▁from ▁the ater ▁command ; ▁historian ▁Steven ▁E . ▁Wood worth ▁jud ges ▁that ▁John ston ▁" will fully ▁mis const ru ed " ▁his ▁orders ▁out ▁of ▁res ent ment ▁of ▁Davis ' s ▁inter ference . ▁P ember ton ' s ▁army ▁surrender ed ▁on ▁July ▁ 4 , ▁ 1 8 6 3 . ▁Al ong ▁with ▁the ▁capture ▁of ▁Port ▁Hudson ▁a ▁week ▁later , ▁the ▁loss ▁of ▁V icks burg ▁gave ▁the ▁Union ▁complete ▁control ▁of ▁the ▁Mississippi ▁River ▁and ▁cut ▁the ▁Confeder acy ▁in ▁two . ▁President ▁Davis ▁w ry ly ▁as cribed ▁the ▁strateg ic ▁defeat ▁to ▁a ▁" w ant ▁of ▁prov isions ▁inside ▁and ▁a ▁general ▁outside ▁[ John ston ] ▁who ▁would ▁not ▁fight ." ▁ ▁The ▁relationship ▁between ▁John ston ▁and ▁Davis , ▁difficult ▁since ▁the ▁early ▁days ▁of ▁the ▁war , ▁became ▁bitter ▁as ▁rec rimin ations ▁were ▁trad ed ▁public ly ▁about ▁who ▁was ▁to ▁bl ame ▁for ▁V icks burg . ▁That ▁John ston ▁never ▁wanted ▁this ▁the ater ▁command ▁in ▁the ▁first ▁place , ▁difficulty ▁in ▁effectively ▁moving ▁troops ▁due ▁to ▁lack ▁of ▁direct ▁rail ▁lines ▁and ▁the ▁vast ▁distances ▁involved , ▁lack ▁of ▁assistance ▁from ▁sub ordinate ▁command ers , ▁P ember ton ' s ▁ref us al ▁to ▁abandon ▁V icks burg ▁as ▁suggested , ▁and ▁President ▁Davis ' ▁habit ▁of ▁communic ating ▁directly ▁to ▁John ston ' s ▁sub ordinates ▁( which ▁meant ▁John ston ▁was ▁often ▁not ▁aware ▁of ▁what ▁was ▁going ▁on )