l territory
west of the Tombigbee, and this before the season was too far
advanced for campaigning in this latitude. I would have saved (p. 387)
government sending large re-enforcements much needed elsewhere;
and finally, the troops themselves were impatient to possess
Vicksburg, and would not have worked in the trenches with the
same zeal, believing it unnecessary, that they did after the
failure to carry the enemy's works. Accordingly on the 21st
orders were issued for a general assault on the whole line, to
commence at 11 A.M. on the 22d. All the corps commanders set
their time by mine, that there should be no difference between
them in movement of assault. Promptly at the hour designated, the
three army corps then in front of the enemy's works commenced the
assault. I had taken a commanding position near McPherson's
front, and from which I could see all the advancing columns from
his corps, and a part of each of Sherman's and McClernand's. A
portion of the commands of each succeeded in planting their flags
on the outer slopes of the enemy's bastions and maintained them
there until night. Each corps had many more men than could
possibly be used in the assault, over such ground as intervened
between them and the enemy. More men could only avail in case of
breaking through the enemy's line or in repelling a sortie. The
assault was gallant in the extreme on the part of all the troops,
but the enemy's position was too strong, both naturally and
artificially, to be taken in that way. At every point assaulted,
and at all of them at the same time, the enemy was able to show
all the force his works could cover. The assault failed, I regret
to say, with much loss on our side in killed and wounded, but
without weakening the confidence of the troops in their ability
to ultimately succeed.

No troops succeeded in entering any of the enemy's works with the
exception of Sergeant Griffith, of the 21st regiment Iowa
volunteers, and some eleven privates of the same regiment. Of
these none returned except the sergeant and possibly one man. The
work entered by him, from its position, could give us no
practical advantage, unless others to the right and left of it
were carried and held at the same time.

About 12 M., I received a despatch from McClernand