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| This Section Main Page | Historian | Statistician | Scientist | Song | Credits | Civil War Battles Index | |
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WHAT HAPPENED? The battle of Vicksburg played a key role in the victory
for the Unions. From May 18- July, 4 1863 tension grew
between the Union and the Confederates. "Vicksburg is the
key. The war can never be brought to a close until the key
is in our pocket," President Abraham Lincoln. The town of
Vicksburg, Vicksburg, Mississippi was the key goal for the
Union but also the Confederates. For the Union it was what
kept the south's two halves together. Separating these two
parts for the Confederates could give them a upper hand in
the Civil War. General Ulysses S. Grant head of the Union
army was sent on a mission by President Lincoln to capture
the town of Vicksburg and later the Mississippi river. Union
armies fought their way down the Mississippi from Cairo,
Illinois, and up from the Gulf of Mexico. By June of 1862
after capturing New Orleans the Union surrounded the
Confederates to a town in Mississippi called Vicksburg.
FOUR EVENTS THAT HAPPENED THAT YEAR (1863)? Asia: British warships attacked Kagoshima over a British man that had been killed. South America: A three day series of earthquakes hits Peru and Equador killing 25000 people. Australia: Letters patent annexete the Northern Territory to South Australia. Europe: The Karaites (religion) were given rights equal to those of the native Russian population.
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President
Lincoln gave order for the Union armies to merge and meet at
the city of Vicksburg. Armies from the south and west came
together with General Grants army from the east. Once joined
together at Vicksburg General Grant in charge of the
operation on capturing Vicksburg opened a extended artillery
barrage with the help of Rear Admiral David D. Porter's
gunboats in the lake which wrapped around the city. The
artillery barrage lasted for weeks killing many Confederates
and civilians at the same time. Many civilians resorted to
many caves in the mountains where they hid from artillery
shells which slowly destroyed the town. The plan seemed like
it was working and everything was going well until the
Confederates surprisingly fought back. General John
Pemberton of the Confederate army showed no sign of
surrender to General Grant and the merged Union army.
General Grant and his army had a new plan now realizing that
the town could not be brought down by assault. President
Lincoln sent word to General Grant to start a siege of
Vicksburg cutting of all supplies coming to and from of
Vicksburg. After 47 days of the Vicksburg war General John
Pemberton surrendered his men and Vicksburg to General Grant
sealing the fate of the Confederate states of America.
General Grants success in the west boosted his reputation
leading him to a promotion to General-in-Chief of the Union
Armies.
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