Battle Of Vicksburg Essay

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As Abraham Lincoln once proclaimed, "See what a lot of land these fellows hold, of which Vicksburg is the key. The war can never be brought to a close until that key is in our pocket. We can take all the northern ports of the Confederacy, and they can defy us from Vicksburg” (Lincoln, Togni). Lincoln, along with the entire Union and Confederate army, understood the importance of the city of Vicksburg, located along the Mississippi River. In order to gain control of Vicksburg, the Union placed a siege on the Confederate city. The Siege of Vicksburg was a significant battle in the Civil War and an important victory for the Union. In 1863 the Union army, led by Ulysses S. Grant, attempted to find a weakness in the defences of the city of Vicksburg, Mississippi. Initially, a team of soldiers was sent by William T. Sherman to travel to Vicksburg from the northeast. At the same time, Grant lead a team down the Mississippi Central Railroad in hopes of invading Vicksburg. When both of these tactics were to no avail, Grant issued a plan titled Grant’s Bayou Operations to gain access to the Mississippi River, which was a failure as well. After multiple failed attempts, Grant’s and Sherman’s armies joined forces and crossed the Mississippi River into…show more content…
The Union bombarded the city of Vicksburg for 47 consecutive days, while the Confederacy was forced to endure the calamity of the blockade set upon them. The Confederacy even resorted to feast on horses, dogs, cats and rats in order to remain alive. On July 3rd, 1863, John C. Pemberton, the Confederate General appointed to Vicksburg, met with the Union to deliberate a surrender, and on July 4th, 1863, an official capitulation was announced, putting a cease to the Siege of Vicksburg. Overall, an estimate for the total number of casualties was 19,233, with 10,142 for the Union, and 9,091 for the
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