John C. Pemberton

On October 10, 1862, Pemberton was promoted to the rank of [[Lt. General (CSA)|lieutenant general]],<ref name=Eicher423/> and assigned to defend the fortress city of [[Vicksburg, Mississippi]], and the [[Mississippi River]], known as the Department of [[Mississippi in the American Civil War|Mississippi]] and East [[Louisiana in the American Civil War|Louisiana]]. Davis gave him the following instructions regarding his new assignment: "... consider the successful defense of those States as the first and chief object of your command." Pemberton arrived at his new headquarters in [[Jackson, Mississippi]], on October 14.{{sfn|Winters|1963|p=171}}

On October 10, 1862, Pemberton was promoted to the rank of [[Lt. General (CSA)|lieutenant general]],<ref name=Eicher423/> and assigned to defend the fortress city of [[Vicksburg, Mississippi]], and the [[Mississippi River]], known as the Department of [[Mississippi in the American Civil War|Mississippi]] and East [[Louisiana in the American Civil War|Louisiana]]. Davis gave him the following instructions regarding his new assignment: "... consider the successful defense of those States as the first and chief object of your command." Pemberton arrived at his new headquarters in [[Jackson, Mississippi]], on October 14.{{sfn|Winters|1963|p=171}}

His forces consisted of fewer than 50,000 men under the command of Maj. Gens. [[Earl Van Dorn]] and [[Sterling Price]], with around 24,000 in the permanent garrisons at Vicksburg and [[Port Hudson, Louisiana]].<ref name=FooteI.776-78/> [[John D. Winters]] described the men under Pemberton as "a beaten and demoralized army, fresh from the [[Second Battle of Corinth|defeat]] at [[Corinth, Mississippi|Corinth]], Mississippi."<ref name=Winters171/> Pemberton faced his former Mexican War colleague, the aggressive [[Major general (United States)|U.S. Maj. Gen.]] [[Ulysses S. Grant]] and over 70,000 U.S. soldiers in the [[Vicksburg Campaign]].

His forces consisted of fewer than 50,000 men under the command of Maj. Gens. [[Earl Van Dorn]] and [[Sterling Price]], with around 24,000 in the permanent garrisons at Vicksburg and [[Port Hudson, Louisiana]].<ref name=FooteI.776-78/> [[John D. Winters]] described the men under Pemberton as "a beaten and demoralized army, fresh from the [[Second Battle of Corinth|defeat]] at [[Corinth, Mississippi|Corinth]], Mississippi."{{sfn|Winters|1963|p=171}} Pemberton faced his former Mexican War colleague, the aggressive [[Major general (United States)|U.S. Maj. Gen.]] [[Ulysses S. Grant]] and over 70,000 U.S. soldiers in the [[Vicksburg Campaign]].

In an attempt to carry out his orders from both Davis and Gen. [[Joseph E. Johnston]], Pemberton and his [[Army of Mississippi]] set out east to combine with Johnston's forces gathering around Jackson while remaining in contact and covering Vicksburg. Another order from Johnston changing their proposed meeting location caused Pemberton to turn around. When he did, he accidentally collided with Grant's army at the [[Battle of Champion Hill]] on May 16 and suffered a significant defeat. Pemberton retreated to the [[Battle of Big Black River Bridge|Big Black River]], where he fought and suffered even more heavy losses on May 17.<ref>{{cite web |title=Battle of Big Black River |url=https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-Big-Black-River#ref98093 |website=www.britannica.com |access-date=4 August 2020}}</ref> Pemberton resolved to defend Vicksburg and led his defeated men back into its defenses on May 18. In the process, he gave up the high ground on Hayne's Bluff, which Sherman had [[Battle of Chickasaw Bayou|failed]] to take in December. Johnston had advised him that if this ground ever fell, Vicksburg would be untenable and that he should escape with his army of 31,000, sacrificing the city. Pemberton refused to take this advice.{{sfn|Chernow|2017|p=268}} He held firm for over six weeks while soldiers and civilians were starved into submission. (Pemberton, well aware of his reputation as a Northerner by birth, was probably influenced by his fear of public condemnation as a traitor if he abandoned Vicksburg.)

In an attempt to carry out his orders from both Davis and Gen. [[Joseph E. Johnston]], Pemberton and his [[Army of Mississippi]] set out east to combine with Johnston's forces gathering around Jackson while remaining in contact and covering Vicksburg. Another order from Johnston changing their proposed meeting location caused Pemberton to turn around. When he did, he accidentally collided with Grant's army at the [[Battle of Champion Hill]] on May 16 and suffered a significant defeat. Pemberton retreated to the [[Battle of Big Black River Bridge|Big Black River]], where he fought and suffered even more heavy losses on May 17.<ref>{{cite web |title=Battle of Big Black River |url=https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-Big-Black-River#ref98093 |website=www.britannica.com |access-date=4 August 2020}}</ref> Pemberton resolved to defend Vicksburg and led his defeated men back into its defenses on May 18. In the process, he gave up the high ground on Hayne's Bluff, which Sherman had [[Battle of Chickasaw Bayou|failed]] to take in December. Johnston had advised him that if this ground ever fell, Vicksburg would be untenable and that he should escape with his army of 31,000, sacrificing the city. Pemberton refused to take this advice.{{sfn|Chernow|2017|p=268}} He held firm for over six weeks while soldiers and civilians were starved into submission. (Pemberton, well aware of his reputation as a Northerner by birth, was probably influenced by his fear of public condemnation as a traitor if he abandoned Vicksburg.)