butIreasonedwithhim，thatthisnotewasofficial，andmustbecredited，andIofferedtorenewtheassaultatoncewithnewtroops。HesaidhewouldinstantlyridedownthelinetoMcClernand’sfront，andifIdidnotreceiveorderstothecontrary，by3o’clockp。m。，Imighttryitagain。Mower’sfreshbrigadewasbroughtupundercover，andsomechangesweremadeinGilesSmith’sbrigade;and，punctuallyat3p。m。，hearingheavyfiringdownalongthelinetomyleft，Iorderedthesecondassault。Itwasarepetitionofthefirst，equallyunsuccessfulandbloody。ItalsotranspiredthatthesamethinghadoccurredwithGeneralMcPherson，wholostinthissecondassaultsomemostvaluableofficersandmen，withoutadequateresult;andthatGeneralMcClernand，insteadofhavingtakenanysinglepointoftherebelmainparapet，hadonlytakenoneortwosmalloutlyinglunettesopentotherear，wherehismenwereatthemercyoftherebelsbehindtheirmainparapet，andmostofthemwereactuallythuscaptured。Thisaffaircausedgreatfeelingwithus，andseverecriticismsonGeneralMcClernand，whichledfinallytohisremovalfromthecommandoftheThirteenthCorps，towhichGeneralOrdsucceeded。Theimmediatecause，however，ofGeneralMcClernand’sremovalwasthepublicationofasortofcongratulatoryorderaddressedtohistroops，firstpublishedinSt。Louis，inwhichheclaimedthathehadactuallysucceededinmakingalodgmentinVicksburg，buthadlostit，owingtothefactthatMcPhersonandShermandidnotfulfilltheirpartsofthegeneralplanofattack。Thiswassimplyuntrue。ThetwoseveralassaultsmadeMay22d，onthelinesofVicksburg，hadfailed，byreasonofthegreatstrengthofthepositionandthedeterminedfightingofitsgarrison。IhavesinceseenthepositionatSevastopol，andwithouthesitationIdeclarethatatVicksburgtohavebeenthemoredifficultofthetwo。
Thereafterourproceedingswereallinthenatureofasiege。
GeneralGrantdrewmoretroopsfromMemphis，toprolongourgenerallinetotheleft，soascompletelytoinvesttheplaceonitsland—side，whilethenavyheldtheriverbothaboveandbelow。
GeneralMower’sbrigadeofTuttle’sdivisionwasalsosentacrosstherivertothepeninsula，sothatbyMay31stVicksburgwascompletelybeleaguered。Goodroadswereconstructedfromourcampstotheseverallanding—placesontheYazooRiver，towhichpointsourboatsbroughtusamplesupplies;sothatwewereinasplendidconditionforasiege，whileourenemywasshutupinaclosefort，withalargecivilpopulationofmen，women，andchildrentofeed，inadditiontohiscombatantforce。Ifwecouldpreventsallies，orrelieffromtheoutside，thefateofthegarrisonofVicksburgwasmerelyaquestionoftime。
Ihadmyheadquarterscampcloseuptotheworks，nearthecentreofmycorps，andGeneralGranthadhisbivouacbehindaravinetomyrear。WeestimatedPemberton’swholeforceinVicksburgatthirtythousandmen，anditwaswellknownthattherebelGeneralJosephE。JohnstonwasengagedincollectinganotherstrongforceneartheBigBlack，withtheintentiontoattackourrear，andthustoaffordPembertonanopportunitytoescapewithhismen。EventhentheabilityofGeneralJohnstonwasrecognized，andGeneralGranttoldmethathewasabouttheonlygeneralonthatsidewhomhefeared。Eachcorpskeptstrongpicketswelltotherear;but，astherumorsofJohnston’saccumulatingforcereachedus，GeneralGrantconcludedtotakestrongermeasures。HehadreceivedfromtheNorthGeneralJ。G。Parker’scorps（Ninth），whichhadbeenpostedatHaines’sBluff;then，detailingonedivisionfromeachofthethreecorpsd’armeeinvestingVicksburg，heorderedmetogoout，takeageneralcommandofall，andtocounteractanymovementonthepartofGeneralJohnstontorelieveVicksburg。I