river above
the Jackson road, and came into the same road with Sherman, but
to his rear. He arrived after nightfall with his advance to where
Sherman turned to the right. McClernand moved by the Jackson and
Vicksburg road to Mount Albans, and there turned to the left to
get into Baldwin's Ferry road. By this disposition the three army
corps covered all the ground their strength would admit of, and
by the morning of the 19th the investment of Vicksburg was made
as complete as could be by the forces at my command.

During the day there was continuous skirmishing, and I was not
without hope of carrying the enemy's works. Relying upon the
demoralization of the enemy in consequence of repeated defeats
outside of Vicksburg, I ordered a general assault at 2 P.M. on
this day.

The fifteenth army corps, from having arrived in front of the
enemy's works in time on the 18th to get a good position, were
enabled to make a vigorous assault. The thirteenth and
seventeenth corps succeeded no further than to gain advanced
positions, covered from the fire of the enemy. The 20th and 21st
were spent in perfecting communications with our supplies. Most
of the troops had been marching and fighting battles for twenty
days, on an average of about five days' rations, drawn from the
commissary department. Though they had not suffered from short
rations up to this time, the want of bread to accompany the other
rations was beginning to be much felt. On the 21st my
arrangements for drawing supplies of every description being
complete, I determined to make another effort to carry Vicksburg
by assault. There were many reasons to determine me to adopt this
course. I believed an assault from the position gained by this
time could be made successfully. It was known that Johnston was
at Canton with the force taken by him from Jackson, re-enforced
by other troops from the east, and that more were daily reaching
him. With the force I had, a short time must have enabled him to
attack me in the rear, and possibly succeeded in raising the
siege. Possession of Vicksburg at that time would have enabled me
to have turned upon Johnston and driven him from the State, and
possess myself of all the railroads and practical military
highways, thus effectually securing to ourselves al