The Vicksburg Problem 213

the canal entered the river just opposite the bluffsat Warrenton, where the Confederates could easilyplant batteries commanding it, and early in Febru-ary he informed Halleck that he had lost all faithin the scheme. Indeed, before the catastropheoccurred, the enemy had already erected batteriesat Warrenton which enfiladed the mouth of thecanal, so that even if finished it would have beenuseless. Nevertheless, in deference to the publicsentiment, which was shared by the government atWashington, Grant had given the project a fairtrial, while looking out for some more feasible plan.

His other experiment for crossing below Vicks­ burg was begun the next day after his arrivalupon the scene, and was carried on simultaneously

with the canal experiment. About ,

The Lake

seventy miles above Vicksburg , on the Providenceopposite side of the river, is the cres- ex P eriment -cent-shaped Lake Providence, a remnant of theold deserted bed of the stream. A muddy chan-nel, more swamp than river, known as BayouBaxter, imperfectly connected this lake withBayou Macon, which flows into the Macon river,a tributary of the Tensas. The Tensas, in turn,flows into the Washita, which flows into the greatRed river. This tortuous system of waters isnavigable throughout its length, except in BayouBaxter, which about midway between Lake Provi-