Customer Reviews

Ninety-Eight Days: Geographers View Vicksburg Campaign

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Why does virtually every military college from Sandhurst to West Point still study U.S. Grant's Vicksburg Campaign of 1863? In the spring of 1998 I was fortunate enough to participate in a three-day guided tour of the Vicksburg Campaign conducted by Warren Grabau. He began the process by raising that question and providing the succinct answer: "logistics." As the author points out in his closing remarks, there is a widely accepted aphorism in military circles that says "amateurs study tactics, professionals study logistics." And the subject of logistics lies at the heart of this work. Logistics are the key, from Grant's preparations to move down the west bank of the Mississippi, through his close coordination with Admiral Porter to create an unprecedented joint Army-Navy operation, to his extended operations from Bruinsburg to the final investment of fortress Vicksburg. This work presents this story, masterfully mixed with analysis and explanation of the importance of the terrain, the commanders, and factors such as unreliable communications, poor intelligence and uncertain maps. It also included other factors such as social and political effects and even personal vendettas, dislikes or personality flaws among key officers on both sides. The author, a professional geologist who spent most of his career in Vicksburg, then adds in 68 high quality maps. These were painstakingly hand-tailored by the author in an effort to recreate the closest possible approximation of the actual 1863 landscape by combining modern geodesy with the best information sifted from records of the time. Grant or Pemberton would have traded nearly anything in their possession for such maps. The net result is a work that gives a much deeper understanding of the campaign and why the commanders involved made the decisions they did, which heretofore may have seemed baffling or highly questionable. As the author points out in his notes "About the Maps," when the events of the time are played out on this reconstructed game board the "opaque" decisions become "astonishingly transparent." One useful technique employed throughout is the author's presentation of each sequence of development from both the Union and the Confederate perspective. This allows us to see the details and the situation analysis from first one point of view and then from the other which greatly enhances understanding the actions and reactions, moves and countermoves, of the opposing forces and commanders. There is also a generous sprinkling of background information where appropriate explaining specific geographic, geologic or other situational factors as introductions to the Union and Confederate viewpoints. The book is rich in detail, from names of units to commanders and battle details, to the startling statistic that during the static phase of the siege from May 23 to July 4 Grant needed 338 wagons per day just to supply water for his men and horses. Now there's a logistical nightmare without even considering food, ammunition, medical supplies and all the other impedimenta of a military operation. Yet all of this information is conveyed without ever bogging down in minutiae or boring the reader. When we began our tour of Vicksburg in 1998, the author started not in the city or the fortifications, but by taking us across the river to the Milliken's Bend and Young's Point area. The objective was to give us a view and understanding of the terrain and the very subtle natural levees that still exist on the Lousiana shore. This book takes the same unconventional approach to present the fascinating tale of this unique campaign in a fashion you will experience nowhere else. When we completed our tour that spring near the famous Stockade Redan, I thought I had a good understanding of the Vicksburg Campaign from both the Union and Confederate viewpoints. Now that I have read this book, I feel I have expanded that knowledge and understanding to a much deeper level. The collection of information, writing, organization and presentation is in a word, superb.

Let me beging by disclosing that I am not a Civil War buff, even though I enjoy history books. I came across this book by accident, when a relative gave it to me as a gift this past Christmas. In the beginning, I wasn't even sure I would like to read it since the subject matter seemed to be very narrow, but a look at the beautiful maps convinced me otherwise.

What I found was close to the best book of military history I have ever read. By keeping the geography of the Vicksburg area as a permanet reference, the reasoning behind the varied strategic decisions of the campaign became very clear. In addition to shedding light on the tactics of this campaign, Grabau is also successful in depicting the larger picture. For example, he argues in a compelling way that the fall of Vicksburg was the decisive turning point of the war (wich came as a surprise to an unnitiated like me, who thought Gettysburg was much more important).

