Chapter XXIV · The Last Days of Vicksburg

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading It had taken Grant a whole year to place his army in position on the hills in the rear of Vicksburg, but he had stuck to the campaign with the tenacity of a bulldog.

from one side of something to the other

From this reading The Confederates had felled trees across the narrow channels and had built Fort Pemberton of mud and cotton-bales, which the Union men found they could not pass, and in the end they were glad to get out of the maze of water-courses and endless swamps and forests.

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading At first he had tried to move his army south by rail from Memphis, but Van Dorn had destroyed his supplies and cut the railroad.

a permanent organization of the military land forces of a nation or state

From this reading It had taken Grant a whole year to place his army in position on the hills in the rear of Vicksburg, but he had stuck to the campaign with the tenacity of a bulldog.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading At first he had tried to move his army south by rail from Memphis, but Van Dorn had destroyed his supplies and cut the railroad.

plural of “bayou” — a swampy arm or slow-moving outlet of a lake (term used mainly in Mississippi and Louisiana)

From this reading He had tried to get his army below Vicksburg through various channels and bayous on the west side of the great river, but had found this plan impossible.

at or to a lower level than something

From this reading He had tried to get his army below Vicksburg through various channels and bayous on the west side of the great river, but had found this plan impossible.

(used of soaps or cleaning agents) having a substance (an abrasive or filler) added to increase effectiveness

From this reading The Confederates had felled trees across the narrow channels and had built Fort Pemberton of mud and cotton-bales, which the Union men found they could not pass, and in the end they were glad to get out of the maze of water-courses and endless swamps and forests.

attack viciously and ferociously

From this reading It had taken Grant a whole year to place his army in position on the hills in the rear of Vicksburg, but he had stuck to the campaign with the tenacity of a bulldog.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading It had taken Grant a whole year to place his army in position on the hills in the rear of Vicksburg, but he had stuck to the campaign with the tenacity of a bulldog.

showing who or what does the action

From this reading At first he had tried to move his army south by rail from Memphis, but Van Dorn had destroyed his supplies and cut the railroad.

a race between candidates for elective office

From this reading It had taken Grant a whole year to place his army in position on the hills in the rear of Vicksburg, but he had stuck to the campaign with the tenacity of a bulldog.

official routes of communication

From this reading He had tried to get his army below Vicksburg through various channels and bayous on the west side of the great river, but had found this plan impossible.

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading He had tried to come down by way of the Yazoo and other water-courses on the east side of the Mississippi, and had had a narrow escape from disaster.

plural of “confederate” — a supporter of the Confederate States of America

From this reading The Confederates had felled trees across the narrow channels and had built Fort Pemberton of mud and cotton-bales, which the Union men found they could not pass, and in the end they were glad to get out of the maze of water-courses and endless swamps and forests.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The Confederates had felled trees across the narrow channels and had built Fort Pemberton of mud and cotton-bales, which the Union men found they could not pass, and in the end they were glad to get out of the maze of water-courses and endless swamps and forests.

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading The Confederates had felled trees across the narrow channels and had built Fort Pemberton of mud and cotton-bales, which the Union men found they could not pass, and in the end they were glad to get out of the maze of water-courses and endless swamps and forests.

separate with or as if with an instrument

From this reading At first he had tried to move his army south by rail from Memphis, but Van Dorn had destroyed his supplies and cut the railroad.

spoiled or ruined or demolished

From this reading At first he had tried to move his army south by rail from Memphis, but Van Dorn had destroyed his supplies and cut the railroad.

a state of extreme (usually irremediable) ruin and misfortune

From this reading He had tried to come down by way of the Yazoo and other water-courses on the east side of the Mississippi, and had had a narrow escape from disaster.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading At first he had tried to move his army south by rail from Memphis, but Van Dorn had destroyed his supplies and cut the railroad.

