Siege Of Vicksburg Essay

The siege of Vicksburg can be seen as a turning point in the Civil War. Vicksburg was fought after territory for both sides because of the value it encompassed. Particularly to the Confederates, Vicksburg was their last chance of keeping unity of command. Without control of Vicksburg the southern confederate states would be divided into two. As well as unity of command, possession of Vicksburg was critical to controlling the lower Mississippi River. The Mississippi River supplied the armed forces with troops, supplies, and equipment. Loss of Vicksburg would prove to be devastating to the South as they were now divided, lacked unity of command, and had lost their remaining control over the Mississippi making it difficult to maneuver troops and

Surrendering in defeat on July 4th 1863, the Confederates lost one of the most valuable pieces of territory they had controlled during the Civil War. Vicksburg was a port city situated along the Mississippi. After the fall of New Orleans and Memphis it was the only Confederate stronghold blocking the Union from the Mississippi River. Under the control of Brigadier General Martin Smith over 3,000 confederacy troops were occupying the city before it fell to the North (The Oxford Companion to American Military History). When analyzing Vicksburg from a military, political, and economic perspective, one can see its outstanding importance during the Civil War. With the fall of Vicksburg to Union forces, the South lost control of the lower Mississippi River and therefore divided the southern states, leaving Texas, Louisiana, and Arkansas isolated from the rest of the southern states and cutting off Richmond (Vicksburg Siege, n.d.). Without southern control of the Mississippi River, the North now had access to continue bringing reinforcements and supplies to continue the war. The Siege of Vicksburg has been described as a decisive victory that would give the North an upper hand in the Civil War. The city of Vicksburg was crucial to the control of the Mississippi River and the movement and maneuvers of southern troops and supplies during the Civil War, unity of command in the south, and held key terrain features vital to an offensive position along the Mississippi