lands went up to the throne of God in supplication for the success of the armies of the Republic against its enemies.'

While the National government was thus working for the good of mankind, the Confederate "government," so called, at Richmond, was putting forth amazing energies in the prosecution of schemes for an opposite result. Their "Provisional Constitution" had been succeeded by a "Permanent Constitution," and Jefferson Davis had been elected [Feb. 22d, 1862] "Permanent President" of the Confederacy for six years. In the "Congress" at Richmond were delegates from all the Slave-labor States excepting Maryland and Delaware, and resolutions were adopted and measures were devised for prosecuting the war with the greatest vigor, declaring that they would never, "on any terms, politically affiliate with a people who were guilty of an invasion of their soil and the butchery of their citizens." With this spirit they prosecuted the war on land, and by the aid of some of the British aristocracy, merchants, and ship-builders, they kept afloat piratical craft on the ocean, that for a time drove most of the carrying trade between the United States and Europe to British ships. One of the most noted of these piratical vessels was the Alabama, built, equipped, armed, pro

visioned, coaled, and manned by the British," and commanded by Raphael Semmes. She roamed the ocean a simple sea-robber; and during the last ninety days of 1862, she destroyed by fire no less than twenty-eight helpless American merchant vessels. While her incendiarism was thus illuminating the sea, the George Griswold, laden with provisions, furnished by the citizens of New York who had suffered most by the piracies, was out upon the ocean, bearing a gift of food from them, valued at one hundred thousand dollars, to the starving English operatives in Lancashire, who had been deprived of work by the rebellion. And that ship of mercy was convoyed by an American

RAPHAEL SEMMES.

1 The first regiment of colored troops raised by the authority of an act of Congress was organized in Beaufort District, South Carolina; and on the day when this proclamation was issued, a native of that district (Dr. Brisbane), who had been driven away many years before because he emancipated his slaves, announced to these troops and other freed people the great fact that they were no longer in bonds.

2 Page 547

His immediate advisers, to whom he gave the titles of the cabinet ministers of his government at Washington, were Judah P. Benjamin, "Secretary of State;" George W. Randolph, "Secretary of War;" S. R. Mallory, "Secretary of the Navy;" C. G. Memminger, "Secretary of the Treasury;" Thomas H. Watts, Attorney-General;" and John H. Reagan, "PostmasterGeneral."

While these vessels were a-building in England, and their destination was known, the American minister in London called the attention of the British government to the fact. He failed to elicit any action that might prevent their going to sea, fully manned and armed. It was painfully evident that the government was willing they should go to sea in aid of the rebellion.

Immediately after the attack on Fort Sumter [page 553], Jefferson Davis recommended, and his fellow-conspirators in " Congress" authorized, the employment of armed vessels to destroy

ship of war to protect her from the torch of a pirate lighted by British hands. The subsequent career of the Alabama will be considered hereafter.

Let us now turn again to a consideration of military events.

At the close of 1862, the Civil War was in full career. Up to that time the loyal people had furnished for the contest, wholly by volunteering, more than one million two hundred thousand soldiers, of whom, at the beginning of 1863, about seven hundred thousand were in the service. The theater of strife was almost co-extensive with the Slave-labor States, but the most important movements were those connected with preparations for a siege of Vicksburg, and the capture of Port Hudson, twenty-five miles above Baton Rouge. Between these places only, the Mississippi was free from the patrol of National war-vessels, and it was determined to break that link between the Confederates east and west of the river. For that purpose Grant concentrated his troops near the Tallahatchee, where the Confederates were strongly posted. Troops under Hovey and Washburne came over from Arkansas to co-operate with him, and early in December his main army was at Oxford, and an immense amount

of his supplies were at Holly Springs. The latter, through the carelessness or treachery of the commander of their guard, were captured by Van Dorn on the 20th. This loss compelled Grant to fall back and allow a considerable Confederate force, under General J. C. Pemberton, to concentrate at Vicksburg.

Meanwhile, in accordance with Grant's instructions, General W. T. Sherman moved down the Mississippi from Memphis, with a strong force, and siege-guns, to beleaguer Vicksburg. Troops from Helena joined him at Friar's Point [Dec. 20], and there he was met by Admiral D. D. Porter, whose naval force was at the mouth of the Yazoo River, just above Vicksburg. The two commanders arranged a plan for attacking Vicksburg in the rear, by passing up the Yazoo a few miles and

JOHN C. PEMBERTON.