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading He had tried to come down by way of the Yazoo and other water-courses on the east side of the Mississippi, and had had a narrow escape from disaster.

the cardinal compass point that is at 90 degrees

From this reading He had tried to come down by way of the Yazoo and other water-courses on the east side of the Mississippi, and had had a narrow escape from disaster.

either extremity of something that has length

From this reading The Confederates had felled trees across the narrow channels and had built Fort Pemberton of mud and cotton-bales, which the Union men found they could not pass, and in the end they were glad to get out of the maze of water-courses and endless swamps and forests.

tiresomely long; seemingly without end

From this reading The Confederates had felled trees across the narrow channels and had built Fort Pemberton of mud and cotton-bales, which the Union men found they could not pass, and in the end they were glad to get out of the maze of water-courses and endless swamps and forests.

the act of escaping physically

From this reading He had tried to come down by way of the Yazoo and other water-courses on the east side of the Mississippi, and had had a narrow escape from disaster.

past form of “fell” — cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow

From this reading The Confederates had felled trees across the narrow channels and had built Fort Pemberton of mud and cotton-bales, which the Union men found they could not pass, and in the end they were glad to get out of the maze of water-courses and endless swamps and forests.

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading At first he had tried to move his army south by rail from Memphis, but Van Dorn had destroyed his supplies and cut the railroad.

plural of “forest” — the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area

From this reading The Confederates had felled trees across the narrow channels and had built Fort Pemberton of mud and cotton-bales, which the Union men found they could not pass, and in the end they were glad to get out of the maze of water-courses and endless swamps and forests.

a fortified military post where troops are stationed

From this reading The Confederates had felled trees across the narrow channels and had built Fort Pemberton of mud and cotton-bales, which the Union men found they could not pass, and in the end they were glad to get out of the maze of water-courses and endless swamps and forests.

set up or found

From this reading He had tried to get his army below Vicksburg through various channels and bayous on the west side of the great river, but had found this plan impossible.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading At first he had tried to move his army south by rail from Memphis, but Van Dorn had destroyed his supplies and cut the railroad.

come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading He had tried to get his army below Vicksburg through various channels and bayous on the west side of the great river, but had found this plan impossible.

showing or causing joy and pleasure; especially made happy

From this reading The Confederates had felled trees across the narrow channels and had built Fort Pemberton of mud and cotton-bales, which the Union men found they could not pass, and in the end they were glad to get out of the maze of water-courses and endless swamps and forests.

let have

From this reading It had taken Grant a whole year to place his army in position on the hills in the rear of Vicksburg, but he had stuck to the campaign with the tenacity of a bulldog.

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading He had tried to get his army below Vicksburg through various channels and bayous on the west side of the great river, but had found this plan impossible.

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading It had taken Grant a whole year to place his army in position on the hills in the rear of Vicksburg, but he had stuck to the campaign with the tenacity of a bulldog.

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading It had taken Grant a whole year to place his army in position on the hills in the rear of Vicksburg, but he had stuck to the campaign with the tenacity of a bulldog.

plural of “hill” — a local and well-defined elevation of the land

From this reading It had taken Grant a whole year to place his army in position on the hills in the rear of Vicksburg, but he had stuck to the campaign with the tenacity of a bulldog.

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading It had taken Grant a whole year to place his army in position on the hills in the rear of Vicksburg, but he had stuck to the campaign with the tenacity of a bulldog.

not capable of occurring or being accomplished or dealt with

From this reading He had tried to get his army below Vicksburg through various channels and bayous on the west side of the great river, but had found this plan impossible.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading It had taken Grant a whole year to place his army in position on the hills in the rear of Vicksburg, but he had stuck to the campaign with the tenacity of a bulldog.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It had taken Grant a whole year to place his army in position on the hills in the rear of Vicksburg, but he had stuck to the campaign with the tenacity of a bulldog.

complex system of paths or tunnels in which it is easy to get lost

From this reading The Confederates had felled trees across the narrow channels and had built Fort Pemberton of mud and cotton-bales, which the Union men found they could not pass, and in the end they were glad to get out of the maze of water-courses and endless swamps and forests.

largest city of Tennessee; located in southwestern Tennessee on bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River

From this reading At first he had tried to move his army south by rail from Memphis, but Van Dorn had destroyed his supplies and cut the railroad.

the force of workers available

From this reading The Confederates had felled trees across the narrow channels and had built Fort Pemberton of mud and cotton-bales, which the Union men found they could not pass, and in the end they were glad to get out of the maze of water-courses and endless swamps and forests.

a major North American river and the chief river of the United States; rises in northern Minnesota and flows southward into the Gulf of Mexico

From this reading He had tried to come down by way of the Yazoo and other water-courses on the east side of the Mississippi, and had had a narrow escape from disaster.

