History That Doesn't Suck - 50: Mississippi Valley 1862: The Battles of New Orleans, Corinth, Memphis, and Vicksburg

Episode Date: October 28, 2019

This is the story of the Mississippi Valley in 1862. Navy Secretary Gideon “Father Neptune” Welles is moving forward with an audacious plan. He’s sending a fleet to sack the Confederacy’s largest city, New Orleans, via the Mississippi River. Can this fleet—commanded by a Southerner loyal to the Union—really take out two forts—commanded by a Northerner throwing in with the CSA—and claim the Big Easy? Meanwhile, Union generals are in disagreement as they move on a railroad junction called Corinth. But then Corinth’s Confederate General GT Beauregard is in the midst of his own dispute with CSA President Jefferson Davis. Will the bickering disrupt the front lines as the fight moves from Corinth to Vicksburg? Time will tell. ____ Connect with us on HTDSpodcast.com and go deep into episode bibliographies and book recommendations join discussions in our Facebook community get news and discounts from The HTDS Gazette  come see a live show get HTDS merch or become an HTDS premium member for bonus episodes and other perks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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What did it take to survive an ancient siege? Why was the cult of Dionysus behind so many slave revolts in ancient Rome? What's the tragic history and mythology behind Japan's most haunted ancient forest? We're Jen and Jenny from Ancient History Fangirl. Welcome to History That Doesn't Suck. I'm your professor, Greg Jackson, and as in the classroom, my goal here is to make rigorously researched history come to life as your storyteller. Each episode is the result of laborious research with no agenda other than making the past come to life as you learn. If you'd like to help support this work, receive ad-free episodes, bonus content, and other exclusive perks, I invite you to join the HTDS membership program. Sign up for a 7-day free trial today at htdspodcast.com slash membership,

or click the link in the episode notes. Welcome to History That Doesn't Suck. I'm your professor, Greg Jackson, and I'd like to tell you a story. It's mid-November, 1861, in Washington City. Commander David D. Porter can feel the palpable resentment of Assistant Secretary Gustavus Fox and Chief Clerk William Faxon as he approaches the Navy Secretary's office. Back in April, Secretary of State William Henry Seward secretly ordered Porter, who I am calling by his last name since we have another David to meet today, to take the USS Powhatan down to Florida and bail out Fort Pickens.

That sounds good and all, but as you know from episode 46, Navy leaders have been counting on this powerful steam frigate to help at Fort Sumter, where the first shots of the Civil War were literally being fired. Gus was there in South Carolina. He waited on the palatine for hours, only to have it never show up. None of this is Porter's fault per se, but given the look on Gusus and will's faces i'd say they're a bit sore about it hmm porter was hoping to chat with the navy secretary right now those prospects are looking slim well you didn't run away after all chief of the bureau of yards and docs joe smith hollers at porter, a friendlier face.

Looks like this elderly War of 1812 vet is still okay with him. So are Senators John Hale and James Grimes. Standing nearby, they warmly greet the USS Powhatan commander and ask about his mission to Florida. As the trio chat, Porter, who's as shrewd as he is ambitious, mentions that he's here today hoping to propose a plan for capturing the city of New Orleans. Yes, he might be on the outs with the Navy's top brass, but this is a sailor who knows how to leverage influence.

And just as he hoped, the Senators now lead Porter straight to the office of Navy Secretary Gideon Wells. Gideon is a portly Connecticut-er with deep-set dark eyes, wavy, receding gray hair, and a thick Santa Claus-style beard of the same color. He also has the most amazing ancient Rome-inspired nickname, courtesy of the president, Father Neptune. And Neptune is listening attentively as Porter talks. Now, historians will long argue over who's coming up with the details right now, but regardless, they hatch the following plan. Mortar schooners, which are sailing ships with freaking howitzers on board,

will bombard New Orleans' main defenses south of it on the Mississippi, that is, Forts Jackson and St. Philip, for 48 hours. This should put them out of commission, allowing a fleet to slip past them and capture the city 75 miles farther upriver. The plan is not without its risks, but Gideon becomes so confident he leads the whole crew right over to the White House to seek presidential approval. Lincoln paces, his lanky body moving back and forth across the floor as he's deep in thought. If we trust Porter's possibly self-aggrandizing account, he's the one who lays out the plan for the pensive president.

When the commander finishes, Lincoln responds, This reminds me of a story which I must tell you all. The president replies, There was an old woman in Illinois who missed some of her chickens and couldn't imagine what had become of them. Someone suggested that they had been carried off by a skunk. So she told her husband he must sit up that night and shoot the critter. The old man sat up all night and the next morning came in with two pet rabbits. Thar, said he, your chickens are all safe.

Thar's two of them skunks I killed. Them ain't skunks, said the old woman. Them's my pet rabbits. You allers was a fool. Well then, returned the old man, if them ain't skunks, I don't know a skunk when I sees it. Now, Mr. Secretary, says Lincoln, ready to deliver the moral of his tale. The Navy has been hunting pet rabbits long enough. Suppose you send them after skunks.

