41% of the continental United States drains through the mighty Mississippi River. It has long been a major conduit for trade goods and raw materials, and continues to be one today. During the Civil War of the 1860s, it was also used by the Confederate army to move munitions and troop supplies. Abraham Lincoln knew that he needed to split the confederate army apart by gaining control of the Mississippi River. By the end of 1862 he had gained control of most of the major towns along the river- except for Vicksburg, Mississippi, a very difficult town to conquer.
In addition to the benefit of being on the river, Vicksburg has the advantage of resembling a natural fortress. It sits high on a bluff surrounded by deep trenches, making any enemy approach, whether by land or water, virtually impossible.
Abraham Lincoln sent General Ulysses S.Grant to take Vicksburg, telling him that “Vicksburg is the key. The war can never be brought to a close until that key is in our pocket.”
For months, Grant tried multiple approaches to capture Vicksburg and all were reasonably easily rebuffed. He tried a full frontal assault, a multi-pronged assault, and even dug tunnels, loading them with explosives to blow up the confederates and clear the way for his men. Nothing worked. What DID work was patience. Grant eventually surrounded the city and waited. Within 6 weeks, the soldiers and the townspeople faced severe illness and starvation. On July 3, Grant met with General Pemberton, commander of the Confederate side, to discuss surrender terms. After much negotiation, Pemberton surrendered on July 4, when Grant met his terms of parole for the confederate soldiers in Vicksburg.
Upset with the timing of the agreement, for many years the citizens of Vicksburg did not celebrate the 4th of July. The date of surrender was not a coincidence, however. Pemberton chose that time frame because he felt he would secure better terms for his men on Independence Day.
The battles of Vicksburg and Gettysburg occured at almost the same time, and both had significant impact on the outcome of the Civil War.
Abraham Lincoln sent General Ulysses S.Grant to take Vicksburg, telling him that “Vicksburg is the key. The war can never be brought to a close until that key is in our pocket.”
For months, Grant tried multiple approaches to capture Vicksburg and all were reasonably easily rebuffed. He tried a full frontal assault, a multi-pronged assault, and even dug tunnels, loading them with explosives to blow up the confederates and clear the way for his men. Nothing worked. What DID work was patience. Grant eventually surrounded the city and waited. Within 6 weeks, the soldiers and the townspeople faced severe illness and starvation. On July 3, Grant met with General Pemberton, commander of the Confederate side, to discuss surrender terms. After much negotiation, Pemberton surrendered on July 4, when Grant met his terms of parole for the confederate soldiers in Vicksburg.
Upset with the timing of the agreement, for many years the citizens of Vicksburg did not celebrate the 4th of July. The date of surrender was not a coincidence, however. Pemberton chose that time frame because he felt he would secure better terms for his men on Independence Day.
The battles of Vicksburg and Gettysburg occured at almost the same time, and both had significant impact on the outcome of the Civil War.
We took an auto tour of the battlefield, with many stops along the way where we could dial a number on our cell phone and hear a short blurb about why that spot was significant. I liked it when we got to each spot where an actual battle took place because I could visualize it. The blue plaques represent the position of Union soldiers and the red ones (at the top of the hill) represent the confederate army.
Its scary how close together they were.
One thing we noticed were all the trees there were in some areas. Where there were rolling grassy hills, it was easy to imagine the past, but in the areas with trees, we wondered if they had been there at that time or not. It sure would have made things more challenging for everyone!
It turns out the trees were not there. They were planted years later by the CCC to help with erosion problems.
In recent years they have started the process of returning the land back to what it was.
Once we’d had our fill of the Civil War. we headed to the Lower Mississippi River Museum, which teaches about life in and around the Mississippi River. This is a brand new museum whose main attraction is “The Mississippi IV”, a retired Army Corp of Engineers work boat.There will be a lot of interactive displays once the museum is finished, including a simulator, aboard the Mississippi IV.
I love the parking signs around town!
