Summary Of Battle Of Vicksburg

American Civil War

Siege of Vicksburg

History >> Civil War

The Siege of Vicksburg was a major victory for the Marriage during the Civil State of war. The Union Army surrounded the urban center of Vicksburg, Mississippi and somewhen took control.

Battle of Vicksburg
by Kurz and Allison

When did it take place?

The siege took much longer than your typical battle. It began on May 18, 1863 and lasted over a month until July 4, 1863.

Who were the commanders?

The commander for the Union forces was Full general Ulysses S. Grant. Grant led the Army of Tennessee and had over 35,000 men under his command. Other Spousal relationship generals included William T. Sherman and John McClernand.

The leader of the Confederates was General John Pemberton who commanded the South'due south Army of the Mississippi. He had only xviii,000 soldiers nether his command.

Why was Vicksburg important?

The metropolis of Vicksburg is located on the Mississippi River. It was the last major port on the river held by the South. If the North could take Vicksburg, the Confederacy would exist cutting off from supply lines to the westward. Besides, insubordinate states such every bit Texas, Louisiana, and Arkansas would exist isolated from the residue of the Southward.

Before the Battle

The Siege of Vicksburg was the terminate of a long series of battles in the western theatre of the Civil War called the Vicksburg Campaign. The Union Regular army, led past General Grant, had won a number of battles against the Confederates pushing them back towards Vicksburg. They likewise captured the city of Jackson, the capital of Mississippi.

Grant approached the urban center slowly, forcing the Confederates to retreat before him. While approaching the city, he captured the local railroad and secured his own supply lines while isolating the city of Vicksburg.

The Battle

On May 18, 1863, Grant's army approached Vicksburg. The Amalgamated Army of General Pemberton were dug in. They were going to be about impossible to defeat while hiding behind the defenses of the urban center. Over the offset couple of days, Grant tried to interruption into the city by overwhelming them with his superior numbers. Information technology didn't work. Many Union soldiers lost their lives and the Confederates yet held the city.

Battery of the Sherman Vicksburg
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Grant and then decided to lay siege to the urban center. He would bomb them constantly and wait until they ran out of food. He knew that eventually they would have to surrender.

The conditions in the city got worse and worse over the next several weeks. The people in the city began to run out of food. They started to consume anything bachelor including the horses, dogs, and cats. Near the stop they were even eating rats and tree bawl. Because of malnutrition, many of the soldiers became sick from diseases like scurvy, dysentery, and malaria.

In addition to not having food, the city was constantly being bombed. People couldn't safely walk the streets or live in their houses. They had to hibernate twenty-four hours and nighttime in their basements or dug out caves in the hills.

On July 4, 1863, the Confederates had had enough. General Pemberton surrendered to Grant.

Results

The Siege of Vicksburg was a great victory for the Union. It gave control of the Mississippi River to the Union. Around the same time, the Confederate army under General Robert Eastward. Lee was defeated at the Battle of Gettysburg. These two victories marked the major turning point of the Civil War in favor of the Union.

Interesting Facts nigh the Siege of Vicksburg

Grant at get-go demanded unconditional give up. He subsequently relented and the captured prisoners were "paroled" instead of taken prisoner. This meant they promised not to fight again (although many of them did).
Confederate Full general Pemberton subsequently resigned as a full general, merely continued to fight for the S as a lieutenant colonel.
Around 24,000 people live in the city of Vicksburg today.
Legend has it that the people of Vicksburg did non gloat the fourth of July for the side by side 80 years equally this was the solar day they surrendered to Grant. Many historians, however, say this is not the example.

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