It seems to me that what the lieutenant proposes is feasible. He says a dozen ships will take the forts and city and there should be 20,000 soldiers

sent along to hold it. After New Orleans is taken and while we are about it we can push on to Vicksburg and open the river all the way along. Okay then, this plan has the president's approval, but can they really pull it off and push all the way to Vicksburg, Mississippi? That's exactly what we're going to

find out. Today, we're going to follow Porter and the soon-to-be-named commander of this operation down to New Orleans for an epic, arguably war-changing battle on the Mississippi River. After we hear how the forts and ships duke it out, we'll head up to the northern edge of the state of Mississippi, where a feud between Confederate General G.T. Beauregard and CSA President Jeff Davis affects the outcome of another major battle at a railroad junction called Corinth. Then we'll return to the water as a Union fleet of steam-powered rams make life hell for rebels on the Mississippi River. And then we can head to Vicksburg and see if Lincoln's right. So, ready to sail and march all over the Mississippi Valley? Excellent. Let's do this. So Lincoln's given his blessing to attacking New Orleans, but we need to note that the Union's got

a bit of baggage when it comes to the Big Easy. You might recall that in episode 47, I told you about the U.S. Navy setting up a blockade along the Confederacy's coast. Well, last month, before daybreak on October 12, 1861, New Orleans' ironclad, the CSS Manassas, led a little mosquito fleet of gunboats down the Mississippi and beat back the Union's stronger blockading fleet. The Manassas even slammed the USS Richmond with its iron ram. No Union ships were sunk or captured and the blockade quickly reorganized, so this Confederate victory has no meaningful impact. But the whole episode, which came to be known as Pope's Run, in dishonor of Union Captain John Pope who ignominiously retreated, was incredibly embarrassing for the Union. By the way, Captain Pope stepped down from

his command shortly after this. He cited health reasons. Uh-huh, yeah, I bet. The Navy readily agreed. So it's crucial that Navy Secretary Gideon Wells, or Neptune, since I very much prefer using his Lincoln-given nickname, selects the right commander for this daring attack. They can't lose near New Orleans again. Porter might have had the idea for this mission or played a role in its formation, but expedition commander is above his pay grade. He'll get to lead the flotilla of mortar ships, but someone more senior is needed to command the whole fleet. This is where David Farragut comes in. Spanish descent, Tennessee-born Farragut spent his earliest years in New Orleans. He's also married to a Virginian, so this Navy officer is Southern through and through. Yet,

he responded to secession by moving his family from Virginia to New York. National loyalty trumps regional for Farragut. He sailed and fought under the stars and stripes since nine years old. A bit young to start a career, I know, but he had a revolutionary war vet and active Navy officer for a foster father. And fun fact, since that officer,

whose first name was David, was also the father of David Porter, whom we met in today's opening, David Porter and David Farragut are actually foster brothers. I told you, we have way too many Davids today. Still a child, Farragut was serving aboard the USS Essex with his adoptive dad when the British captured it during the War of 1812. He gained more experience as a grown man in the Mexican-American War, and now, in 1861, this square-jawed 60-year-old with receding salt-and-pepper hair holds the high rank of flag officer in the U.S. Navy. Farragut enjoys a strong reputation in the Navy. Perhaps the worst that can be said of him is that his bravery can border on crazy, as Captain Joe Smith put it when asked

for his take on Farragut leading this mission. I consider him a bold and petulant man of a great deal of courage and energy, but his capabilities and power to command a squadron are a subject to be determined only by trial. But that might be just the combination a commander endeavoring to sack the Confederacy's largest city needs. In January 1862, Father Neptune makes Farragut commander of the Western Gulf Blockading Squadron, then sends these orders. When these formidable mortars arrive, and you are completely ready, you will collect what vessels can be spared from the blockade and proceed up the Mississippi River, and reduce the defenses which guard the approach to New Orleans. And when you will appear off that city and take possession of it under the guns of your squadron and hoist the American flag thereon, keeping possession until troops can be sent to you. Ah, right, troops. Should all go well enough for occupation, General Benjamin Butler will occupy the city. We briefly met this politically appointed Massachusetts man in episode 46, but suffice it to say, he's someone you want as a friend simply to keep him from being your enemy.

So General Little Mac McClellan is sending this balding, portly-mustached politico less because he thinks Benjamin will do well and more to be rid of the manipulative New Englander. And with that, this massive military operation moves forward. Or perhaps I should say, it lurches forward. The delays are due to both logistics and geography. First, logistics. Benjamin doesn't get his orders to move out with an over 15,000 strong army until February 23, 1862. Meanwhile, Farragut and Porter are corralling over 40 ships spread across nearly 1,000 miles of the Confederacy's southern coast. In the case of porters recently outfitted mortar ships, some are coming from New York shipyards. So it takes until

March for every man and ship to gather in the Gulf of Mexico's waters. Now to geography. The gathering point is Ship Island. It's a long strip of land that sits 15 miles or so south of the state of Mississippi's coast and about 80 miles northeast of the Mississippi River's head of passes. Now, the head of passes is where the Mississippi divides into smaller separate waterways called, yes, you guessed it, passes, all of which empty into the Gulf of Mexico. These passes can be fairly shallow because of all the sediment that washes down the river, creating bars and mud. That really sucks because Farragut's fleet has to sail through these passes to enter the Mississippi River, and a number of his 40-some-odd ships, gets stuck.

Pushing through the mud and muck is nasty business, and it lets Porter's more self-serving side show as he quietly throws his foster brother commander under the bus, or ship, in letters to Assistant Navy Secretary Gus Fox. He writes, quote, Too much time has been lost in getting these ready. It is very

difficult for a man of Farragut's age, finding himself commanding so large a force for the first time in his life. Close quote. Damn, Porter. Way to look out for number one, huh? Despite the brotherly backstabbing, at least he helps by putting his gunboats to work, towing, or rather dragging, the heavier, bigger USS Mississippi and USS Pensacola through the muddy passes. It takes until April 8th to accomplish this feat, and the enormous USS Colorado never makes it. But otherwise, the fleet is finally on the Mississippi River. Now 20 miles upriver, the Confederates prepare to make their stand against Farragut's fleet. Let me set the scene. The massive star-shaped Fort Jackson towers on

the Mississippi's west bank, or south given the bend in the river. While its smaller but still powerful counterpart, Fort St. Philip, sits just opposite on the other bank. Between them, the forts have 126 guns ready to blow the Union's wooden ships out of the Mississippi. In the water itself, some Confederate gunboats and the ironclad ram that sent Captain John Pope running last year, the CSS Manassas, can make this point even more difficult to contend with. Although, luckily for Farragut, several gunboats have been sent north to help defend Island No. 10, as I mentioned in Episode 48. Finally, a thick chain, connected by six or so demasted schooners serving as hulks,

runs across the river just below the forts. It acts as a physical barrier that inhibits Union ships from passing the forts. These defenses are the Confederacy's last hope of protecting New Orleans. Farragut is methodical and calculated in his approach. While still waiting on his larger ships to make it through the passes in March, he began sending other vessels up the Mississippi to scout the situation. They'd sail close enough to draw fire from the forts, but never get hit. By April, Union surveyors have set up camouflaged markers on the banks to help Porter's mortar ships nail the proper distance when they bombard the forts. And come April 18th, they're ready.

