Battle Of Vicksburg Essay

The Siege of Vicksburg refers to the year long campaign to determine who maintained the city of Vicksburg that took place with the Civil War which were crucial to who claimed victory in the war. The fighting was due to the Union and Confederacy wanting to claim the Mississippi River since it would prove to be a valuable asset to whoever controlled it. This was due to the fact that it would be easy to carry weapons, supplies, and even troops themselves to dozens of locations in American territory since the Mississippi and its tributaries ran through a million plus square miles in the U.S. But the town of Vicksburg itself was also a desirable asset to obtain because when the war started it was the second largest town in Mississippi and a large

Meanwhile General Earl Van Dorn, also of the Confederate army, was able to capture a very important Union supply base at Holly springs. This ensured that Grant had no other option but to withdraw his attack from Vicksburg as he and his men couldn’t be supported without proper supplies. Sherman decided to try and attack Vicksburg without the reinforcements of Grant’s men, but also ended up withdrawing within a couple days. After Grant’s initial attempt to capture Vicksburg, Grant tried again in December to gain control of Vicksburg, but due to the large numbers of Confederate soldiers. The Confederates wanted to keep a tight hold of Vicksburg for the same reasons as the Union plus the fact that it was their last position being held inside Mississippi. After Grant’s failed attempts of capturing the town of Vicksburg, “Grant ordered canals built to bypass the bluff, but those attempts failed.” Since Grant couldn’t just rush the town and attack it directly, he tried to find other ways to get Union soldiers inside. He also enlisted help from their naval forces and moved all his forces South of Vicksburg. After the capture of two other Mississippi towns Port Gibson and Grand Gulf and the Battle of Champion’s Hill, the Union had a little

This was all crucial to outcome of the overall war since Vicksburg was just the first victory of many for the North. The balance quickly shifted in favor of the Union and allowed them to secure victory which impacted the nation in many different ways. But there were direct effects of the victory at Vicksburg, like the strategy that Grant used of dividing and conquering which then became a popular military strategy. He also proved that the canals he tried to use were an inefficient means of attempting to gain an advantage over the Confederates. The end of the Civil War redefined the reality of the United States and ensured that it was seen as one indivisible nation, rather than separate states. The thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth amendments were also passed after the end of the Civil War and abolished slavery, but this was all possible due to the first victory at Vicksburg. This battle and all the events that led up to it imposed monumental change in the United