Triumph & Defeat: The Vicksburg Campaign, Vol. 2

By Terrence J. Winschel
Illustrated, index, bibliography, 221 pp., 2006. Savas Beatie LLC, P.O. Box 4527, El Dorado Hills, CA 95762, $29.95 plus shipping.

Reviewer: Nicholas Kurtz
Nicholas Kurtz graduated from the University of Colorado-Denver in 2001 with a BA in History. He loves wandering battlefields and is an aspiring author. Although he finds all aspects of the war interesting his primary interest is the Western Theater.

Review:
Triumph & Defeat is a collection of 10 essays that Terrence Winschel, chief historian at Vicksburg National Military Park, created partly for speaking engagements at round tables. The essays are on a variety of subjects and grouped in chronological order.

The first three chapters cover the movement of the armies from the crossing of the Mississippi River on April 30, 1863, to the beginning of the siege. No battle is discussed in minute detail, instead an overview of the fighting is presented.

The other seven chapters highlight other aspects of the campaign, including a few lesser-known actions. One chapter focuses on controversial U.S. Gen. John A. McClernand. Winschel is of the opinion that McClernand demonstrated many fine leadership qualities, but that he never developed the qualities of leadership he lacked. His chief shortcoming was his selflessness.

In a later chapter Winschel tackles one of the controversial Confederate figures, Gen. Joseph E. Johnston. Winschel does a good job of showing that Johnston probably never had any intention of coming to Pemberton's aid, despite various messages to the contrary.

Johnston knew enough about how the siege was progressing and what he could have done. He let the window of opportunity close and then made some half-hearted efforts to look like he was coming to help Pemberton but it was too little too late.

The chapter on the USS Cincinnati is interesting because it also discusses the gunboat's actions before and after the siege. The USS Cincinnati had a hard luck career with significant activities nearly every May. On May 10, 1862, it was sunk in a battle near Fort Pillow when it was rammed by a Confederate ship. It had to be repaired in Cairo and was soon part of the brown water navy again.

On May 27, 1863, the Cincinnati was sunk again, this time by Confederate cannon on the bluffs above Vicksburg. After the surrender the Union raised it and repaired it again. Near the end of the war, coincidently on May 10, 1865, it captured the CSS Nashville in one of its brighter moments.

I found the chapter on the siege of Jackson that followed Vicksburg's surrender especially interesting. So little has been written about this part of the campaign, mostly because there were very few casualties and it had little impact on the campaign. Despite this, it is still interesting to read about.

In responding to an article by Albert Castel in North & South magazine Winschel makes a good point about the importance of Vicksburg to the war effort. Winschel's focus is on how Vicksburg was a key component in the supply route with the Trans-Mississippi.

Once Vicksburg was lost the rich resources of the Trans-Mississippi, as well as the route for goods brought in through the blockade, shriveled up.

Another chapter is about the Lord family's experiences during the siege. The Rev. Dr. William Wilberforce Lord was the minister of the Episcopalian Christ Church.

Like many Vicksburg families the Lords lived in a cave during the siege. Lord held daily services in his church, venturing from his cave into the danger to minister to his flock, which now included many Confederate soldiers.

The final chapter deals with Gen. Stephen D. Lee's role in the creation and development of Vicksburg as a national military park. Lee was one of the early principals working to get Vicksburg preserved. He became the first former Confederate to be the chairman of a national military park. He also strived to present both sides fairly in interpretation through the park tablets.

Triumph & Defeat is a very good book in that it illuminates many lesser-known aspects of the Vicksburg Campaign.

It is not intended to be a detailed study of the campaign; instead it aims to give us a fuller understanding of the variety of events of the campaign. It does a very good job of that and belongs on the shelf of every Vicksburg and Western Theater enthusiast.