That morning, Porter's 19 mortar ships begin firing their 11 and 13-inch guns from their carefully planned positions on the river. Half a dozen projectiles or more are in the air at any given moment as they unleash an average of 3,000 shells per 24 hours. In Fort Jackson, Pennsylvania, that is, northerner-turned-Confederate General Johnson K. Duncan describes Porter's bombardment as, quote, accurate and terrible, many of the shells falling everywhere within the fort and disabling some of our best guns. Close quote. That said, it's not as though Johnson's forts aren't doing damage. A Confederate shell rips through mortar schooner Maria J. Carlton. But even as the river's waters swallow the Maria, shipmaster Charles Jack defiantly returns fire from her guns, only abandoning ship when he can no longer do so.

Two days pass. Porter's 48-hour mortar bombardment has seen less success than hoped. Rather than leveling the forts, both continue to return fire. Meanwhile, desperate Confederates tow the unfinished ironclad CSS Louisiana out to fight. Her engines don't work yet, but her guns do, meaning the ironclad can serve as a floating battery. Farragut has had enough of this. Even with the forts still firing, he's going to try and push past them. But this means he has to break the chain between the forts. This task falls to Commander Henry Bell and Lieutenant Charles Caldwell. Want to learn how you can make smarter decisions with your money? Well, I've got the

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The conductor is broken, hollers back Julius Kroll. Explode the second one then, the commander answers. That one is also broken, Julius replies. Damn, this is not good. But Charles' crew is having more luck, or at least more success, amid enemy fire. They sped to their assigned hulk and found the chain was merely lashed to the windlass, that is, the anchor's mechanism, which meant it could be detached fairly simply. So they did just that.

But their gunboat then ran aground under Fort St. Philip. The forts lost sight of them in the dark, but that can't last long. Thankfully, Henry's gunboat finds them and is able to tow their vessels free, even as it snaps two ropes in the process. Charles then takes his freed gunboat and, going with the current, rams the weakened chain, breaking an opening. The Confederates respond by sending oil-soaked fire rafts through the opening. But these attacks only encourage Farragut. Dan the fire rafts and increased number of Confederate gunboats.

He won't be stalled. In the face of his officers' objections, many of whom are convinced this is a suicide mission, Farragut determines over the next few days that he will attempt to sail 17 of his vessels between the still-operating forts. They'll move in three divisions. Captain Theodorus Bailey will lead the first of these. His eight ships will fire at Fort St. Philip. Farragut will lead the second division's three sloops and fire at Fort Jackson.

The last division's six, mostly gunboat vessels, will have the same target. Its leader will be one of the intrepid officers who oversaw breaking the chain on April 20th, Commander Henry Bell. Meanwhile, Porter's mortar ships will hang back but continue to keep pressure on the large menacing Fort Jackson. In short, every single one of Farragut's ships will be in action. I told you his bravery is borderline crazy. And here we go. Time to run the gauntlet. It's now 3.30am, April 24th. Things are going according to plan as Theodorus leads the 1st Division in the gunboat USS Cayuga. For 10 brief minutes, the only sound on the river are these eight vessels gliding upstream.

That all changes in a second. Forts Jackson and St. Philip rain shells on the Cayuga and the ships just behind her. I do not believe there ever was a grander spectacle witness before in the world than that display during the great artillery duel which followed. Confederate Captain William Robertson will later write, and I can see his point. With roughly 100 Confederate guns firing, Porter's mortar ships unleashing shells at Fort Jackson, and the 1st Division unloading on Fort St. Philip, the quiet, dark morning has become a deafening, blinding, deadly fireworks display. The Cayuga's pilot, George Perkins, notices the shelling's hottest in the middle of the river, so he hugs the bank near Fort St. Philip as the crew fires upon it. They're staying alive, but George can't see a single other vessel from their division. Worse yet, they're soon surrounded. To quote him, I thought our vessels all must have been

sunk by the forts. Then looking ahead, I saw 11 of the enemy's gunboats coming down upon us, and it seemed as if we were gone for sure. Close quote. As the ironclad Manassas and two other Confederate vessels try to ram or board the Cayuga, the USS Oneida and Varuna steam into the fray. Aboard the Cayuga, Theodorus tells us that, quote, the enemy were so thick that it was like duck shooting. What missed one rebel hit another. Close quote. The Confederates ram and sink the Baruna, but the USS Cayuga and Oneida do far worse to the river defense fleet. Shells continue to explode left, right, and center as the 2nd Division passes the broken chain.

The smoke on the river is too thick to see. Needing to know what's going on, Farragut climbs the USS Hartford's rat lines. He coolly watches as shells fly right by him. His men, on the other hand, are beside themselves at the danger he's put himself in. We can't afford to lose you, flag officer. They'll get you up here, sure, signal officer B.S. Osborne hollers. Farragut doesn't budge. So Osbin tries another tactic. Climbing up the rat line himself, Osbin feigns concern for the opera glasses he lent Farragut in lieu of a telescope. Flag officer, they'll break my opera glasses if you stay up here. Oh damn the glasses. The southerner union commander mutters, extending them to the officer now just below him.

