ADMIRAL PORTER's FLEET PASSING VICKSBURG

The full index of our ship stamp archive
Post Reply
aukepalmhof
Posts: 7771
Joined: Thu Apr 02, 2009 1:28 am

ADMIRAL PORTER's FLEET PASSING VICKSBURG

Post by aukepalmhof » Thu Mar 03, 2016 7:13 pm

The Siege at Vicksburg, April 16 - July 4, 1863
Taking place in the western theater was the climax of the longest and most complex military campaign of the Civil War: the Battle of Vicksburg. A busy port city, Vicksburg was the last major Confederate stronghold preventing the Union from gaining complete control over the Mississippi River. President Abraham Lincoln considered its capture “the key” to bringing the war to an end.
After the U.S. Navy was unable to bombard the city into submission, General Ulysses S. Grant planned and implemented what has been called “the greatest amphibious operation in American history up to that time.” Grant marched his troops south along the western bank of the Mississippi River, and the Navy transported more than 20,000 men east across the river to an undefended site well below Vicksburg. The troops then mounted an attack from the open ground east of the city.
Their assault began on May 19, but a long siege commenced after frontal attacks failed. Finally, six weeks into the siege and with the city in ruins, Confederate General John C. Pemberton arranged a meeting with Grant and surrendered on July 4, one day after the Union victory at Gettysburg.
The Battle of Vicksburg stamp is a reproduction of an 1863 lithograph by Currier & Ives titled “Admiral Porter’s Fleet Running the Rebel Blockade of the Mississippi at Vicksburg, April 16th, 1863”.
http://about.usps.com/news/national-rel ... 13_054.htm

46c (# 4787 ) The stamps shows us the passing of General Porter’s fleet Vicksburg – Gen. Porter’s fleet passing Vicksburg front to rear are : USS BENTON (flag- ship); USS LAFAYETTE ; USS GENERAL PRICE (alongside LAFAYETTE ); USS LOUISVILLE ; USS MOUND CITY ; USS PITTSBURGH ; USS CARONDELET ; SILVER WAVE (transport); FOREST QUEEN (transport); HENRY CLAY (transport); USS TUSCUMBIA (transport)
Civil War Naval History APRIL 1863
16-17 Gunboats under Rear Admiral Porter engaged and ran past the Confederate batteries at Vicksburg shepherding Army transports to New Carthage below the Southern citadel. The force included U.S.S. BENTON, LAFAYETTE, LOUISVILLE, PITTSBURG, MOUND CITY, CARONDELET, and TUSCUMBIA; U.S.S. GENERAL STERLING PRICE was lashed to the starboard side of LAFAYETTE for the passage, as was tug IVY to BENTON. Each ship, except BENTON, also towed a coal barge containing 10,000 bushels of coal. LAFAYETTE, Captain Walke, hampered by the ship lashed to her side, received nine ''effective'' shots through her casemate and had her coal barge sunk. Transport HENRY CLAY was sunk, with no loss of life, during the passage and another, FOREST QUEEN, was temporarily disabled but was successfully aided by TUSCUMBIA, Lieutenant Commander James W. Shirk. Under fire for 2 1/2 hours, beginning shortly after 11 p.m. on the 16th, the squadron suffered what Porter termed only "very light'' loss. He reported that all ships were ready for service within half an hour after the passage. ''Altogether," he remarked, ''we were very fortunate; the vessels had some narrow escapes, but were saved in most instances by the precautions taken to protect them. They were covered with heavy logs and bales of wet hay, which were found to be an excellent defense." A memorandum in the Secretary of the Navy's office recorded: "The passage of the fleet by Vicksburg was a damper to the spirits of all rebel sympathizers along the Mississippi for everyone was so impressed with the absurdity of our gunboats getting safely past their batteries without being knocked to pieces that they would not admit to themselves that it would be undertaken until they saw the gunboats moving down the river all safe and sound. Vicksburg was despaired of from that moment.'' The successful steaming of the squadron past the heavy batteries contributed to the early seizure of Grand Gulf, the eventual fall of Vicksburg itself, and ultimately the total control of the entire Mississippi.

USA 2013 Forever stamp sg?, scott?
Source http://historycentral.com/navy/cwnavalh ... l1863.html
Attachments
NH 76557-KN (2).jpg
vicksburg 16 april image.jpg

Post Reply