Grant's Accomplishments At Vicksburg example essay topic

Battle for the Muddy Mississippi " Take Cover!' This phrase was used daily as the citizens of Vicksburg scattered from the raining of mortars by Union guns. Vicksburg, Mississippi is a city in the heartland of the deep South. It sits on high bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River near the mouth of the Yazoo River. Settled in 1790, Vicksburg was and is an important shipping and trading center (Leonard 40).

During the Civil War, Vicksburg was a key factor in the control of the entire Mississippi River. After the surrender of Natchez, Baton Rouge, and New Orleans, the Union wanted Vicksburg. The city wouldn't go easy. 'Mississippians don't know, and refuse to learn how to surrender... ' (Ward 420). Confederates fortified it with guns and field artillery to keep the city out of the Union's hands.

The Union knew it wasn't going to be easy. In the siege of Vicksburg, Farragut tried to take the city, Grant took over, and he seized the city. General Farragut, a Union general, reaches Vicksburg on May 26, 1862. His ships fired 20 shots and continued down stream. The following day Farragut returned and bombarded the city for 12 hours (Miles 194). The civilians left to live in the country until things calmed down (Foote 395).

Van Dorn, leader of defense for Vicksburg, sent the 'Arkansas' to Vicksburg. The 'Arkansas' destroyed three warships for an estimated loss of $3,000,000 (Foote 386). The ship was later grounded and her own crew destroyed her (Miles 224). The process of trying to run past Vicksburg's guns became too difficult. The Union tried to build canals to bypass the city. Farragut started a canal across a peninsula north of Vicksburg that would return to the river 10 miles past the city but his attempts failed (Miles 202).

He finally withdrew from Vicksburg and headed south to Baton Rouge (Miles 229). In October of 1862 the commander of Tennessee was brought in to clear the Confederates off their turf. Ulysses S. Grant replaced Farragut to finish what he started. Gen. Pemberton was brought in to lead in Vicksburg's defenses. Gen. Pemberton found many of the defenses inadequate and replaces cannon, rebuilds forts, and placed them in more effective locations (Miles 283).

Major Sam Lockett was chief engineer under Pemberton. He worked on the layout of the forts. The main forts protected the entrances of the 6 main roads entering the city. His work turned out to not be so good (Miles 411).

While Confederates worked on their defenses, Grant started returned to the project abandoned by Farragut. There were approximately 5 expeditions to cut canals so their supplies could get down river, but the rising river was a problem (Boater 871). A dam broke flooding the peninsula. The work continued but only with dredges until Confederate guns ran them off Grant's finally gave up the canal experiments also (Miles 301). His original attempts to capture the city were his 'experiments'. He knew they most likely would not work, but wanted to find the best way to attack.

The first plan was to march south from Milken's Bend to invade Vicksburg from the north (Miles 298). Milken's Bend was Grant's headquarters about 2 miles north of Vicksburg (Hollister 20). Heavy rains caused lowlands to turn swampy. The men struggled to travel through the marsh and many were infected by malaria from mosquitoes. This attempt was very unsuccessful (Miles 298). The next plan was to bypass the city to try an attack from the south.

Grant sent Commander Sherman down river while he led a land expedition through Louisiana towards Vicksburg's rear. The Confederates held up Sherman north of the city but it didn't matter because Grant accomplished getting his ground troops south of Vicksburg (Wheeler 382). Once Grant worked his way south, he crossed to the east side of the river to wait for supplies. Gen. Forrest of the Confederates stopped the supplies and destroyed 60 miles of railroad used by the Union. Grant also had to wait for Sherman to actually try to run past Vicksburg to join him (Barnes 46). Grant, impatient, receives word that Confederate reinforcements are coming from the east (Foote 427).

A few days later he was heading out towards Jackson, Mississippi and Sherman happens finally shows up. They move towards Jackson but first met up with McPherson and McClernand in Raymond. From there Sherman and McPherson's 25,000 troops attacked Gen. Johnston in Jackson disabling his 6,000 from helping Vicksburg. McClernand stayed behind to protect them from the rear (U.S. National Park Service 2). After holding back all of the Confederate reinforcements, the Union had a maximum level of confidence.

Pemberton was warned that Johnston was defeated, and Grant had a large collection of forces heading his way. Many of the Confederate generals urged Pemberton to evacuate Vicksburg, but his troops unanimously voted to stay (Korn 126). In a desperate attempt to throw Grant off, Gen. Robert Lee had the idea of striking Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and Philadelphia making Grant come and defend Washington. Hopefully Lee could get Washington too. This did not work out the way Lee had planned (Ward 213). Pemberton sent men to fight off as many infantries as they could.

They met Union troops at Champion Hill and at Big Black River. Unsuccessful, they retreat back to Vicksburg to prepare for what they were to encounter next (U.S. National Park Services 2). Grant was now in position to take what he wanted, Vicksburg. He his three corps had taken position as follows: Sherman was on the river above, McClernand was on the river below, and McPherson was centered at the rear.