Exasperated Osmond cuts to the chase. It's you we want! Come down! The old flag officer finally relents. Only moments after his descent, a shell blows up in the exact spot on which he'd been perched. But that won't be his only close call. Only moments later, the Hartford gets grounded on a bank and a fire raft lodges under its port side, lighting the ship on fire. My God, is it going to end this way? Farragut wonders aloud, finally coming face to face with mortality for a brief second. But then his unique blend of

crazy encouraged snap back. Don't flinch from that fire, boys. There is a hotter fire than that for those who don't do their duty. Farragut sees Osborne kneeling port side. Come, Mr. Osborne, this is no time for prayer, he hollers. Flag officer, if you'll wait a second, you'll get the quickest answer to prayer ever you heard of. And after saying that, Osmond shoves three shells off the ship. They land on the fire raft, exploding and sinking it. Hoses extinguish the fire, and the Hartford breaks free of the bank near Fort St. Philip. As quickly as it seemed doomed, Farragut's ship is back in the fight.

This melee of shells, grapeshot, fire rafts, and maneuvering lasts 90 minutes, but Farragut prevails. As dawn breaks, 13 of his 17 ships have made it across the gauntlet. Three had to turn back and the rebels killed 37 sailors and injured another 147. They roughed up every one of these 13 ships, but only sank one, the USS Veruna. Meanwhile, the Federal sinker destroyed seven of the River Defense Fleet's eight vessels and took the eighth captive. They also put an end to that much-dreaded ironclad, the CSS Manassas. Northerner Confederate General Johnson Duncan's forts remained viable, but they failed to stop the southerner Union flag officer Farragut's fleet, which is now steaming up to New Orleans. Unfortunately for

the Confederates, their leaders did not take a downriver attack seriously enough, and we'll now have to wonder what might have been had they not sent gunboats and thousands of troops away from the city. On April 25th, Farragut's fleet encounters two smaller, barely noteworthy batteries. Then proceeding on, drop anchor in front of a very hostile New Orleans. Among those who go ashore to secure the surrender is Cayuga pilot George Perkins. He describes the scene, quote, as we advanced, the mob followed us in a very excited state. They gave three cheers for Jeff Davis and Beauregard and three groans for Lincoln. Then they began to throw things at us and shout, hang them, hang them, close quote.

Thankfully, the civilian government protects them, but the mayor then spends the next few days beating around the bush on surrendering. Come April 29th, Farragut grows tired of this and sends Marines and sailors with two howitzers to City Hall, where they forcibly remove the Louisiana flag, then raise the stars and stripes. Per his orders, the old flag officer holds the city until three regiments of General Benjamin Butler's army shows up on May 1st, with the marching band proudly playing

the Star-Spangled Banner and the most northern song possible, Yankee Doodle. Thus falls New Orleans. With 170,000 inhabitants, it was the Confederacy's largest city. Its geographic importance along the crucial Mississippi River can hardly be overstated. As our favorite Civil War diarist Mary Chestnut puts it, quote, New Orleans is lost and with it the Confederacy. Are we not cut in two? The Mississippi ruins us if it is lost. Close quote. A century and a half later, Charles L. Duford will

agree with Mary in his book, The Night the War Was Lost contending that this the loss of New Orleans slowly strangles the CSA's economy until victory becomes impossible. Whether Mary and Charles are right or not the U.S. flag now flies over the Crescent City. General Ben Butler will lord military rule over it with an iron fist for years to come.

As strong women like Julia Legrand express their anger over being conquered. The blood boiled in my veins, she will later write in recalling the day the Louisiana flag came down. Ben Butler cuts all women off from any part in public discourse. On May 15th, he issues order No. 28, which states, When any female shall by mere gesture or movement insult or show contempt for any officers or soldiers of the United States, she shall be regarded and held liable to be treated as a woman about town plying her avocation. To be blunt, Ben will treat any non-compliant woman as a prostitute. As I'm sure you can imagine, history has not remembered Ben's military governorship here well. We'll leave New Orleans here. To continue with the story of the 1862 Western Theater,

we need to join the Union forces congregating at Pittsburgh Landing, Tennessee. That also means going back in time just a few weeks. So here we go. Rewind. Simultaneous to Farragut's badassery at New Orleans, our old friend General Henry Old Brains Halleck is amassing an army at Union-controlled Pittsburgh Landing. He plans to move on the Confederate army stationed at Corinth, Mississippi, under the command of our favorite Creole, G.T. Beauregard. By the end of April, Henry has well over 100,000 men under his command. See, Old Brains has combined the armies of three guys. One, John Pope, who for the record is not the cowardly captain of Pope Ron's infamy from the

start of this episode. Two, Don Carlos Buell, who fought at the second day of Shiloh. And three, the famous Ulysses Grant. If this reads like a who's who's among Civil War generals, that's because it is. These three men will go on to lead whole armies. There's even a future general in chief in there. But it's obvious that Old Brains doesn't know what to do with all this talent. He demotes Ulysses, making him second in command of the Army of Tennessee, and appoints General George Thomas over that force. Yeah, Henry may not be spreading rumors about Ulysses' drinking habits anymore, but that doesn't mean Old Brains likes or respects him. Henry even tells Ulysses that, quote, it is necessary that your headquarters should be

near to mine, close quote. This move frustrates the hell out of unconditional surrender Grant, but he's not alone. Henry demotes plenty of other capable generals, favoring education over experience. As General Lew Wallace explains to his wife, Nobody but West Pointers have high commands in the front. Basically, if he lived in the 21st century, he'd be a Wall Street bro who only hires other bros from his frat. But with this leadership shuffle completed on April 29th, Henry orders this massive army to march on Corinth. Here's his plan. Balding Old Brains wants his army to head southwest and attack the Confederate stronghold there. He orders Generals George Thomas,

