselves in readiness to reinforce Sherman.  Haines’ Bluff had been strongly fortified on the land side, and on all commanding points from there to the Big Black at the railroad crossing batteries had been constructed.  The work of connecting by rifle-pits where this was not already done, was an easy task for the troops that were to defend them.