I recently pick up a book off the bargain rank entitled "Vickburg, 1863" By Winston Groom. Mr. Groom is seemingly a noted author of some 15 books some of which has beenon the New York Times bestsellers list and a Pulitzer Prize nominee. In this book Groom deals with the overall tactical situation of the war efforts of both side centering around the Battle of Vicksburg in a seemingly evenhanded way.

In one part of his book (this is a summation) he claimes that Lincoln had "ordered" all of his armies to "Push South" in December of 1862. This resulted in Burnsides Fredericksburg failed campaign, The battle of Murfreesboro (Stone River), Grants Central Mississippi Campaign which ended with the Holly Springs Mississippi raid, and Sherman's Chickasaw Bluff failed campaign.

Groom suggest that this was to have a victory with which to impliment The Emancipation Proclaimation and to impress the English Parliment, which was to meet in January 1863. While Groom does not suggest this, Lincoln was in serious negociations with the British Government at this time over the Anti-Slavery Open Seas Treaty, which Lincoln had entered into in April 1862 and would be ratified by the United States Congress in April 1863. What Groom does suggest is that the objective was using the Emancipation Proclaimation and a victory to keep England out of the War on the Southern side.

Of the 4 campaigns of December 1862, 3 were failures and only the Battle of Murfreesboro was technically a draw and only became a union victory because Braxton Braag withdrew the Confederate army in Tennessee back to Tullahoma.

History also tells us that as Sherman withdrew his forces from the Chickasaw Bluff expedition, on January 1, 1863, General McClernard assumed operational command of Sherman force and 8 days later began his attack at Arkansas Post resulting in the capture of the Fort and 5,000 Confederate Soldiers.

While Arkansas Post may have not been part of Lincolns Grander plan do you think that Lincoln would not have used this Victory as part of his negocations with England given the failure of the other expeditions to achive a significant objective?