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With Pemberton making the concious decision to fall back to Vicksburg and entrench his Army of around 22-23,000 men within the cities defenses adding to its 8,000 man garrison, ignoring both Johnston's suggestions and orders, he left Johnston with only aroung 11-15,000 men to opposed Grant and Sherman and try to break the seige.
Johnston desperately tried to build an army big enough to strike out but with the poor state of Confederate transport it took a long time to build an Army of any real size. By the 1st of June General Johnston had a force of about 23,000 men but by this time the Grant had around 77,000 men under his command and had place 34,000 men under Sherman behind the Big Black River to oppose any attempt by Johnston to relieve the city.
On Paper the Confederate government believed that Johnston should have between 30,000 and 35,000 men under his command but not all of those reinforcements had made it to Mississippi and Johnston strength was far weaker than the lowest estimate of the Confederate Government.
An argument between Johnston and Davis soon followed as Johnston had not known that he remained commander of the Department of the West when he was directed by Secretary of War Seddon to take command in Mississippi and nobody made this clear to him until after Pemberton had fallen back to Vicksburg. Davis asked why Johnston did not simply take more troops from Bragg, Johnston argued that being in command in Mississippi meant that he could not be commander of the whole western department at the same time and that even if he were to exersize those powers, moving troops from Bragg would more or less give Tennessee to the Union. Both felt they were reasonable in their conclusions but in the end Davis felt he had to write out a long lecture to Johnston saying just how wrong he was.
Seddon eventually tried to mediate and urged speed in relieving Vicksburg and told Johnston he would have to make do with what he had but this ignored the chief problem that Johnston had. He had, at most, 25,000 men with which he was expected to attack Sherman who was in a strong defensive position, defeat him so thoroughly that he could advance on Vicksburg without having to worry about him any more then engage Grant's even larger force and defeat that so thoroughly that Grant would be compelled to withdraw and lift the seige.
It was an impossible tast.
Wiki User
∙ 12y ago
Wiki User
∙ 7y agoThere was an internal dispute between Confederate General Joseph Johnston and the Secretary of War, James Seddon regarding the issue of Vicksburg. Johnston was focused on saving Tennessee and added to that was the fact that Johnston had often felt slighted by both Davis and Seddon. Johnston believed that Tennessee, especially Middle Tennessee was far more important than Vicksburg. In this matter he was in agreement with Robert E. Lee and other senior Confederate generals. After receiving Seddon's request to help, Johnston said that as far as he was concerned he did not have the authority to transfer troops to help Vicksburg.
Johnston believed that General Braxtobn Bragg should make that decision.
This internal dispute caused relations between Johnston and Richmond to worsen. To smooth things over, Seddon informed Davis that helping Vicksburg was beyond the ability of Johnston. Johnston continued to have bad relations with the Confederate cabinet well into 1864 and the problems in Georgia caused by Union General Sherman.
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∙ 11y agonot enough troops
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How did the Vicksburg controversy and Confederate Joseph Johnston's aid his critics?
History has been kind to Confederate General Joseph Johnston, however, his outright refusal to aid Vicksburg brought out a new wave of contemporary criticisms. A good number of political leaders, the Southern press and some military officers were harsh when analyzing Johnston's faults. He was seen as a general who refused to stand and fight. This resulted in yielding large amounts of territory to the North, and without a struggle. He was critiqued for retreating without a battle from Manassas Junction in the Spring of 1862. He also yielded the entire peninsula leading to Richmond and allowing Union General George B. McClellan's army to completely occupy it until Johnston had to attack at the Battle of Seven Pines ( where he was wounded ). He was also charged with falling back from Chattanooga in the Spring of 1864 when not engaging the enemy. When the war ended, the Southern press had allot of criticism for General Johnston. He was charged in the press with a "continued retrograde movement" from Dalton to Atlanta in 1864. This was the subject of plenty of bad press for Johnston. Apparently the press altered Souther public opinion on the merits of Johnston's repeated retreats. As for the retreat away from Manassas in the Spring of 1862, lower ranking Confederate officers believed that Johnston's tactics were not reaching the "mark". Much of the post war criticism was unfair.
Why did Grant decide to attack Jackson before attacking Vicksburg?
