The Battle of Vicksburg

The Battle of Vicksburg
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Abstract
The extraordinary success of the Union forces at Vicksburg marked the end of a Civil War that had been going for more than four years. It is one of the greatest offensive operations to be carried out by the US Military. The Vicksburg campaign was very critical because it completely changed the course of the Civil War in the South. The outcome of the battle was greatly influenced by Grant’s brilliant military tactics as well as the control of the Mississippi River by the Union forces. Poor tactics and lack of unity within the Confederacy army led to their defeat and subsequent surrender to union forces. This paper provides a critical analysis and assessment of one of America’s greatest Civil Wars.
Statement of Issue(s)
This paper discusses the Battle of Vicksburg that took place between March 29, 1863 to July 4, 1863. Some of the major issues that will be analyzed and assessed in the paper include:
* Why the battle took place
* What influenced the outcome of the battle
* The influence of the battle outcome on the campaign
* The influence of the campaign on the course of the Civil War
Table of Contents TOC \o "1-3" \h \z \u Abstract PAGEREF _Toc424626574 \h 21.0 Introduction PAGEREF _Toc424626575 \h 52.0 Causes of the Civil War PAGEREF _Toc424626576 \h 53.0 The Vicksburg Campaign and Siege PAGEREF _Toc424626577 \h 64.0 Why the Union Forces managed to capture Vicksburg PAGEREF _Toc424626578 \h 75.0 The turning point for the civil War PAGEREF _Toc424626579 \h 76.0 The influence of the battle on the campaign PAGEREF _Toc424626580 \h 87.0 Conclusion PAGEREF _Toc424626581 \h 88.0 References PAGEREF _Toc424626582 \h 9
1.0 Introduction
The battle of Vicksburg was a civil war that pitted Americans against Americans and the war ended up splitting the nation. The secession of the Southern states was a threat to the commercial interests of the north and this therefore made north to declare war with the confederate states (Woodworth & Grear, 2013). The fact that River Mississippi was under the control of the southern states meant that the Northern economy would be would be affected in a great way and this meant that that access to Mississippi and Louisiana was completely denied. The only way to end the rebellion in the Southern states was to open up the Mississippi River and capture Vicksburg town because it was the city that fortified the river. A key battle that was fought westwards was the key turning point in this war in a major battle that began on March 29, 1863 and ended on July 4, 1863 (Woodworth & Grear, 2013). The Army of the Tennessee under the command of Ulysses S. Grant set out to take control of Vicksburg, Mississippi by battling the Confederate armies.
For a period of two years, the union forces had failed in their attempt to take the Vicksburg town from Confederate forces because the counter moves from these rebels had always blocked them. John Pemberton was the leader of the Confederate defenders that had mounted a serious resistance but this new and bold campaign by Grant is what delivered victory to the union forces in one of the greatest American Civil War Campaigns (Shea & ‎Winschel, 2005). This article will provide a detailed analysis of the battle of Vicksburg (Vicksburg campaign) and at the same time assess its influence on the course of the Civil War.
2.0 Causes of the Civil War
The Vicksburg city is located on the border of the Mississippi and Louisiana states and was one of the most strategic cities in the south during the civil war. The city overlooks the Mississippi River since it is approximately 250 feet high (Shea & ‎Winschel, 2005). Among the towns on the old southern frontier, Vicksburg had emerged as one of the most sophisticated and prosperous towns before the Civil War. The town had become a major trading center and all manner of goods and communities could always be seen on crowded boats. Vicksburg had proud citizens and the town also boasted of a Greek revival style courthouse that was very imposing, a Shakespeare repertory company as well as a Municipal Orchestra (Shea & ‎Winschel, 2005). Vicksburg was popular for its luxuriant lifestyle and a rich culture. The peaceful city would later become the center of confrontation between the Union forces and the confederacy forces because in the entire confederacy, Vicksburg had become one of the most strategic spots. The town had therefore become of the most prized possessions of the confederacy and the confederacy army began protecting it from the Federal forces the city from as early as 1861 (Martin, 2007).
The rebels had put up strategic fortifications along the Mississippi River in an attempt to protect their town from the Union forces that were under the command of Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant (Martin, 2007). The confederate troops fortified the city with heavy artillery because it had become the focal point of the civil war. On the other hand, President Lincoln wanted to reopen the avenue of commerce in the South by regaining control of the lower Mississippi river. The task of taking the city from the confederacy rebels was assigned to Gen. Ulysses S. Grant., who had a massive army of over 35,000 soldiers and very reliable subordinates (Martin, 2007). Mississippi was a resource rich state and the most vital logistical link to Mississippi was Vicksburg. The military operations of Union forces would be made much easier by the capture of Vicksburg and it is also important to mention that the Union forces also had commercial interests in Vicksburg and the entire Mississippi. Every corner of the Confederacy received goods such as salt, wool, butter, sweet potatoes, mules, cattle, oxen, sheep and molasses from Vicksburg through the great river (Martin, 2007).
The military needs of the South were also sustained by the town because the confederacy forces used to smuggle war materials and arms via Vicksburg. The Federal blockade could therefore be defied by the confederacy rebels that smuggled weapons through Mexican ports. Jefferson Davis, who was the then Confederate President, had personal reasons to defend Vicksburg because he owned a plantation in the Southern part of the town (Martin, 2007). On the other hand, President Abraham Lincoln was concerned that failure to capture the city would strengthen the confederacy forces in all the Southern states. In order to protect the Mississippi valley, the confederate forces had to protect Vicksburg because it was the only remaining stronghold after two years of Civil War. The confederate president knew that there was high possibility that the Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas states would be isolated if they lost the Vicksburg city to Union forces (History.com, 2015). The battle to control the Mississippi River is what led to the famous battle of Vicksburg.
3.0 The Vicksburg Campaign and Siege
The campaign to capture Vicksburg caused much bloodshed and involved thousands of soldiers. It came to an end in the summer of 1963 after a ye...