They did not have time to get situated before Grant called for the first strike (Wheeler 165). Thinking that confederate moral was low he order an immediate strike on May 19, 1863. The order was given at 10: 00 a.m. This was the first battle to start with a watch and not a signal gun.

Careful timing did not help. The Union forces were fought off after many attempts during the day. They lost about 3,100 men. Grant tries a second assault on May 22 that had worse results than the first one (U.S. National Park Services 2). He realizes he needs to be patient, and begins inching his way close to Confederate lines.

The Confederate lines were mainly 8 ft. ditches with about 102 guns. The guns were positioned in forts and on top off the bluffs to shot ironclads and other Union ships. Pemberton sent Gen. Stevenson to the south, Gen. Forney at center, and Gen. Smith was north (Wheeler 165). Throughout this time, Gen. Porter has been shooting mortars into town as he brings supplies and travels south to Port Gibson and numerous other sites along the river.

The Confederates would set houses across the river on fire to have better lighting as Porter tried to sneak by at night (Hollister 29). Only one Porter's ship, 'Cincinnati', was lost. It tried to get past Fort Hill, a major fortification located on Milken's Bend. As the ship turned broadside around the bend, Confederates opened fire. Filling with water the commander ran the ship on bank. The ship was secured to a tree but broke loose and slide to the bottom of the river (Wheeler 189).

Most ships were damaged but repaired in a day or two. The Union didn't even think about attacking Vicksburg from the river because the bluffs naturally protected the city. 'Ships cannot crawl up 300 feet high hill, and it is that part of Vicksburg which must be taken by the army' (Commander Porter). It would be a waste of valuable time and supplies. But the ironclads did cause some damage (Korn 16).

The Union fire from the river was the main threat to civilians. Many left their homes and dug caves into the hills to be protected from mortars. There was an estimated 500 caves. Union soldiers called them prairie dogs (Ward 211). Some people made a business out of digging caves. They charged from $30-$50 a cave (Wheeler 165).

Many local business owners tried to take advantage of townspeople by raising prices, because people had no other way of getting supplies. Locals burned many of the profiteering stores. The store owners thought that the Union army was burning them (Wheeler 194). Despite what was going on, fewer than a dozen civilians were killed during the whole siege (Korn 140). As June past, the Union had made its way about 100 yards from Confederate lines. They drove 13 trenches toward key Confederates strong points.

While digging tunnels, Union soldiers made a game out of putting a hat on a stick, holding it just over the trenches, and guess how many bullets would pass through it (Korn 136). They also tunneled their way underneath forts to blow them up using barrels of gunpowder. The Confederates planted countermines to try to stop their tunneling tactic. On June 25, 2,200 pounds of black powder was used to blow a breach in the Confederate line at Fort Redan. They fought for 24 hours to get through, but the plan did not work (U.S. National Park Services 2).

Still Pemberton's army was steadily being weakened. His men were only two thirds the size than what he started with. He was out numbered 2 to 1. He could not get any supplies in and no confederates could get out. The situation looked bad for the Confederates.

10,000 of Pemberton's men were no longer available because of illness, wounds, and malnutrition (Hollister 36). Food ran low. They had to eat mule, horse, dog, and bread made of corn and dried peas. A soldier gave a girl a jaybird as a pet. Her mom later made the bird into soup (Ward 214). There was also a lack of water.

It was not sanitary to drink muddy, river water. Most of the drinking water came from springs that the union controlled. The temperature would get up to 110 degrees. Disease was even worse now (Foote 403). No one thought an evacuation would work. Confederates were simply exhausted and overpowered.

Finally on July 3, Pemberton sent a message under a flag of truce to Grant. They met earlier that day. Pemberton did not like the terms of surrender and in anger turned and walked away. One of his commanders worked things out and he agreed. On July 4, 1863, Confederates marched out of their trenches and stacked the arms. Union soldiers did not celebrate.

They stood silently out of respect for the Confederates. Later that day, Grant went to the courthouse to watch the stars and stripes be placed on the flagpole (Korn 155). Vicksburg was seized. First Farragut tries, then Grant takes over, and he finally seizes the city. Grant's accomplishments at Vicksburg made him a northern hero (Foote 427). This could be a factor to his becoming President.

Its downfall played a significant role in the north's victory. The fall of Vicksburg split the South into two. The victory was then shifted in the North's direction. The East and the West could not get supplies to and from each other. Grant now could go capture other easier strongholds along the river such as Port Hudson (Wheeler 328). The river became a convenient highway for the Union.

Lincoln said, 'Vicksburg is the key. The war can never be brought to close until the key is in our pocket' (Ward 179). Lincoln finally added that key is on his key chain. The city of Vicksburg did not celebrate Independence Day until 1945, because July 4th is the day Pemberton surrendered.