The Battle of Vicksburg

The Battle of Vicksburg Hayden Seibert By: Hayden Seibert Joshua Froess

Why? • The city of Vicksburg was an important location to control • If the union could control it they would control the entire Mississippi River. • If they could take the city, the south would be cut in half, and be separated from it’s main food supply

Location • Warren county Mississippi

The Battlefield

Generals Ulysses S. Grant John C. Pemberton • Born April 27, 1822 • Attended West Point • Fought under General Zachery Taylor in the Mexican war • Died July 23, 1885 • Born in Philadelphia August 10, 1814 • Fought in the Seminole war • Died July 13, 1881

Grant’s plan of attack • First, Grant had to take ships down past the guns of Vicksburg so that he could take his army across to the east of the Mississippi • Once he was there, he attacked and took the city of Jackson to the east of Vicksburg • Then, he would attack Vicksburg from the south, and southeast • Then, Grant decided to lay siege to the city • Thirteen trenches were built around the city

Grant’s plan of attack continued • The siege officially had began on the 22nd of May • Mines were detonated by the union underneath the confederate defenses • There were two explosions • One destroyed Fort Hill Bastion, a confederate fort

Pemberton’s plan of defense • Pemberton’s defenses included the natural defenses created by the terrain where Vicksburg was, this included creeks, mud, woodland, and bluffs. • Pemberton also had trenches built around the borders of Vicksburg, along with several forts • There were many artillery batteries placed around the perimeter

Getting the boats in position • The union boats had to get past the guns of Vicksburg so that they could transport the union troops from the west side of the Mississippi to the east • On the night of April 16 the fleet tried to get past the guns • One transport was lost

Jackson • Jackson was a city to the east of Vicksburg • Grant’s army attacked and conquered Jackson first before moving on Vicksburg • 300 cassualties

The combat • Most of the combat was trench warfare and skirmishes • The city was almost continuously bombarded by Artillery shells, from both the Mississippi River and from land • Union casualties: 10,142 • Confederate casualties: 9,091

Life behind the walls • Living in Vicksburg wile it was under siege would not have been fun • There was continuous artillery fire • Little food supplies • Disease • People built shelters underground to defend from artillery

The surrender • Soon the people of Vicksburg could take the siege no longer, they were all starving, disease ridden and tired • General Pemberton asked for surrender terms on July 3rd • Grant replied “Unconditional surrender”, however he decided to give the starved confederates food supplies • The surrender was completed on July 4th

Aftermath • After the battle was won the south was cut in half and their chances of winning the war were crushed • Both the loss of Vicksburg and Gettysburg severely hurt the confederacy • General Grant went on to win the war for the south and latter become president of the United States • Pemberton went on to take up farming after the war

Sources Sighted • www.thomaslegion.net • www.civilwar.org • www.civilwarhome.com • www.sonofthesouth.net • www.history.com • www.nps.org

The Battle of Vicksburg