Tennesseans fighting Grant in Mississippi

In many ways, this is very much a common soldier’s story. What makes it uncommon, however, is the origin of the men fighting to defend Confederate interests at Vicksburg in late 1862 through July 1863. These East Tennesseans have never had a voice, since it was the victors from their section of the state who wrote the histories. Atno other time during the war did this number of Confederates from the eastern end of Tennessee serve in one place in defense of the South. Their service at Vicksburg was primarily as infantrymen, but some participated as cavalry scouts, others as artillerymen. Indeed, it was admitted by many that the mightiest warship on the Mississippi during this period was sunk by the cannon of an East Tennessee battery. Other volunteers manning cannon on the decks of a make-shift Confederate fleet would help in the sinking of another powerful Yankee ironclad. But mostly, these men experienced unrelenting bombardment and sharpshooter fire in the trenches around Fortress Vicksburg, or stood picket, or, with the exception of the Big Black River battle, participated with valor in battles at Chickasaw Bayou, Baker’s Creek, or desperate sorties in the dead of night between the lines.

Using a number of letters home, reminiscences, records, and diaries kept during the long hours in the hot and filthy “ditches” (as they called them), a story emerges of sacrifice and adaptability, of boredom and submission to inevitability. As much as is possible, this story is told in their own words. They fought for Mississippians who often despised and belittled them against the most fearsome war-machine ever assembled during the War Between the States led by the most dogged single-minded general the United States has ever known: U. S. Grant. Interestingly, he was never mentioned by name by these rebels until the day of the surrender of Vicksburg when they could actually see him in person.

William D. Taylor† was a native East Tennessean, whose ancestor served with the 59th Tennessee Infantry Regiment at Vicksburg. He was married to Darby O’Neil Taylor, and has two daughters: Ashley a graduate of the University of the South and Shelby a recent graduate of the University of Mississippi. He was in administration at Carson-Newman College.

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