U.S. Grant.
His capture of Vicksburg led to the liberation of the Mississippi, the most crucial victory of the war.
vicksburg
Vicksburg
The Mississippi River was important because if captured, it would divide the South making it weaker.
The Confederate garrison at Vicksburg.
Vicksburg
That was Ulysses Grant, who captured Vicksburg, the last major Confederate stronghold on the Mississippi River in July of 1863.
The event where the Union Army gained greater control of the Mississippi River was the Siege of Vicksburg, which took place from May 18 to July 4, 1863. The Union forces, led by General Ulysses S. Grant, successfully captured the Confederate stronghold of Vicksburg, Mississippi. This victory effectively split the Confederacy in two and allowed the Union to control the entire Mississippi River, enhancing their strategic advantage in the Civil War.
David Farragut
US Naval commander Samuel P. Lee was the first Union commander to demand the surrender of Vicksburg Mississippi. This demand was made on May 18, 1862. Lee was the captain of the USS Oneida. Just prior to this the City of New Orleans was captured and Baton Rouge also fell. The Union navy then set its sights on Vicksburg.
David Farragut, commander of Union Naval Fleet, winner of battle of New Orleans and helped control Mississippi River
Vicksburg's location was strategic because it sat on a 200-foot bluff above the Mississippi River. Capturing Vicksburg would sever the Trans-Mississippi Confederacy from that east of the Mississippi River and open the river to Northern traffic along its entire length.
The Vicksburg Campaign, specifically the Siege of Vicksburg, allowed the Union to take control of the Mississippi River.