In my opinion, where this book truly excells is in the minute details of the war: The actions of the Generals involved in the campaign, their day-to-day pressures, the lives of the soldiers, and the ever-present Mississippi soil combine to form a vivid picture of the war and the combatants. Furthermore, in very few other tomes have I seen a clearer depiction of the roles of the traditional branches of an army, from naval support, to artillery, cavalry, infantry, and logistics.

This book was an enlightening and surprisingly joyful read. I sincerely recommend it even to those with a more than a passing interest in military history.

Great book. I have a few reservations, but it is an excellent effort on a subject that deserves far more public attention. For those with serious interest, there are 521 juicy pages of text and 166 pages of maps, notes and index. There is plenty to chew on, but I suspect it's a bit more than the new-comer might be ready to try.

My main reservation is the thumb-nail personality portraits. In brief, the Confederates don't do very well. The Federalist commanders are all portrayed as above average, even the bumbling political-general McClernand seems more than adequate. Grant is a friendly genius. The Federals have nothing on their mind but following orders. On the other hand, the Confederate commanders are clueless, from the commander of Vicksburg up to Robert E. Lee. I say clueless in a literal way. Grant and his staff are constantly making great use of intelligence. The Confederates are portrayed as somewhat content to be deluded, particularly Pemberton, Johnson and Lee. In fact, the author makes an all too brief argument that Lee insured loss of the war by refusing to assist Vicksburg when asked by Davis during meetings held between May 14-16, 1863 (prior to starting off to the disaster at Gettysburg).

With this minor issue out of the way, I have nothing but admiration for the book. It is not really a 'day by day' account, but comes very close. The narrative is told from the perspective of the field commander at the moment of decision. If a decision was made on muddy roads while a generaly dry creek is in flood, you know about it. You even get a geological description of the mud's clay content and hence can estimate how far a loaded wagon will sink into a puddle.

Each chapter covers between a few hours to a few weeks. About half of each chapter describes what the Federals knew and did, then switches to the Confederate knowledge/actions. This presentation style is a bit difficult to follow, but allows the author a wonderful framework for engaging us in his well thought out conclusions on command decisions, moment by moment.

I was very impressed by the author's ability to describe the importance of intelligence. The day by day descriptions of 'what was known' makes the course of events a great deal more sensible than other narratives. Additionally, it helps to know the current weather/road conditions, including probable travel speeds for horse or marching infantry.

The detail and scope of the book are astounding. Not only are there detailed topographic maps of key sites, but the author includes descriptions of every distant event that might bear on the campaign. The Banks campaign against Alexandria, the famous Mississippi calvary raid by Grierson, and the well know capture of Streight's raiders by Forrest all get woven into the tapestry of events better than any other history I've read.

The causal web drawn by the author are based on his conviction that the loss of Vicksburg determined the outcome of the war. This is perhaps a minority view. I happen to believe strongly with the author regarding the importance of Vicksburg and greatly enjoyed his speculations on why it turned out the way it did.

Best analysis of the nuts and bolts of the Vicksburg Campaign. The maps alone will make you wish every civil war book could be just like 98 Days. I would change only one thing about the book: Grabau hints that some of the locals may have been aiding the Union and feeding disinformation to the Confederates. He uses Occam's Razor to arrive at this conclusion. However, some amount of information available in the O.R. and other primary source documents suggests the existence of a vast network of Unionists and deserters that actively resisted the Confederacy in Mississippi. Although the evidence is circumstantial with regard to Grant's intel operations in Mississippi, Grabau points out that there are simply too many fortunate coincidences on the march from Bruinsburg to Bovina (Confederate units wandering aimlessly after being told the wrong directions, "railroad workers" who just happen to know the exact number of cannon and regiments in Pemberton's offensive force, Grant's effortless movement through enemy territory, and the absence of intel flowing from the common folk to the Confederate command concerning Union movements). I would have enjoyed seeing him follow up on this thought. Anyone interested in researching this topic should read "The Free State of Jones: Mississippi's Longest Civil War" (a dry but very thoroughly researched read), "Tupelo" by Reverend John Aughey, and the O.R. entries concerning Choctaw County.