American shipping on the high seas. These, according to the laws of nations and the proper definition of the word, were pirates. A pirate is defined as "a robber on the high seas," and piracy, as "taking property from others by open violence, and without authority, on the sea. These vessels, and their officers and crews, answered this definition, for Davis and Toombs, who signed their commissions, were not "authorized" to do so by any real government on the face of the earth. The conspirators they represented had no more "authority" than Jack Cade, Daniel Shays, Nat Turner, or John Brown. Hence these Confederate marauders were not "privateers" but "pirates." Semmes's vessel had neither register nor record, and no ship captured by her was ever sent into any port for adjudication. She had no acknowledged flag or recognized nationality. All the regulations of public justice which discriminate the legalized naval vessel from the pirate were disregarded. She had no accessible port into which to send her captives. nor any legal tribunal to adjudge her captures. She was an outlaw roving the seas, an enemy to mankind, and her commander was a pirate in the worst sense of that term.

reducing batteries along a line of bluffs, by which approaches to it were defended. This was undertaken, but after a severe battle on the Chickasaw Bayou [Dec. 28, 1862], in which Sherman lost about 2,000 men, and his foe only 207, the Nationals were compelled to abandon the enterprise. At that inoment [January 2, 1863] General McClernand' arrived, and, ranking Sherinan, took the chief command.

Toward the middle of January the army and navy in the vicinity of Vicksburg went up the Arkansas River and captured Fort Hindman, at Arkansas Post [January 11, 1863], a very important position. The fort and much valuable property was destroyed.' Meanwhile Grant had come down the river from Memphis, and arrangements were at once made for a vigorous prosecution of the siege of Vicksburg. He organized his army into four corps,3 and encouraged the enlistment of colored men. He weighed well all proposed plans for the siege, and being satisfied that the post was too well fortified to warrant an attack on its river front, he determined to get in its rear. First the canal begun by Farragut received his attention. It was a failure, and that project was abandoned. Other passages among the neighboring bayous were sought, and finally a strong land and naval force made its way into the Yazoo, with the intention of descending that stream, carrying the works at Haines's Bluff, and so gaining the rear of Vicksburg. The expedition was repulsed at Fort Pemberton, near Greenwood, late in March, and the enterprise was abandoned. Porter, with amazing energy and perseverance, tried other channels, but failed. A record in detail of the operations of the army and navy in that region, during the winter and spring of 1863, would fill a volume.

In the mean time there were stirring scenes on the bosom of the Mississippi. Some of the war-vessels passed by the batteries at Vicksburg [Feb., 1863], for the purpose of destroying Confederate gun-boats below, but were themselves captured. Later, when Grant had sent a strong force down the west side of the river, under McClernand and McPherson, toward New Carthage, Porter determined to run by Vicksburg with nearly his whole fleet, and the transports and barges. This was successfully done on the night of the 16th of April. Six more transports performed the same perilous feat on the night of the 22d, and Grant prepared for vigorous operations against Vicksburg on the line of the Big Black River, on its flank and rear.

Let us now turn for a moment, and see what was occurring in the Department of the Gulf under General Banks, the successor of General Butler, who

1 Page 577.

2 The National loss was 980 men. The Confederates, to the number of 5,000, were made prisoners, and the spoils were 17 cannon, 3,000 small arms, and a large quantity of stores.

These were commanded respectively by Generals McClernand, Sherman, Hurlbut, and McPherson.

⚫ Page 636.

This was at the end of the range of bluffs extending from Vicksburg to the Yazoo.

One of them was the powerful iron-clad Indianola. She was attacked, injured, and captured. While the Confederates were repairing her, Porter, one evening, sent down the river an old flatboat, arranged so as to imitate a gun-boat or ram. It seemed very formidable, and drew the fire of the Vicksburg batteries as it passed sullenly by them. Word was sent to warn Confederate vessels below, and the Indianola was blown into fragments to prevent her being captured by this supposed ram.

was co-operating with Grant against Vicksburg, and was also charged with the task of gaining possession of Louisiana and Texas. Galveston, as we have seen, was in possession of a National naval force.' Banks sent troops to its support, and on the morning of the first of January, 1863, the Confederates, under General Magruder,' attacked the troops and the war-vessels. A severe struggle ensued, which resulted in the defeat of the Nationals. Galveston was repossessed by the Confederates, but on account of a vigorous blockade, at once established by Farragut, the victory was almost a barren one.