General Pemberton had his army defending Vicksbug. General Johnston had more troops oustide of Vicksburg and these threatened the Union with attack from the rear. Gen Grant may have thought he could take Vicksburg defenses by attacking from the river or from Port Hudson side. But he realized he had to lay a siege against Vicksburg. To do this, he had to defeat the forces that were outside of the city and surround the city. The Battle of Jackson(May 14) was fought to cut off re-inforcements from giving aid to the Confederates at Vicksburg. Then final battle occurred at Battle of Champion's Hill(May 16). This forced the Confederates back into the Vicksburg defenses. Link to a Map of Union advance: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:VicksburgCampaignAprilJuly63.png
How did Confederate Secretary of War James Seddon attempt to aid Vicksburg?
Although General Robert E. Lee and senior members of the Confederate high command were certain that Vicksburg would play no part in the US Civil, Lee's raid into Pennsylvania in late June of 1863, might have helped relieve some pressure on Vicksburg. The problem was that unless Lee was immediately successful, Lee's incursion to the North and into Pennsylvania would not help Vicksburg.That being the case, and the fall of Vicksburg on July 4, 1863 could not have been prevented. Only if Lee had won earlier in Pennsylvania and occupied Harrisburg, would Union troops be forced to forget Vicksburg for a time and rescue the North, in a manner of speaking. Secretary of War Seddon saw the propaganda value to the North by taking Vicksburg. With that in mind, Seddon planned an offensive aimed at Helena, Arkansas. The force was led by Major General Theophilus Hunter Holmes. It failed.
Is Vicksburg in north or south?
The North. It was a key battle that ended the war in the West, and released Grant to go to the aid of the Army of the Cumberland at Chattanooga. It was carried out under very difficult conditions and earned great credit for Grant.
Why was Union General William Rosencrans threatened to lose his command for not supporting General US Grant in the Western Theater of the US Civil War?
Both US President Lincoln and General in Chief Henry Wager Halleck ordered and expected General Rosencrans to advance against the army of Braxton Bragg. Rosencrans explained to Washington DC that by holding his ground, he prevented more Southern troops to aid Vicksburg. He may have been correct.
What was the outcome of the US Civil War Battle of Jackson Mississippi?
The Battle of Jackson Mississippi took place in Jackson on May 14, 1863. There Union forces under Union generals Sherman and McPherson defeated the Southern forces of Major General Joseph Johnston. This ended Johnston's attempt to aid Vicksburg.
How did the Union General in Chief Henry W Halleck frustrate General US Grant in the Vicksburg campaign?
US Grant had drawn the assignment to capture the Confederate stronghold of Vicksburg. General in Chief Henry Wager Halleck had emphasized that the mission was of vital importance. Despite that, he sent a minimal amount of the reinforcements Grant believed he needed. Halleck finally understood Gtant's pressing need and sent him the following reinforcements:1. In January Halleck sent one brigade from the department of Ohio; and2. In March he sent eleven regiments from the department of Missouri.For Grant, this was not enough reinforcements. He complained to Halleck that he feared Confederate General Johnston was forming a large force to rescue the garrison at Vicksburg. Halleck, realizing the danger to Grant sent more troops and thus helped Grant to formulate plans to take Vicksburg ( again ) and to cut off any forces from Johnston to aid Vicksburg.
How did the Vicksburg controversy and Confederate Joseph Johnston's aid his critics?
History has been kind to Confederate General Joseph Johnston, however, his outright refusal to aid Vicksburg brought out a new wave of contemporary criticisms. A good number of political leaders, the Southern press and some military officers were harsh when analyzing Johnston's faults. He was seen as a general who refused to stand and fight. This resulted in yielding large amounts of territory to the North, and without a struggle. He was critiqued for retreating without a battle from Manassas Junction in the Spring of 1862. He also yielded the entire peninsula leading to Richmond and allowing Union General George B. McClellan's army to completely occupy it until Johnston had to attack at the Battle of Seven Pines ( where he was wounded ). He was also charged with falling back from Chattanooga in the Spring of 1864 when not engaging the enemy. When the war ended, the Southern press had allot of criticism for General Johnston. He was charged in the press with a "continued retrograde movement" from Dalton to Atlanta in 1864. This was the subject of plenty of bad press for Johnston. Apparently the press altered Souther public opinion on the merits of Johnston's repeated retreats. As for the retreat away from Manassas in the Spring of 1862, lower ranking Confederate officers believed that Johnston's tactics were not reaching the "mark". Much of the post war criticism was unfair.