Published in cooperation with the United States Civil War Center, Warren Grabau's Ninety-Eight Days: A Geographer's View Of The Vicksburg Campaign is a welcome and highly recommended addition to any personal, academic, or community library Civil War studies collection. This documented history of the final phases of the Vicksburg Campaign (March 29 through July 4, 1863) examines in meticulous detail the actions of union and Confederate commanders as they unfolded, reconstructing their battlefield decisions based only on what they knew at any given time. A retired geologist with an intense interest in the Civil War, Grabau examines not only topographic and hydrographic features, but also strategic, political, economic, and demographic factors that came into play with respect to battlefield commander decisions and planning. The informative, well written text is enhanced with detailed maps reconstructing the terrain as it was at the time. Other support material featured in this massive (687-pages) treatise includes Command Structures of the Federal and Confederate Forces in diagrammatic form as they stood at the beginning of the ninety-eight days. An excellent index serves to render Ninety-Eight Days as a superb reference resource for both Civil War buffs and academic historians.

Read this book in preparation to touring the campaign per the recommendation of the guide we employed. Was not disappointed.

Ed Bearss three volume work is often referred to as the definitive work, but can be a dry read. So, this is a good alternative but should probably be read in conjuction with another work such as Winchels (park historian?) "Triumph and Defeat". Grabau has great regimental movement maps and emphasizes the geological and landscape character of the terrain upon which this campaign was conducted. Read it.

There should be more books like this on other battles of the Civil War. Warren Grabau has blended the common, often read knowledge of Vicksburg with his own geographic/weather insights that make this a slightly different insight into the soldier's experience. The book reads quite well and in no time the reader is finished...disapointed there is no next chapter. The maps are quite good, allowing the reader insight as to the ongoings on the battlefield(s). This a must read for anyone interested in the civil war and a definite...no excuse not to.. read for those specifically involved with the western theater. Now I think I will go and re-read the book to enjoy the second time!

In the genre of popular Civil War books, the emphasis is often on the people in the story - who did what and when, what was said between protagonists, and the telling of the many interesting ancedotes that liven up the prose. The good books give a clear background to the decision and actions, but are often difficult to follow as they are unclear about many of the non-human aspects of a campaign, such geographic, ecological and engineering details that affected the course of events. Grabau has produced a magnificent work that addresses in depth many of the fascinating background issues that affected the outcome of the Vicksburg campaign. We learn much about the geology of the Mississippi river, and how the landcape along the river determined the course of events. We learn much about logistical realities that the armies had to contend with, such as the pounds per square inch by which a cassion wheel contacts the earth. Because it so high (about 20 times that of a modern battle tank), wagons will sink in with any rain, greatly limiting the mobility of an army. Grabau provides fascinating details concerning transportion by equine (horses and mules), and how they controlled Civil war tactics. An army had to carry fodder in most cases, with greatly diminishing returns as the distance increases. If, for example, an army had to travel over 70 miles, all it could carry was horse fodder, rather than the army. One of the best aspects of the book are the detailed maps of the region, the battles, and the siege works around Visckburg. These maps provide great clarity to the narritive and understanding of the events. I was at Vicksburg the week before I read the book, and am able to state that the maps are accurate and match the landscape well. They would be vital to those who travel to Vicksburg, as they bring clarity to a heterogenous and often confusing landscape. With the maps, one can now find many of the locations of the campaign that are currently unmarked, aan in doing so, better appreciate the role important role of geography as a controller of events. The writing style is clear and moves right along, alternating between federal and Confederate views of the same series of events. In many ways, I found this to be the best Civil War book I have read, because of the smooth delivery and depth of information. Why only 4 stars? The description of key events, such as the battles, the siege, the surrender and aftermath are generally pretty brief. There is not much detail provided regarding the human actions in the campaign. We learn, for example, which units assaulted the Stockade Redan, that they attacked, did not have much success, and eventually retreated. The human interest stories that often provide for a rich narrative are sparse and often economically delivered. In this manner, Grabau's style has to be contrasted with that of Shelby Foote, but that to be expected, as Foote brings a novelist's perspective while Grabau has a background in geography and the sciences. Both perspectives work. To fully appreciate the Vicksburg campaign, I would recommend 98 Days be read before Foote's The Beleagured City and other more recent texts. In this way, the reader would bring a background understanding to the narratives by Foote and others that are somewhat sparse on the details but tell a great story of the people involved.

