The Vicksburg Problem 203

Donelson, and Shiloh, showing marked personalgallantry and some skill in handling troops. Buthis vanity was prodigious, while he had a veryinadequate idea of military subordination, andseems to have regarded a military career chieflyas a means of political advancement. He wastired, he said, of furnishing brains for Grant’sarmy, and he thought the time had come whenhis services entitled him to an independent com-mand. In August preceding the operations abovedescribed he had obtained leave of absence andgone to Washington to give personal attentionto his claims. As an Illinois politician he hadlong been known to Mr. Lincoln, whom he soughtto persuade that the best method of capturingVicksburg was by an independent expedition downthe river. After much discussion he won overboth Lincoln and Stanton to his views. Late inOctober Stanton gave to McClernand a papersecretly authorizing him to raise a volunteer forcein the states of Indiana , Illinois , and Iowa , andwhen properly equipped and organized, to proceedwith it against Vicksburg ; and on the back ofthis paper, which McClernand was to show inconfidence to the governors of the states in ques-tion, Mr. Lincoln endorsed his approval of theenterprise. The scheme, however, was not viewedwith favour by Halleck. Though not endowed