On this day in 1863, General Robert E Lee gathered his army and moved south. His invasion of Pennsylvania had come to its frightful conclusion and Lee decided to move south, to cross back into Virginia, where he'd stay for most of the next, bloody year.
Several hundred miles away, on the bank of the Mississippi, Confederate General Pemberton surrendered his Vicksburg garrison to Ulysses Grant after a long siege. The Mississippi river was once again in Union hands. Before long, Grant would be recalled to Washington and Grant would release his arsonist to begin the march toward Atlanta.
It's odd how important, historic things seem to congregate on specific days, whether through planning or happenstance. Still, this is the birthday of our nation, and all Americans everywhere should celebrate another year. This is a resilient nation and even in the midst of anguish and agony we find time to celebrate her birthday.
Ummmm...wasn't Grant the arsonist and Lincoln his supplier of matches?
ReplyDeleteGood post PawPaw!
ReplyDeleteMost folks forget about the fall of Vickburg, which damaged the Confederacy far worse than Gettysburg. They say that Pemberton (A Northern man) decided to surrender on July 4th because he knew he would get better terms on that day than any other.
God bless and keep our dear Republic in these tragic days.
No, Rivrdog, Grant left the South after Vicksburg, when he was called to Washington to chase General Lee. He left his army in Sherman's capable hands. Sherman then left Vicksburg and started marching east. He burned Atlanta, and everything else he could find that had military value. Sherman is almost universally reviled, in the Deep South as an arsonist.
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