Don Carlos Buell, and John Pope to march in three columns, George on the right, Don Carlos in the middle, and John on the left, protecting one another's flanks from surprise rebel attacks. Following the army from behind, Henry is so sure of his plan that he telegraphs Edwin Stanton on May 3rd that, quote, I leave here tomorrow morning and our armies will be before Corinth tomorrow night, close quote. But since Henry forces his armies to move at a snail's pace, only about 1200 yards per day, Old Brains has to dial that estimation way back. He informs Edwin, quote, the country is so weeded and marshy that we are obliged to feel our way step by step, close quote. If Henry knew how bad things were in Confederate General Pierre G.T. Beauregard's camp

and the struggle G.T. is having with President Jeff Davis to get supplies and reinforcements, though, he probably wouldn't be so cautious. When GT's decimated force straggles into Corinth after the Battle of Shiloh, the small, nearly deserted town doesn't have the resources to house the well and care for the wounded. Every available wagon, porch, floor, and bed is soon occupied with the wounded or sick Confederate soldiers. Sanitation is nearly non-existent and diarrhea runs rampant. Private Sam Watkins recalls, almost the whole army attended sick calls every morning. Shiloh's survivors continue to straggle into Corinth and General Braxton Bragg describes their horrible state to GT. Quote, troops utterly disorganized and demoralized, roads almost impassable, no provisions and no forage.

Consequently, everything is feeble. It is most lamentable to see the state of affairs, but I am powerless and almost exhausted. Close quote. Damn, this is a sorry state of affairs. The men eat flour and rainwater biscuits with pickled beef every night. But they can hardly keep the sad excuse for a meal down. Sam Watkins says, We became starved skeletons, naked and ragged.

Energetic Creole commander GT doesn't stand idly by and watches men languish in disease and hunger. In early May, he writes to Richmond, practically begging for more men and supplies. G.T. pleads his case, saying, If defeated here, we lose the Mississippi Valley and probably our cause. Yeah, between the losses in Tennessee and the fall of New Orleans, the Louisianan can feel the Union vice tightening. But Confederate President Jeff Davis doesn't help much. He orders Earl Van Dorn to reinforce GT at Corinth. This brings Confederate numbers up to at least 50,000 if not 70,000 men. But Jeff won't send more than that. Why not? What is the rebel leader thinking

by ordering GT to defend the rail lines at Corinth with such a small force compared to the Union? From Jeff's bird's eye view of the war, he can see the federal effort to carry out simultaneous attacks all over the Confederacy. Jeff, per Bobby Lee's advice, wants to weaken Union communication lines in Tennessee to interfere with those coordinated Union advances. But GT has a different perspective. From his front line's vantage point, he can see that this approach will almost guarantee a Union victory at Corinth.

Nonetheless, GT's pleas for reinforcements fall on deaf ears in Richmond. Jeff's decision widens the growing gulf between him and his capable Creole general. All right, GT has a sick, hungry army. There are no reinforcements on the way, and a huge Union army is bearing down on his position. Time to make the best of a crap situation. While his men build a defensive line in an arc around the northeast perimeter of Corinth. GT gets on the phone with a caterer. Okay, that's not what he does,

but I have no doubt that the Louisiana wishes he could call up Papa Doe's Seafood Kitchen and order gumbo for himself and all his men. Anyway, GT does the next best thing. He sends a few scouts to buy herds of cattle in Arkansas and Texas. This brings some fresh meat into the camps and boosts morale. But it doesn't stop Henry Halleck's force from creeping ever closer to his lines. So G.T. writes a letter to his loyal men, urging them to prepare for the coming fight. He calls the Yankees, presumptuous mercenaries, invaders of our soil, despoilers of our homes, and disturbers of our family ties. Then he calls on their southern

sense of pride and honor. He asks the men to think of their families back home and tells them to fight so their children can one day say, our fathers were at the Battle of Corinth. So the rebels steal themselves for a fight. John Pope's quick-moving army reaches Seven Mile Creek, which is about five miles east of Corinth in early May. Now you'd think that old brains Halleck would be happy that John managed to get his men into firing range of the Confederate camp so quickly, but he's not.

Remember, John's men make up the left flank of Henry's three-column formation, and their fast pace has left Don Carlos' army exposed on one side. But aggressive John refuses to rein in his pace. This freaks out cautious Henry, who tells Assistant Secretary of War Thomas Scott, quote, don't let Pope go too far ahead. It is dangerous and affects no good, close quote. Henry's words are almost prophetic. On May 9th, two divisions of Confederates launch a surprise attack on John's front lines. They march east from Corinth and hit a single Yankee brigade camping on the south side of Seven Mile Creek. The boys in gray attack with determination, as one Union soldier describes the scene.

Quote, They came forward in line of battle, their flags fluttering over them and their bayonets glistening. The picturesque landscape, with lush blue grass and scattered stands of trees, offers the outnumbered Union soldiers a perfect view of the Confederate attack bearing down on them. Union Major John Jefferson immediately sends a telegram across the river asking for backup. The front line's telegraph officer soon receives a message that help is on the way. But Jefferson is taking heavy fire and sends a second plea for help. Now the telegraph officer reads the writing on the wall and decides to cut and run.

