Third Battle of Vicksburg. The third assault by General Grant’s Federal armies against the impregnable defenses of Vicksburg on the Mississippi River takes place. Ships with curious or catchy names are consumed before the fort’s ramparts: the Indianola, the Queen of the West, the Albatross, the Monongahela, the Genesee, the Kineo, etc. In Washington, gossip spreads about Grant, who isn’t winning; it’s said he drinks. But Lincoln cut him short: “…if you tell me what brand of whiskey Grant drinks, I’ll send a barrel to the other generals too!”
