June 3, 1863

June 3, 1863

---Siege of Vicksburg, Day 12

---Siege of Port Hudson, Day 7

---On this date, the Gettysburg Campaign begins, as Lee’s troops begin to leave their prepared camps and then march on the road as part of Lee’s invasion of Northern territory this summer. 

---Black troops of the 2^nd South Carolina Volunteers, U.S. (Colored) attack and destroy the town of Ashepoo, South Carolina.  Under command of Col. Montgomery, who has a relish for punishing the local civilians, these troops regularly conduct such raids often in the area.

---Navy Secretary Gideon Welles contemplates some recent actions by the government, particularly the unfortunate Burnside closing newspapers and arresting Clement Vallandigham, clearly a mistake:

The arrest of Vallandigham and the order to suppress the circulation of the Chicago Times in his military district issued by General Burnside have created much feeling. It should not be otherwise. The proceedings were arbitrary and injudicious. It gives bad men the right of questions, an advantage of which they avail themselves. Good men, who wish to support the Administration, find it difficult to defend these acts. They are Burnside’s, unprompted, I think, by any member of the Administration and yet the responsibility is here unless they are disavowed and B. called to an account, which cannot be done. The President — and I think every member of the Cabinet—regrets what has been done, but as to the measures which should now be taken there are probably differences.