The Mississippi in the Civil War Message Board

Re: Curious Vicksburg Correspondence

If Johnston could hear the battle, then it would appear to me that his note to Richmond ("I plan to unite all forces") and his subsequent movement after sitting around in Calhoun Station for 1.5 days were for CYA purposes only.

My first take was that he would surely have heard the battle, if according to Timothy Smith the sounds of battle broke windows in Vicksburg (roughly the same distance as Calhoun Station). However, I have at least one first-hand account from Johnston's men that I can lay hands on (Flavel Barber's diary, if I can find the book!!!), so when I actually manage to find the book I'm going to see what the men were saying and check Smith's source.

Some possibilities:

1) The rumble that broke windows in Vicksburg were actually coming from a different direction (say, the river).

2) The sounds of battle heard in Vicksburg were actually on the 17th just outside of Bovina (6 miles).

3) The men really just didn't hear it because of the slightly farther distance, or mistook the sounds for thunder, or ... (?)

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Curious Vicksburg Correspondence
Re: Curious Vicksburg Correspondence
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