d in planting the red, white, and blue on the parapets of Vicksburg and many other places making a short line at a railroad redden one McClernand’s front, but where forced back a second time with a devastating loss. In the assault on May 22nd, killed, wounded, or missing…Grant lost over 3,000 people. When Grant got to Vicksburg in mid-May, he tried two assaults that didn’t really work. The second assault on May 22nd had worse results than the first on May 17th. Realizing his attacks wouldn’t work, Grant decided to settle down to regular siege operations. Pemperton couldn’t get any supplies in and no confederates could get out of Vicksburg. Grant knew Pemperton wouldn’t last very much longer. Grant also got reinforcements to increase Union numbers to 70,000 to Pemperton’s 30,000 Confederates. As Grant thought about his next move, he left behind his dead and his wounded many that have been lying exposed since May 19th. Being exposed to the sun, rain, and heat took a number on the lying corps. The bodies of the dead started to bloat and turn black. The stench was so sickening; one Confederate thought the Yanks were trying stink them out of Vicksburg. On May 25th, white flags appeared along the Confederate line, Union soldiers were hopeful that the city would soon be surrendered and given up to the Union forces. This wasn’t the case, however, as word quickly spread that a note was passed from Pemberton to Grant saying that in name of humanity that Grant should bury his dead as the odor had become very offensive. A Mississippi summer consists of temperatures exceeding 110 degrees, and humidity always up around 200%. This means that water has to be a huge necessity. Disease began to spread rapidly throughout the ranks, dysentery, diarrhea, malaria, and various fevers took a toll on human life. Hundreds of men could be seen lying their weapons down and walking or crawl...