He and Assistant Secretary of War Thomas Scott pack up the telegraph equipment and leave the temporary communications office. Good call, gents. Someone should probably make sure the War Department's number two guy stays out of harm's way. Just as the men vacate the makeshift building, bullets start peppering its walls. Damn, talk about a close call. Gray and blue clad soldiers clash all day,

but towards sunset, the Confederates force the Union lines back to their main camps on the north side of Seven Mile Creek. John Pope reports 16 men killed and another 150 wounded or missing. He's frustrated by this outcome. He could have turned this into a real battle and sent the rebels running back to Corinth, but he stuck to Henry's orders. In John's report of the skirmish at Seven Mile Creek, he tells Old Brains, quote, I could not sustain my men without passing the creek with my whole force, which is contrary to your orders and would have drawn on a general engagement, close quote. John isn't the only frustrated commander on the field right now. Ulysses Grant is starting to

feel like his cruel childhood nickname, useless. Every idea he offers to old brains is batted away, and Ulysses spends more and more of his time in his tent writing requests for reassignment. Tecumseh Sherman again talks Ulysses down. When the dejected general confides in Kump, I'm in the way here. Tecumseh responds, You could not be quiet at home for a week when armies are moving.

Close quote. So Ulysses decides to muscle through and stays under Henry Halleck's thumb, which is no small thing for an offense-oriented soldier like unconditional surrender Grant. The skirmish at Seven Mile Creek sends Henry into a George Little Mac McClellan-like state of fear and inaction. Convinced that he is outnumbered by the Confederates, Henry inches his army forward across the next two weeks.

This cautious approach is slowed even more by skirmishes with smaller rebel forces. But it gives GT the time he needs to make a critical decision. By May 25th, GT knows his time at Corinth has come to an end. Henry's massive army holds a few key positions near the town that makes it all but impossible for G.T. to hold his lines. But he can't raise a white flag, nor can he run in the night with all of his sick men and his limited but precious supplies.

What to do? The Louisiana gets creative and throws the Union army off the scent of his evacuation. While he quietly moves his men south to Tupelo, Mississippi in wagons and train cars, GT orders bands empty train travel in and out of town. Every time it approaches Corinth, rebel soldiers let out a cheer as if they are welcoming reinforcements. At night, huge bonfires light every inch of the Confederate entrenchments, signaling that they are full of well-armed, ready-to-fight men. Union soldiers wonder what in the hell is going on.

They are close enough to hear the music, the trains, and the cheering from Corinth. After four days of this, on March 29th, John sends a message to Henry, convinced he'll face an attack, quote, in heavy force, close quote. But John's been fooled. Early on May 30th, Union forces awake to huge explosions. Tecumseh can't even see the town through the thick smoke. But when he asks Henry what's going on, the general can only reply, quote, I have no explanation, close quote. John takes the initiative and sends scouts into Corinth. They find a ghost town with a smoldering

pile of supplies that GT couldn't take with him. Henry claims the victory and occupies the crucial railway junction. But Henry isn't the only general putting a tally in the win column. From his new headquarters in Tupelo, Mississippi, GT telegraphs Jeff Davis saying his, quote, retreat was a most brilliant and successful one. Close quote. It's true. GT's retreat did, after all, avoid surrendering his army and didn't lose crucial war materiel. But Jeff Davis doesn't buy it. After the retreat from Corinth, the simmering feud between Jeff and GT comes to a full boil. Jeff has a temper that's not helped by his chronic migraines and a painful eye condition. He also has an acerbic tongue. So when Jeff's GT's telegram, he tells his wife, quote, Beauregard claims by

telegram to have made a brilliant and successful retreat. There are those who can only walk a log when it is near the ground, and I fear he has been placed too high for his mental strength, as he does not exhibit the ability manifested on smaller fields. Close quote. Ouch. But the Confederate president doesn't just abuse GT to his wife. Jeff sends GT a letter and has it hand delivered by his personal aide, William Preston Johnson. When William rides into camp, he puts the letter right into GT's hand and the general opens it immediately. I wish I could read you the whole letter, but it has been lost to time.

The only thing I have for you today is GT's summary of what the letter said, but I'd like to imagine it started something like this. Dear sir, what in the actual is going on in Mississippi? Okay, Jeff probably didn't say that. He may have a short fuse, but he is a professional. The goatee rocking commander-in-chief verbally rakes GT over the coals for giving up such an important rail junction. He asks why the army retreated, if they can regain the lost territory, if GT has

picked a defensible position, why so many men were sick, why he didn't attack the Union flank, and ends this litany of questions by asking what GT was doing to defend Confederate positions on the Mississippi River. Now GT has answers to all of these questions. As to why he retreated, of course he picked a defensible spot. But he was outnumbered 2-1 by the enemy. And he had sick men because rich men couldn't be bothered to supply decent food or water. And the Creole has a plan to regroup and retake Corinth. But it'll take some time. Here's the thing. The Confederate army does not have enough manpower to hold places. It can only launch attacks at carefully chosen times to weaken encroaching Union forces.

Frustrated, GT gets this, but Jeff just doesn't see it. And frankly, GT is sick and tired of trying to explain it to Jeff. Literally. The Louisianan has been suffering from a throat ailment and gets a doctor's note saying that he needs a leave of absence to recuperate. GT telegraphs Jeff and tells him, yeah, he doesn't ask, he just tells the president, that he'll be going on medical leave and putting Braxton Bragg in charge for a while. You can probably guess how Jeff reacts.

When the president reads GT's telegram, his harsh sarcasm comes out and he tells his wife. Beauregard left his command to seek rest and restore his health. The sedentary life at Corinth must have been hard to bear as he reports himself exhausted. Damn, son. Rather than accept this temporary leave, Jeff assigns Braxton as GT's permanent replacement and tells the Creole to take his sweet time recovering. Alright, let's leave this feud between Jeff and GT on Simmer and head west with the Union troops. Their next target is the Mississippi River stronghold at Memphis, Tennessee. Like I've said, all of this action overlaps, so to get the full picture of what's happening on the mighty Mississippi, let's head back to March 1862 and meet a man named Charles Ellett. Rewind.