Why did Grant decide to attack Jackson before attacking Vicksburg?
General Pemberton had his army defending Vicksbug. General Johnston had more troops oustide of Vicksburg and these threatened the Union with attack from the rear. Gen Grant may have thought he could take Vicksburg defenses by attacking from the river or from Port Hudson side. But he realized he had to lay a siege against Vicksburg. To do this, he had to defeat the forces that were outside of the city and surround the city. The Battle of Jackson(May 14) was fought to cut off re-inforcements from giving aid to the Confederates at Vicksburg. Then final battle occurred at Battle of Champion's Hill(May 16). This forced the Confederates back into the Vicksburg defenses. Link to a Map of Union advance: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:VicksburgCampaignAprilJuly63.png
How did the veto of General Grant's plan to capture Mobile Alabama hamper General Sherman in 1864?
General in Chief US Grant's plan to capture and fortify Mobile, Alabama in early 1864 was vetoed by President Lincoln and General Halleck. In May of 1864 Confederate General Joseph Johnston was in a long campaign against General Sherman. This can be called Sherman's Atlanta campaign. On May 13, Johnston was reinforced by 13,000 troops from Mississippi and Louisiana. Had Grant been able to capture and reinforce Mobile, then Union troops could have marched north and intercepted the reinforcement force being sent to aid Johnston.
What could the union army do after the Battle of Vicksburg that was a result of their victory?
Go to the aid of the Army of the Cumberland at Chattanooga.
How did the confederate defeat at Vicksburg influenced the remaining battles of the US Civil War?
It ended the war in the West, and enabled Grant to go to the aid of the Army of the Cumberland in Chattanooga, earning him valuable credibility that would qualify him as General-in-Chief.
What aresome significance for the Battle of Vicksburg?
It liberated the Mississippi, denying the enemy use of this major military highway, and isolating all Confederate units to the West of the river. It ended the war in the West, enabling Grant and Sherman to come to the aid of the Army of the Cumberland in Chattanooga. It gave Grant enough credibility to be promoted General-in-Chief the following March.
How did President Lincoln unknowingly allow Confederate General Johnston to plan a more aggressive offensive on the Peninsula in 1862?
In late May 1862, Confederate General Joseph Johnston was planning a response to the Union's ever increasing menace to their target of Richmond. There was a threat that troops under Union General McDowell was planing an assault on Richmond from Fredericksburg. Due to the amazing successes of Stonewall Jackson in the Shenandoah Valley, he posed a potential threat on Washington DC. With that in mind President Lincoln, with no general in chief to aid him, recalled McDowell to insure the protection of Washington DC. With the McDowell threat reduced, General Joseph Johnston was able to plan a more aggressive offensive plan of attack on McClellan's army.
What happend after grants victory at Vicksburg?
It was the end of the war in the West, and Grant was able to go to the aid of the Army of the Cumberland in Chattanooga.
How did Union General Sherman's large troop advantage aid in forcing entrenched Confederates to retreat in 1864?
Union General Sherman's large troop advantage over the forces of Confederate General Johnston allowed Sherman to, in succession, move out entrenched Rebel positions with expertly controlled turning movements. This included Confederate positions at Allatoona Pass, Marietta, and the Chattahochee River. Sherman's one error caused his defeat at Kennesaw Mountain where Johnston's troops halted a Union frontal assault.
How did Confederate Secretary of War James Seddon attempt to aid Vicksburg?
Although General Robert E. Lee and senior members of the Confederate high command were certain that Vicksburg would play no part in the US Civil, Lee's raid into Pennsylvania in late June of 1863, might have helped relieve some pressure on Vicksburg. The problem was that unless Lee was immediately successful, Lee's incursion to the North and into Pennsylvania would not help Vicksburg.That being the case, and the fall of Vicksburg on July 4, 1863 could not have been prevented. Only if Lee had won earlier in Pennsylvania and occupied Harrisburg, would Union troops be forced to forget Vicksburg for a time and rescue the North, in a manner of speaking. Secretary of War Seddon saw the propaganda value to the North by taking Vicksburg. With that in mind, Seddon planned an offensive aimed at Helena, Arkansas. The force was led by Major General Theophilus Hunter Holmes. It failed.
