Yes, they were following railroads west of the Mississippi:
In Iowa, the Omaha - Chicago.
In Missouri,
the Sedalia - Jefferson City - St. Louis,
an unfinished section starting from St. Louis going northwestward up to the River Missouri.
the Rolla St. Louis.
In Arkansas, the Little Rock- Memphis (unfinished).
In Louisiana,
the Port Hudson - Clinton,
the Brashear City - New Orleans
the Monroe - Vicksburg
an unfinished section starting from Bayou Sara going northward,
an unfinished section starting from Baton Rouge going westward.
In Texas,
the Houston - Galveston,
three unfinished sections going from Houston respectively northwestward, southward and eastward.
five
Alabama, Lousiana, the Mississippi River, Tennessee, Georgia and Mississippi
Yes, it did.
no
The Mississippi River has it's source in Minnesota and runs 2,350 miles before emptying into the Gulf of Mexico.
vicksburg
The Mississippi
Vicksburg
Vicksburg is a large town on the Mississippi River about halfway up the state of Mississippi. It is best known for a major civil war battle
The Ohio River.
Mississippi river
You are probably thinking of the Mississippi river.