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John Clifford Pemberton was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
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Pemberton's family was well connected. His father was aquainted with President Andrew Jackson, and using that connection to his advantage, he got John into West Point. John graduated in the middle of his class from West Point. Through the duration of his time there he was roommates with George Meade.
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He served in the War in Florida and campaigned against the Cherokees.
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Pemberton served under the command of Zachary Taylor in the Mexican War.
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After his marriage to a Virginian woman, John left the Federal Army and became a brigadier general in the Confederate Army. For his first year, he toughened the coastal defenses and quickly climbed the ladder of military ranks.
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John was promoted to lieutenant general and given command of the District of Mississippi and Eastern Louisiana.
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Pemberton was reassigned in the midst of Grant's pursual for a short time, leaving Vicksburg lacking in command and intelligence.
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He returned to defend Vicksburg and was successful in holding off Grant two of the times he attacked directly. Pemberton called Johnston for reinforcement, knowing it was only a matter of time before Grant would get through, but Johnston was unable to respond, leaving Pemberton to defend alone.
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His supplies were running low and no back up was coming, Pemberton was forced to surrender Vicksburg to Grant.
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He resigned his comission after his surrender at Vicksburg, due to the people's hatred of him. He became lieutenant colonel of artillery for the rest of the war.
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John C. Pemberton passed away at the age of 67. He did not regain his status; some saw him as a traitor, thinking he purposely lost, since he wasn't even Southern born. Others felt he should've fought til the death, dying with honor and glory, rather than just surrender.
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John Pemberton was born is Philadelphia in 1814. With the help of his family's connections, he was admitted to West Point, a military academy. He excelled more in the arts than anything military related and graduated in the middle of his class. Right out of West Point, he was commissioned as an officer in the 4th Artillery. In the next few years he served in the Second Seminole War and the Mexican-American War.
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In 1861, after his marriage to a Virginian woman, he resigned from the Federal Army and joined the Confederates. Within a year he reached lieutentant general and commanded the District of Mississippi and Eastern Louisiana. In 1863 he defended Vicksburg from Grant for a few weeks. But due to the lack of supplies and reinforcement, he decided to surrender. Many believed he should've fought til death for glory, or that he wasn't really on the side of the South.
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While Pemberton was a good soldier and great as an artillery leader, he was not experienced enough to lead the defense in Vicksburg. He was greatly hated and therefore soon resigned. Due to his bad reputation, he was not put in charge of major battles, and his rank dropped slightly. With the loss of Vicksburg, the Confederate states were divided by the east and west, weakening them. Unfortunately, Pemberton died a hated man at 67 in his hometown.