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading At first he had tried to move his army south by rail from Memphis, but Van Dorn had destroyed his supplies and cut the railroad.

water soaked soil; soft wet earth

From this reading The Confederates had felled trees across the narrow channels and had built Fort Pemberton of mud and cotton-bales, which the Union men found they could not pass, and in the end they were glad to get out of the maze of water-courses and endless swamps and forests.

make or become more narrow or restricted

From this reading He had tried to come down by way of the Yazoo and other water-courses on the east side of the Mississippi, and had had a narrow escape from disaster.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading The Confederates had felled trees across the narrow channels and had built Fort Pemberton of mud and cotton-bales, which the Union men found they could not pass, and in the end they were glad to get out of the maze of water-courses and endless swamps and forests.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading It had taken Grant a whole year to place his army in position on the hills in the rear of Vicksburg, but he had stuck to the campaign with the tenacity of a bulldog.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading It had taken Grant a whole year to place his army in position on the hills in the rear of Vicksburg, but he had stuck to the campaign with the tenacity of a bulldog.

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading He had tried to come down by way of the Yazoo and other water-courses on the east side of the Mississippi, and had had a narrow escape from disaster.

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading The Confederates had felled trees across the narrow channels and had built Fort Pemberton of mud and cotton-bales, which the Union men found they could not pass, and in the end they were glad to get out of the maze of water-courses and endless swamps and forests.

go across or through

From this reading The Confederates had felled trees across the narrow channels and had built Fort Pemberton of mud and cotton-bales, which the Union men found they could not pass, and in the end they were glad to get out of the maze of water-courses and endless swamps and forests.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The Confederates had felled trees across the narrow channels and had built Fort Pemberton of mud and cotton-bales, which the Union men found they could not pass, and in the end they were glad to get out of the maze of water-courses and endless swamps and forests.

a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading It had taken Grant a whole year to place his army in position on the hills in the rear of Vicksburg, but he had stuck to the campaign with the tenacity of a bulldog.

have the will and intention to carry out some action

From this reading He had tried to get his army below Vicksburg through various channels and bayous on the west side of the great river, but had found this plan impossible.

the particular portion of space occupied by something

From this reading It had taken Grant a whole year to place his army in position on the hills in the rear of Vicksburg, but he had stuck to the campaign with the tenacity of a bulldog.

a barrier consisting of a horizontal bar and supports

From this reading At first he had tried to move his army south by rail from Memphis, but Van Dorn had destroyed his supplies and cut the railroad.

line that is the commercial organization responsible for operating a system of transportation for trains that pull passengers or freight

From this reading At first he had tried to move his army south by rail from Memphis, but Van Dorn had destroyed his supplies and cut the railroad.

the back of a military formation or procession

From this reading It had taken Grant a whole year to place his army in position on the hills in the rear of Vicksburg, but he had stuck to the campaign with the tenacity of a bulldog.

a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)

From this reading He had tried to get his army below Vicksburg through various channels and bayous on the west side of the great river, but had found this plan impossible.

a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location

From this reading He had tried to get his army below Vicksburg through various channels and bayous on the west side of the great river, but had found this plan impossible.

the region of the United States lying to the south of the Mason-Dixon line

From this reading At first he had tried to move his army south by rail from Memphis, but Van Dorn had destroyed his supplies and cut the railroad.

caught or fixed

From this reading It had taken Grant a whole year to place his army in position on the hills in the rear of Vicksburg, but he had stuck to the campaign with the tenacity of a bulldog.

plural of “supply” — an amount of something available for use

From this reading At first he had tried to move his army south by rail from Memphis, but Van Dorn had destroyed his supplies and cut the railroad.

plural of “swamp” — low land that is seasonally flooded; has more woody plants than a marsh and better drainage than a bog

