The Anaconda Plan

561 Words3 Pages
May 18th, 1865, Grant and his troops prepare for the final assault against the Confederacy, in a well-fortified town called Vicksburg, to gain control of the Mississippi River. Grant’s Mississippi campaign is successful so far and if he takes Vicksburg he will divide the Confederacy in two. The Union’s military strategy for the Civil War is called the Anaconda Plan. The plan consists of three steps: First, form a blockade along the coastline, limiting the South 's trade. Second, take control of the Mississippi River, which divides the Confederacy. Finally, take the Confederacy capital of Richmond. Vicksburg is the battle for the Mississippi River and Grant is in no mood to surrender. In Vicksburg, Lt. Gen. John C. Pemberton, the Confederate