The failure of the first phase of the campaign against Vicksburg led Grant to formulate an unorthodox new strategy, which called for the invading Union army to leave its supply train and subsist by foraging. Sherman initially expressed reservations about the wisdom of these plans, but he soon submitted to Grant's leadership and the campaign in the spring of 1863 cemented Sherman's personal ties to Grant. The bulk of Grant's forces were now organized into three corps: the XIII Corps under McClernand, the XV Corps under Sherman, and the XVII Corps under Sherman's young protégé, Maj. Gen. James B. McPherson. During the long and complicated maneuvers against Vicksburg, one newspaper complained that the "army was being ruined in mud-turtle expeditions, under the leadership of a drunkard [Grant], whose confidential adviser [Sherman] was a lunatic". When Vicksburg fell on July 4, 1863, after a prolonged siege, the Union had achieved a major strategic victory, putting navigation along the Mississippi River entirely under Union control and effectively cutting off the western half of the Confederacy from the eastern half.
The failure of the first phase of the campaign against Vicksburg led Grant to formulate an unorthodox new strategy which called for the invading Union army to leave its supply train and subsist by foraging Sherman initially expressed reservations about the wisdom of these plans but he soon submitted to Grant's leadership and the campaign in the spring of 1863 cemented Sherman's personal ties to Grant The bulk of Grant's forces were now organized into three corps the XIII Corps under McClernand the XV Corps under Sherman and the XVII Corps under Sherman's young protégé Maj Gen James B McPherson During the long and complicated maneuvers against Vicksburg one newspaper complained that the "army was being ruined in mud-turtle expeditions under the leadership of a drunkard [Grant] whose confidential adviser [Sherman] was a lunatic" When Vicksburg fell on July 4 1863 after a prolonged siege the Union had achieved a major strategic victory putting navigation along the Mississippi River entirely under Union control and effectively cutting off the western half of the Confederacy from the eastern half