Banks now turned his attention to the recovery of Louisiana west of the Mississippi, and along its shores. Already a force under General Grover occupied Baton Rouge; and early in January [1863] a land and naval force under General Weitzel and Commodore Buchanan was sent into the Tèche region, a

country composed of fertile plantations, extensive forests, sluggish lagoons and bayous, and almost impassable swamps. The expedition was successful. Banks now concentrated his forces, about 12,000 strong, at Baton Rouge, for the purpose of co-operating with Admiral Farragut in an attempt to pass the now formidable batteries at Port Hudson. This was attempted on the night of the 13th of March, when a terrible contest occurred in the gloom between the vessels and the land batteries. Only the flagship (Hartford) and companion (Albatross) passed by. Then Banks again sent a large portion of his available force into the interior of Louisiana, where General Richard Taylor was in command of the Confederates. The troops were concentrated at Brashear City early in April, and moved triumphantly through the country to the Red River, accompanied by the Department commander. At the close of the first week in May they were at Alexandria, on the Red River, where Banks announced that the power of the Confederates in Central and Northern Louisiana was broken. With this impression he led his troops to and across the Mississippi, and late in May invested Port Hudson.

A LOUISIANA SWAMP.

We left Grant, late in April, below Vicksburg, prepared for new operations against that post. By a most wonderful raid, performed by cavalry under

1 Page 637.

* Page 562.

3

Page 643.

Colonel Grierson, in the heart of Mississippi,' he was satisfied that the bulk of the Confederate soldiers of that region were near Vicksburg, under Pemberton. So he prepared to act with vigor. Porter attacked and ran by [April 29] the batteries at Grand Gulf, and Grant's army crossed the river at Bruinsburg, a little below, pushed on, and near Port Gibson gained a decisive victory [May 1] over the Confederates. Meanwhile Sherman, who had been left to operate in the Yazoo region, and had made another unsuccessful attempt to capture Haines's Bluff, was ordered to march down the west side of the Mississippi and join the main army. This junction was effected on the 8th of May, near the Big Black River, and the whole army pressed on toward Jackson, the capital of Mississippi, where General Joseph E. Johnston was in command. In a severe battle at Raymond [May 12], on the way, the Confederates were defeated. Such, also, was the result of a battle at Jackson [May 14], when the Confederates were driven northward, the city was seized, and a large amount of public property was destroyed. Then the victors turned toward Vicksburg, and fought [May 16] a severe battle with the Confederates under Pemberton at Champion Hills, and were victorious. Grant pressed forward, and after a battle at the passage of the Big Black River [May 17], the Confederates were again driven. Grant crossed that stream, and on the 19th of May his army, which for a fortnight had subsisted off the country, invested Vicksburg, and received sup

plies from a base on the Yazoo established by Admiral Porter.

Grant made an unsuccessful assault upon Vicksburg on the day of his arrival. Another, with disastrous effect on the Nationals, was made three days later [May 22], when Porter with his fleet co-operated, and then Grant commenced a regular siege, which continued until the first

1 Grierson left Lagrange, Tennessee, on the 17th of April, with a body of cavalry, and swept through the country southward, between the two railways running parallel with the Mississippi River, striking them here and there, smiting Confederate outposts, and destroying public property. At times his troops were scattered on detached service, and often rode fifty and sixty miles a day, over an exceedingly difficult country to travel in. They killed and wounded about 100 of the foe; captured and paroled full 500; destroyed 3,000 stand of arms, and inflicted a loss on the Confederates of property valued at about $6,000,000. Grierson's loss was 27 men, and a number of horses.

"The National loss was 840 men. They captured 3 guns, 4 flags, and 580 prisoners.

3 Page 643.

The National loss was 442 men, and that of the Confederates 823.

The National loss was 2,457. The loss of the Confederates in the battle was about the same, besides 2,000 prisoners.