The Mississippi River.

President Lincoln ordered General Ulysses S. Grantand his army to capture Vicksburg.

The Union victory at Antietam, the bloodiest battle in US history, was such a decisive win that Lincoln felt inspired to sign the Emancipation Proclamation. This effectively prevented any assistance from Britain, whose workers were anti-slavery and France failed to offer assistance as well. Another decisive victory at Vicksburg spread panic in the south and many struggled to sell off their war bonds , believing defeat was inevitable.

Union Army of the Tennessee - Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant Union Navy - Rear Admiral David Dixon Porter Confederate Army of Mississippi - Lt. Gen. John C. Pemberton Confederate Department of the West - General Joseph E. Johnston. Confederate General Earl Van Dorn had a force in Mississippi early in the campaign.

General John C. Pemberton, commander of the Vicksburg garrison, last Confederate stronghold on the Mississippi.

Joseph E. Johnston, overall Confederate commander in the West.

Ulysses Grant, Union General charged with capturing Vicksburg.

W.T.Sherman, Grant's supporter and close friend.

John McClernand, a politician in uniform who had got secret permission from Lincoln to raise a private army and proceed down the Mississippi to take Vicksburg.

Vicksburg was not so much a battle as a siege. After cutting Vicksburg off from supplies and reinforcements, Grant starved them out, accompanied by constant artillery bombardment. Eventually the inhabitants starved and Pemberton had no choice but to surrender. With that, the Mississippi fell into Union hands, preventing its use for reinforcement and supply to the Southern states East of the Mississippi.

Grant did not become famous because of Vicksburg, but it certainly greatly enhanced his reputation.

Grant led the Army of the Tennessee.

Grant took the city after a six week siege.

Any siege is by its nature a strategy of Attrition. Grant's real stratagem was to cross the river below the city at an isolated point and encircle the city from the landward side, investing the city from an unexpected point; and even tough the initial assaults failed, the succeeding siege succeeded.

Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant

Union General US grant ringed the city of Vicksburg with 70,000 troops. The Federals also began digging approaches. As the siege dragged on, the defending soldiers had their rations cut by 75%. Both civilians and Rebel soldiers at Vicksburg held out as long as they could.

Vicksburg stood as a fortified artillery emplacement at a strategic location on the Mississippi River.

Vicksburg was important because it was the supply crossroads for the south. located on the Mississippi it was convenient to dropoff and pick up, supplies. It was also important to note that many supplies came thru Mexico. Taking vicks burg ended the war in the Mississippi region. Grant then was sent to lead the Northern forces thru the wilderness battles, since the North could not follow closely enough as the south exited Gettysburg to deliver a "knock out blow" lack of food and boots lead to the souths final surrender. too much gunpowder and bullets made it thru and no food.

After failing to take the city by assault, Grant marched his troops over difficult terrain and recrossed the river at a point out of sight of the Confederate guns. His troops encircled the city and cut it off from supplies and reinforcements. After two more failed assaults, Grant settled in for a siege, starving and bombarding Vicksburg into submission.

It was won by the United States, and lost by the Confederate States.

Vicksburg was the last Confederate stronghold on the Mississippi. Its loss ended the war in the West, and enabled Grant to proceed to Chattanooga and reinforce the Army of the Cumberland. It gave him high credibility, resulting in his appointment as General-in-Chief of the Union armies a few months later.

July 4th 1863

Arguably the most important Union victory of all.

It liberated the Mississippi, ending the war in the west, enabling Grant to go to the aid of the Army of the Cumberland in Chattanooga. It also gave Grant enough crdedibility to be promoted General-in-Chief a few months later.

The garrison commander, John C. Pemberton, would certainly like to have known the answer to that question, as he was at the mercy of conflicting orders. The Confederate president told him his orders were to hold the town at all costs, while his local area commander, Joseph E. Johnston, was urging him to evacuate the place and save his army.

On the Union side, it was a simpler matter. Grant's aim was simply to capture Vicksburg and liberate the Mississippi.

The North.

It was a key battle that ended the war in the West, and released Grant to go to the aid of the Army of the Cumberland at Chattanooga.

It was carried out under very difficult conditions and earned great credit for Grant.

This was a siege battle. Grant against Pemberton May to July 4th 1863. This prolonged siege included several attacks against the Confederated defenses. It also involved several attempts by General Grant to maneuver around the defenses to find a weaker point to attack. Grant sent an army down the Tallahatchie/Yazoo Rivers in order to attack from a different direction but this expedition was stopped at Fort Pemberton(now Greenwood). There were other plans and attempts that were unsuccessful.

The Union (under General George Meade) won, more or less, at Gettysburg. They were able to stop the southern invasion, but were not able to break up the Army of Northern Virginia.

The Union (under General Ulysses S Grant) won at Vicksburg. The same day that Lee decided to retreat from Gettysburg, July 4, 1863, the garrison at Vicksburg surrendered to Grant. This battle was a clear victory for the Union forces and was extremely important in the eventual victory of the war.

Yes, the Fourth Offensive (May 7 - July 4, 1863) against Vicksburg was a decisive Union Victory .

The first battles were the repulsed Union assaults over three days (May 19-22, 1863).

The total siege of the city continued for 1 month and 17 days (48 days), from May 18 to July 4, 1863.