Charles is a lithe, 50-something man with a long beard. He looks like he'd be more at home in a children's story about elves and fairies than in the Washington, D.C. office of Secretary of War Edwin Stanton. But here Charles sits. See, he has a great idea to create a fleet of ramming steamships for the Union Navy. Charles has based this idea on ancient naval battles, where fast, maneuverable galleys pulled by oars and slaves rammed enemy vessels. Like in the epic Charlton Heston movie, Ben-Hur. You know the scene where Charlton is a slave on a galley and the captain orders all the slaves to row faster and harder?

Battle speed, attack speed, ramming speed. Okay, Chuck probably hasn't seen Ben-Hur, and if you haven't, the clip's online. But the point is, the idea remains sound. While everyone else is enamored with slow armored ironclads like the USS Monitor, Charles does a few calculations using the equation force equals mass times velocity squared. He's pretty sure his fast, highly mobile steam-powered rams could do more damage than the guns on a plodding, cumbersome ironclad. But Secretary of the Navy, Gideon Neptune Wells, turns him down flat. So Charles moves on and pitches his plan to Secretary of War, Edwin Stanton. Edwin decides to put the full weight of the war department behind

a fleet of steam-powered rams on the Mississippi River. Yeah, Edwin is definitely living up to his nickname, Mars. That's right, Lincoln calls his Navy Secretary Neptune after the Roman god of the sea, as you know. He also calls his War Secretary Mars after the Roman god of war. I'm not sure how they feel about these mythologically inspired nicknames, but I love them. Anyway, Mars makes civilian Charles a colonel in the army and gives him a budget to start building his fleet. On March 29th, 1862, Mars tells him, spare nothing to accomplish your object at the earliest moment for time is precious. So Charles heads west and puts his plan into action. He hires his brother Alfred, his son Charles Rivers, a few nephews, a couple of cousins,

and even an in-law or two to help convert nine steamboats into maneuverable, lethal ramming ships. Charles then hires civilian riverboatmen to operate the fleet. They are ready for action by late May and steam down the Mississippi River to join the operations near Memphis, Tennessee. By this time, Confederate Western Commander G.T. Beauregard has evacuated most of his river defenses. He still holds two major ones though, Memphis, Tennessee and Vicksburg, Mississippi. The rebels are ready to make a stand to defend these crucial bases on the Mississippi River, but Charles thinks his ram fleet is more than a match for them. Unfortunately for Charles, the confused chain of command delays things. Remember that Charles works for War Secretary Mars and answers directly

to him. However, the rest of the Union River fleet is under the command of Charles Davis, who answers to Navy Secretary Neptune. So when the two Charles's try to work together, their orders and personalities clash. Cautious Davis wants to wait to attack Memphis, but Charles complains to Edwin that, quote, delay will be fatal to the usefulness of this fleet, close quote. How can these guys who answer to different military departments launch an attack on Memphis together? Basically, it happens by accident. In the early morning fog of June 2nd, 1862, Davis's six gunboats are anchored two miles north of Memphis, Tennessee on the Mississippi River. Charles's rams sit about 15 miles north of that and the commanders have no way of communicating

with one another. So when Charles wakes up at 5 a.m. to the sound of heavy gunfire, he puts his fleet into action. From his flagship, the Queen of the West, Charles calls to his men, round out and follow me. Now is our chance. When he rounds the bend in the river just north of Memphis, Charles sees what has happened. Confederate Commodore James Montgomery had his river defense fleet steam out from Memphis to attack Davis' gunboats. Simultaneously, David's ships moved northward to enjoy a nice breakfast, I'm not kidding, before attacking the rebel ships. Montgomery figured Davis was withdrawing, so he fired to pull the Union ships into a battle. And those shots brought Charles into this fight. The Ram fleet can see eight Confederate ships roving the Mississippi River just north of Memphis. Charles's untested Rams steam right

past Davis's fleet and get into the action. Now Montgomery's guys knew about the Union gunboats, but they did not know about Charles' seven brand new rams. Like that flock of Gallimimus evading the T-Rex in Jurassic Park, the Confederate boats scatter. Big mistake, guys. Big mistake. As the Confederate ram General Lovell turns to run, it presents its broadside to Charles' flagship, the Queen. The colonel signals full steam ahead and rams into the enemy vessel. Charles describes the scene. Quote, The crash was terrific, with everything loose about the Queen.

Tables, pantryware, and a half-eaten breakfast were overthrown and broken by the shock. The hull of the Rebel steamer was crushed in, and her chimneys surged over. But Charles has a problem. He can't extricate his ram from the sinking Confederate ship. Another Rebel steamer approaches in the dense fog and rams into the Queen's wheelhouse, knocking the Union ship free of the wreckage it just caused. This causes minor damage to the Union flagship, and Charles goes out on the deck to see what's broken. As he walks, a Confederate bullet strikes him just above the knee. The injured captain orders his damned ship to the opposite shore of the river. He can only watch as the rest of the battle plays out. Davis's slow-moving gunboats finally join the fight. These vessels may not have rams, but their powerful guns wreak havoc on the Rebel River Defense Force. Union shells hit the boiler on the Rebel steamer, General Jeff Thompson.

