158 GRANT to Corinth. The loss on each side was about 12,000. Gen. Grant was slightly wounded. Gen. Halleck, arriving at the front two or three days afterward, began siege operations against Corinth ; but the confederates evacua- ted the place on the last days of May. Hal- leck was called to Washington on July 11, and Grant became commander of the department of West Tennessee, with headquarters at Cor- inth. The most serious problem that demand- ed his immediate attention was the disposal of guerillas, spies, and traders, who were crossing the lines on all' sorts of pretexts, carrying in- formation and stores to the enemy. He issued several severe orders against them, took pos- session of all unoccupied buildings in Memphis and rented them for the benefit of the United States government, and gave the Memphis "Avalanche" the alternative of suspending publication or dismissing an editor who had written an " incendiary and treasonable " ar- ticle. On Sept. 17 Grant ordered an advance from Corinth, to stop the progress of the con- federate Gen. Price, who had a large force concentrated at luka. A battle was fought at this place, Sept. 19, and a complete victory gained. As Gen. Bragg's force was pushing toward the Ohio river, Grant now removed his headquarters to Jackson, Tenn. The confed- erates under Price and Van Dorn, 40,000 strong, attacked his position at Corinth, which was heW by Rosecrans with about 20,000 (Oct. 3 and 4). After a desperate fight, the assailants were repulsed with heavy loss and pursued beyond the Hatchie river. Buell moved out to intercept Bragg, and defeated him at Perry- ville, Oct. 8, whereupon he retreated to East Tennessee. On the 16th Gen. Grant's depart- ment was extended by the addition of a por- tion of Mississippi, as far as Vicksburg, and designated as the department of the Tennessee ; the forces under his command were constituted the 13th army corps. The most stringent mea- sures were taken to prevent plundering and illegal trading, as necessary to military disci- pline under the peculiar circumstances of an army so placed in a mingled community of friends and foes. After unsuccessful move- ments against Vicksburg, " the Gibraltar of the Mississippi," from the north, and the loss of an immense quantity of stores which the confed- erates (Dec. 20) seized and destroyed at Holly Springs, Grant moved his army down the west bank of the river, crossed to the east side at a point below the city on the last day of April, 1863, defeated the enemy in the actions of Raymond, Jackson, Champion's Hill, and Big mark, preventing Gen. J. E. Johnston from joining Pemberton at Vicksburg, and laid siege to that place, May 18. The city was sur- rendered, with about 27,000 prisoners, on July 4, 1868. Thereupon Grant was promoted to the rank of major general in the regular array. In October he was placed in command of the military division of the Mississippi, compri- sing the departments commanded by Sherman, Thomas, Burnside, and Hooker. Immediately after the capture of Vicksburg he had sent heavy reenforcements to Gen. Sherman on the Big Black river, who was thereby enabled to drive the confederate force under Johnston out of Jackson. Grant concentrated his forces for the defence of Chattanooga, which was threatened by Bragg, and the latter's positions on Missionary ridge and Lookout mountain were carried by assault on Nov. 24 and 25. Bragg's forces retreated to Dalton, Ga., being followed as far as Ringgold. The pursuing columns were then sent to the relief of Knox- ville, which, held by Burnside, was closely in- vested by Longstreet. Gen. Halleck, in his annual report, said : " Considering the strength of the rebel position and the difficulty of storm- ing his intrenchments, the battle of Chatta- nooga must be considered the most remarkable in history. Not only did the officers and men exhibit great skill and daring in their operations on the field, but the highest praise is due to the commanding general for his admirable dis- positions for dislodging the enemy from a po- sition apparently impregnable. Moreover, by turning his right flank and throwing him back upon Ringgold and Dalton, Sherman's forces were interposed between Bragg and Long- street, so as to prevent any possibility of their forming a junction." The first measure passed in the congressional session of 1863-'4 was a resolution providing that a gold medal be struck for Gen. Grant, and returning thanks to him and his army. Resolutions of thanks were also passed by the legislatures of New York and Ohio. A bill reviving the grade of lieutenant general in the army was passed by congress, and on March 1, 1864, received the signature of President Lincoln, who at once nominated Gen. Grant for the position. The senate confirmed the nomination on the follow- ing day. On the eve of starting for Washing- ton to receive the commission, Grant wrote a letter to Gen. Sherman, in which he said: " Whilst I have been eminently successful in this war, in at least gaining the confidence of the public, no one feels more than I how much of this success is due to the energy, skill, and the harmonious putting forth of that energy and skill, of those whom it has been my good fortune to have occupying subordinate posi- tions under me. There are many officers to whom these remarks are applicable to a greater or less degree, proportionate to their ability as soldiers; but what I want is, to express my thanks to you and McPherson, as the men to whom, above all others, I feel indebted for whatever I have had of success." Grant ar- rived in Washington on March 9, received his commission at the hands of the president, and on the 17th issued his first general order, dated at Nashville, assuming command of the armies of the United States, and announcing that headquarters would be in the field, and until further orders with the army of the Potomac. Not before during the civil war had any one
