I've been researching the O.R. lately on the mystery of a phantom Whitworth over on the Mississippi Board that has given me an opportunity to study the Vicksburg campaign in more detail than I have in the past. What amazes me is the lack of planning on General Pemberton on the defences of Vicksburg. The first day of the siege the Confederates gave up the outer lines, lines too close to the inner lines allowing Union guns to pour into the Confederates at point blank range. This is due to the lateness in recalling enough troops from his exterior defences to man these line. The complaints of the Brigade commanders under Pemberton about the inner trenches not being complete and too shallow to stand in are surprising. The Confederates spent their time digging and reenforcing this inferior defences for 48 days while the Union forces attacked and bombarded them from their close positions. With the time Pemberton had to fortify the rear lines it confounds me why he lost the ability to keep the Union forces at bay. Now I understand why Union engineers later said they were surprised how weak Fortress Vicksburg was.

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David Upton