From this reading The Confederates had felled trees across the narrow channels and had built Fort Pemberton of mud and cotton-bales, which the Union men found they could not pass, and in the end they were glad to get out of the maze of water-courses and endless swamps and forests.

understood in a certain way; made sense of

From this reading It had taken Grant a whole year to place his army in position on the hills in the rear of Vicksburg, but he had stuck to the campaign with the tenacity of a bulldog.

persistent determination

From this reading It had taken Grant a whole year to place his army in position on the hills in the rear of Vicksburg, but he had stuck to the campaign with the tenacity of a bulldog.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading It had taken Grant a whole year to place his army in position on the hills in the rear of Vicksburg, but he had stuck to the campaign with the tenacity of a bulldog.

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading The Confederates had felled trees across the narrow channels and had built Fort Pemberton of mud and cotton-bales, which the Union men found they could not pass, and in the end they were glad to get out of the maze of water-courses and endless swamps and forests.

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading He had tried to get his army below Vicksburg through various channels and bayous on the west side of the great river, but had found this plan impossible.

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading He had tried to get his army below Vicksburg through various channels and bayous on the west side of the great river, but had found this plan impossible.

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading It had taken Grant a whole year to place his army in position on the hills in the rear of Vicksburg, but he had stuck to the campaign with the tenacity of a bulldog.

plural of “tree” — a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms

From this reading The Confederates had felled trees across the narrow channels and had built Fort Pemberton of mud and cotton-bales, which the Union men found they could not pass, and in the end they were glad to get out of the maze of water-courses and endless swamps and forests.

tested and proved useful or correct

From this reading At first he had tried to move his army south by rail from Memphis, but Van Dorn had destroyed his supplies and cut the railroad.

an organization of employees formed to bargain with the employer

From this reading The Confederates had felled trees across the narrow channels and had built Fort Pemberton of mud and cotton-bales, which the Union men found they could not pass, and in the end they were glad to get out of the maze of water-courses and endless swamps and forests.

any creative group active in the innovation and application of new concepts and techniques in a given field (especially in the arts)

From this reading At first he had tried to move his army south by rail from Memphis, but Van Dorn had destroyed his supplies and cut the railroad.

of many different kinds purposefully arranged but lacking any uniformity

From this reading He had tried to get his army below Vicksburg through various channels and bayous on the west side of the great river, but had found this plan impossible.

a town in western Mississippi on bluffs above the Mississippi River to the west of Jackson

From this reading It had taken Grant a whole year to place his army in position on the hills in the rear of Vicksburg, but he had stuck to the campaign with the tenacity of a bulldog.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading He had tried to come down by way of the Yazoo and other water-courses on the east side of the Mississippi, and had had a narrow escape from disaster.

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading He had tried to come down by way of the Yazoo and other water-courses on the east side of the Mississippi, and had had a narrow escape from disaster.

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading The Confederates had felled trees across the narrow channels and had built Fort Pemberton of mud and cotton-bales, which the Union men found they could not pass, and in the end they were glad to get out of the maze of water-courses and endless swamps and forests.

the countries of (originally) Europe and (now including) North America and South America

From this reading He had tried to get his army below Vicksburg through various channels and bayous on the west side of the great river, but had found this plan impossible.

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading The Confederates had felled trees across the narrow channels and had built Fort Pemberton of mud and cotton-bales, which the Union men found they could not pass, and in the end they were glad to get out of the maze of water-courses and endless swamps and forests.

including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete

From this reading It had taken Grant a whole year to place his army in position on the hills in the rear of Vicksburg, but he had stuck to the campaign with the tenacity of a bulldog.

in the company of; together with

From this reading It had taken Grant a whole year to place his army in position on the hills in the rear of Vicksburg, but he had stuck to the campaign with the tenacity of a bulldog.

a river that rises in west central Mississippi and flows southwest to empty into the Mississippi River above Vicksburg

From this reading He had tried to come down by way of the Yazoo and other water-courses on the east side of the Mississippi, and had had a narrow escape from disaster.

a period of time containing 365 (or 366) days

From this reading It had taken Grant a whole year to place his army in position on the hills in the rear of Vicksburg, but he had stuck to the campaign with the tenacity of a bulldog.