The ship is engulfed in flames, but somehow manages to sail to the riverbanks. Most of the crew escapes as the steamer slowly burns to the waterline. When the flames reach the magazine of the heavily armed boat, it explodes in a plume of smoke, debris, and charred wood. After two hours of ramming and shelling, the fight is over. All remaining rebel ships steam downriver as fast as their damaged hulls and paddle wheels will allow, while the Union boats hold their position at Memphis. Since Charles is badly wounded, he sends his son, Cadet Charles Rivers Ellett, to raise the stars and stripes over Memphis. The Ram fleet commander knows that a few Union gunboats and unarmed Rams can't hold an entire city, so as he raises the flag, Charles Rivers simply explains it's an, quote, emblem of the return of your city

to the care and protection of the Constitution, close quote. In his report of the Battle of Memphis, Davis gives some credit for the Union win to Charles and his Ram fleet. He praises the colonel's, quote, conspicuous gallantry, close quote, but that doesn't prevent him from claiming every Confederate POW as his own and seizing the captured rebel steamers for his own flotilla. Even in victory, these guys don't seem to be able to maintain a good working relationship. In reality, both Charles and Davis deserve credit, but neither of them would ever admit it. But neither would Mars or Neptune. Both cabinet secretaries claimed that it was their own man who dealt the death blow at Memphis. But Charles doesn't live long enough to

plead his case. His wound gets infected and he dies of blood poisoning on June 21st, 1862. No matter who deserves or receives the credit, Memphis falls under Union control and Union forces turn their sights on Vicksburg. This Mississippi River stronghold sits almost exactly halfway between Memphis and New Orleans. Both Lincoln and Jeff Davis call Vicksburg, quote, the key, close quote, to their Western military strategies. You might recall from today's opening that Lincoln even expressed his hopes of getting to Vicksburg while discussing the plan to capture New Orleans. Whoever controls Vicksburg controls hundreds of miles of vital riverway. This critical city's geography plays a big role in its importance and its defense. In 1862, Vicksburg sits on a bluff on the east side

of a tight horseshoe bend in the Mississippi River. That's not the path the river has in the 21st century, but this is 1862, so stick with me. A spit of land known as DeSoto Point juts north into the river and forces the Mississippi into an upside-down U. Vicksburg sits on the east bluffs of this U, which makes attacking the city from the river precarious. Oh, and as the waterway flows around DeSoto Point, unpredictable river currents and eddies form. Basically, this part of the Mississippi is a nightmare to navigate, but a dream to defend. And the citizens of Vicksburg know it. So when Union Navy Captain Sam Lee comes up from New Orleans in the first week of June and demands that the city surrender, Military Governor James Autry laughs in his face. James responds to the

Union request. Mississippians don't know and refuse to learn how to surrender to an enemy. If Commodore Farragut can teach them, let him come and try. That's exactly what Farragut is going to do. He took down New Orleans and he's going to get Vicksburg under his thumb too. For the entire month of June and into July, Farragut's fleet shells the city while taking heavy fire from the Confederate batteries on the bluffs. This is going nowhere and Farragut knows it. The rebels know it too. Brigadier General Martin Luther Smith surmises, the ultimate enemy success hinged upon a movement by land. But Farragut has only about 3,000 guys from Benjamin Butler's army, and preoccupied with his own plans, Henry Halleck

refuses to help with an army-navy coordinated attack on Vicksburg. Farragut is just about ready to throw in the towel on this whole operation when a new Confederate threat appears on the river, the ironclad CSS Arkansas. This ironclad isn't the biggest or the strongest that the Confederacy has in its fleet, but that doesn't matter right now. It has 10 guns and a ram that could decimate any of Farragut's wood-hulled vessels. So Farragut asks Davis and Alfred Ellett, who has taken over the ram fleet from his dead brother, to come down a river and take out the Arkansas. At dawn on July 22nd, Davis's largest and most powerful ironclad, the Essex, steams around DeSoto Point and spots the rebel ship. Quick aside, the Essex is captained by William Dirty Bill Porter, the bearded brother of David Porter, whom we met earlier in the

episode. And that means that Dirty Bill is also the adopted brother of David Farragut. Farragut is thrilled to have the ironclad with Dirty Bill at the helm on his team. Okay, let's see what Dirty Bill can do to the Arkansas. Because of those difficult to navigate river currents I mentioned a minute ago, the Essex goes off course as it tries to ram the Arkansas, glances off the side of the rebel ironclad, and gets lodged in the muddy riverbanks. But Dirty Bill frees his ship and tries again. While sending a hailstorm of shells at the Arkansas, the Essex tries again to ram the ship. The Arkansas fends off the attack with its own guns, and Dirty Bill has to retreat out of range to save his men and his ship. At this point, Alfred Ellett steams in on the Queen of the West. Now, these two ships were supposed to attack together, but there was a mix-up.

As Alfred steamed into battle with Dirty Bill, Davis waved his arms and shouted, Good luck! Good luck! from another ship. But Alfred thought he was saying go back go back. Alfred wasted precious time reversing his direction and figuring out what Davis was saying. So now he's facing the Arkansas alone. That'll teach Davis to distract his captains as they go into battle. Anyway the Arkansas's heavy guns make quick work of the unarmed ram. Confederate General Earl Van Dorm watches the battle from the bluffs of Vicksburg and reports, an attempt was made this morning by two ironclad rams to sink the Arkansas. The failure so complete that it was almost ridiculous. That's exactly what Farragut

thinks too. By August 1862, it's obvious that Vicksburg is a nut the Union just can't crack. Davis takes his ram and ironclads back upriver and Farragut sails his fleet back to New Orleans. Confederates hold the critical river city and 200 miles of the mighty Mississippi. So big picture time. The Union seemed to have the Confederacy on the ropes out west by the latter half of 1862. After all, there's New Orleans, Corinth, Memphis, all of these crucial locations were firmly in federal control. But the rebel rebuff at Vicksburg has just challenged that. And these winds of change might be blowing into the eastern

theater as well, since the army of northern Virginia is getting a new commander. Welcome to a new chapter in the story, Robert E. Lee. But that's a story for next time. History That Doesn't Suck is created and hosted by me, Greg Jackson. Research and writing, Greg Jackson and C.L. Salazar. Production and sound design, Josh Beatty of J.B. Audio Design. Musical score, composed and performed by Greg Jackson and Diana A Salazar. Production and sound design, Josh Beatty of JB Audio Design. Musical score, composed and performed by Greg Jackson and Diana Averill. For a bibliography of all primary and secondary sources consulted in writing this episode, visit historythatdoesntsuck.com. Join me in two weeks, where I'd like to tell you a story.

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