Time  and  again  Grant  was  foiled,  but  with  a
tenacity  that  brooked  no  denial  he  held  on
to  his  task,  and  ultimately  success  was
achieved.  The  story  of  how  this  was  accom-
plished forms  one  of  the  stirring  episodes  of
the  war.  Finding  that  direct  attack  from
the  river  on  the  strong  defences  of  Vicksburg
was  not  likely  to  succeed,  and  having  failed
in  other  ways  to  encircle  them,  Grant  formu-

157


158      THE  TURN   OF  THE  TIDE

lated  a  plan  which  was  in  direct  violation  of
the  laws  which  are  supposed  to  govern  mili-
tary movements.  He  instructed  Admiral
Porter,  who  was  in  command  of  the  river
flotilla,  to  sail  past  the  Vicksburg  defences,
and  by  a  circuitous  route  he  marched  his
men  about  seventy  miles  down  the  western
bank  of  the  Mississippi.  An  attempt  was
then  made  to  capture  Grand  Gulf,  another
Confederate  stronghold.  Once  again  failure
was  the  result — these  defences  proving  almost
as  strong  as  Vicksburg.  Grant,  though  foiled
once  more,  was  not  beaten.  He  gave  orders
to  Porter  to  take  his  ships  and  transports
farther  down  the  river  to  Bruinsberg,  to
which  place  the  Federal  army  was  marched.
Here  they  were  able  to  cross  the  river.  The
following  day  Fort  Gibson  was  captured  after
a  stiff  fight.  The  result  of  this  victory  was
that  the  Grand  Gulf  defences  were  immedi-
ately evacuated.
