Tuesday, July 23, 2013

July 5, 1863

July 5, 1863

---Siege of Port Hudson, Day 39


---The U.S. Government receives a request from Vice President Alexander Stephens of the Confederacy to be given an interview with Lincoln. 


—Vicksburg, Mississippi – Gen. Grant, not wanting to burden his army and Nothern prison camps with 30,000 prisoners at one time, decides to parole the prisoners who surrendered with Pemberton the preceding day.  Each man being paroled signs a pledge promising not to re-join Confederate ranks until he is duly exchanged for a Federal prisoner.  



---George Templeton Strong, a Wall Street lawyer, writes in his journal about the news from Gettysburg:
                                  
There has been a great battle in which we are, on the whole, victorious.  The woman-floggers are badly repulsed and retreating, with more of less loss of prisoners, guns, and materiel.  So much seems certain, and that is enough to thank God for most devoutly, far better than we dared hope a week ago.  This may have been one of the great decisive battles of history.


The Gettysburg Campaign

—Federal cavalry under Pierce catch up with Gen. Imboden’s column, and capture 90 of the wagons Stuart had captured on his raid up north, and capture over 600 prisoners. 

—The last of Gen. Ewell’s II Corps withdraws from Gettysburg, but makes little distance to Fairfield, due to the rains and the muddy roads. 

—The Federal VI Corps under Sedgwick advances, and finds that the Rebels have indeed gone.  Sedgwick catches up with a rear-guard brigade from Early’s division near Fairfield, and skirmishing flares up, but with no result.

—Toward evening, Imboden’s advance cavalry approaches the Potomac  fords near Williamsport, and finds the pontoon bridges gone.  Heavy rains have raised the river so that crossing by fording is impossible.

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