When I stumbled across this book on Amazon, my initial thoughts were: "mmm - professional geographer meets amateur Civil War buff. I wonder..." But the reviews were overwhelmingly positive, so after lingering for a few months on my wish list I finally clicked the "buy" button. And I am glad I did. As a long time reader of military history in general, and Civil War history specifically, I have found that the vast majority of detailed operational accounts bog down in the details of unit movement. Ninety-Eight Days is the exact opposite. Grabau's emphasis on the overriding influence of geography on Grant and Pemberton's planning adds a fascinating new dimension to his account of the Vicksburg campaign. What might otherwise be a tedious account instead brings even mundane troop movements to surprising life. I read the 500+ pages of text avidly, reluctantly put the book down each night, and during the day at work I would find myself daydreaming about oxbows, natural levies, and limestone cliffs.

The chapters are short, and as other reviewers have noted, each presents first the Union perspective followed by the Confederate perspective - a very useful technique - but the real star of Ninety Eight Days is the terrain, most notably, the Mississippi River. So fascinating was the geography that I found myself clicking on Google Earth to study the modern day configuration of the river, and similarly consulting the massive Military Atlas of the Civil War (the modern reprint of the Official Records atlas volume).

A couple of comments - which should not detract from this five-star review: The numerous and excellent maps are all grouped at the back of the book. Now, normally when reviewing military history, the first defect one notes is a lack of maps, so it may seem a bit churlish of me to be complaining about the veritable cartographic bounty encountered in Ninety-Eight Days. But I want to point out that because of their location at the rear, I spent a great deal of time flipping back and forth between the text and the maps. This really isn't a fair criticism since obviously the maps have to be located somewhere. My task became much easier after I printed off a number of very respectable maps from the Wikipedia chapter on the Vicksburg Campaign, which I subsequently kept next to me while reading.

The only eccentricity is Grabau's use of formal, all caps terms for ranks and military units. Thus we have MG Jones DIV moving here, COL Smith's BDE moving there and joining 7 ARTY. This may be consistent with some standard of formal military nomenclature, but does little to enhance the readability or accessibility of this volume.

But no matter. Five stars without reservation.

Grabau, a lifelong student of the Vicksburg campaign and a collaborator of Ed Bearss, has laid down a marker for other military historians with this new study which should remain the best single-volume treatment of the campaign for some days to come. I have never seen a more comprehensive blending of all the factors which influence the outcome of war. Grabau succinctly ties together communications, intelligence, and logistics along with astute observations on military operations and command personalities. His expertise in geography and geology allows him to describe, in layman's terms, the impact of Mississippi's weather, terrain and vegetation on day to day operations. His enlightening but commonsensical analysis of soil, climate, road surfaces and water sources adds another dimension to the reader's understanding of how and why the campaign was waged. Students of joint warfare should find this volume of great value as Grabau carefully delineates the cooperation between Grant's army and Porter's fleet - what a shining example for today's military! The backbone of this book consists of a set of 68 accessible maps which graphically illustrate actions and decisions of the participants. Accompanying line and block charts of orders of battle and associated command structures further assist the reader. A typical chapter begins with a geographical description of the area to be discussed followed with sections dealing with a particular battle or operation as seen, first by the Union participants, and then by the Confederates ---very effective. The author's style is snappy and crisp; he wields his facts comfortably and accompanied by a nice sense of humor. My only disappointment was the lack of an exhaustive bibliography, but given the extraordinary effort this work entailed, that's rather small potatoes. This volume is mandatory for any serious student of the Vicksburg campaign, of U.S. Grant, or of amphibious operations. Additionally, I can think of no other work that more clearly illustrates the genius and courage of U.S. Grant and David Porter.