Vicksburg Battle Analysis

The two battles that would weaken the South were the battles of Gettysburg and Vicksburg.

It can be debated where exactly the Union was able to claim its victory during the War Between the States. Most people could narrow the turning point in the war to Gettysburg and Vicksburg. The battle of Gettysburg was a very tragic loss for the South, but the battle at Vicksburg was the largest victory for the North. In this lone battle, the Union created an economic problem for the South. The Union Army’s troops, helped by gunboats and river ironclads took control over the Mississippi River. This action virtually split the Confederate territory in two while also seizing control over the South 's main artery of transport. When Vicksburg fell to Union troops on July 4, 1863, the Confederacy lost its last chance to control the Mississippi River.

The Civil war cut our nation in two, Americans fighting Americans, brother against brother. A key battle fought westward was the turning point in the war: the Battle of Vicksburg.

Vicksburg was an important position because it was the last confederate stronghold on the mississippi river. Once the union took control they decided what went from the west coast to the east coast. Lincoln in one of his speeches claimed that vicksburg was the key to winning the war. An important reason for the union gaining Vicksburg was on how it split the confederacy. After General pemberton lost the battle of vicksburg's the south's army didn't trust him to be in a leadership position. Once the confederacy was split

In the beginning of the campaign to Vicksburg, the Union wants to control all the Mississippi river so they could divide the Confederacy in half so supplies could not go to or come from the western states. The Union could also us control of the river to send supplies to the northern states along the Mississippi river. The union’s strategy in this campaign was superior to the Confederate strategy.

The geography of the North destroyed the chances that the South had of winning. The number of casualties for the South was about the same as the North, but it affected the South way more because they had a way smaller amount of men. As a result, the south lost all of its morale and confidence in winning this war. Both armies, exhausted, held their positions until the night of July 4, when Lee withdrew. The Battle of Gettysburg was the turning point in the Civil War, costing the Union 23,000 killed, wounded, or missing in action. The Confederates suffered 25,000 casualties. The South had won most battles before the Battle of Gettysburg because they were fought in the South. Unfortunately, for the South, the Battle of Gettysburg was fought in the North and the North's geography was totally different from what they are accustomed to. Robert E. Lee wrote letters to Jefferson Davis saying he cannot fulfill his position as General. He states, “I cannot even accomplish what I myself desire. How can I fulfill the expectations of others?...”(Document C) His morale and confidence in these letters have been diminished. Abraham Lincoln on the other hand wrote the Gettysburg address. This speech made the south lose more of its morale and hope in the war. h In this speech he gave a new meaning to the war. The Battle of Gettysburg was a major turning point in the Civil War due to geography,

The Confederate army surrendered at the battle of Vicksburg on July 4th 1863. They were sad and ashamed after prolonged violent attacks. This was the end of one of the most brilliant military campaigns of the war. The sad loss of Pemberton's army and the stronghold in Vicksburg on the mighty Mississippi River was very effective in splitting the Confederacy in half.

Sadly the Civil War divided our young nation, this time we weren 't fighting another country for our freedom. We were fighting now fighting amongst ourselves--all Americans!!!! The potential to ruin our own nation from within was a distinct possibility. This was brother against brother-families divided. The Civil War lasted four years, 1861 to 1865.

"When New Orleans fell in the spring of 1862, the triumvirate Vicksburg, Grand Gulf and Port Hudson was destined to become the last obstacle to the total Federal control of the Mississippi." Abraham Lincoln thought Vicksburg was 'the key,' so Vicksburg was the focal point of Union strategy. Obviously, Vicksburg was one of the most important objectives of the Union army. General Ulysses S. Grant was placed in charge of the Vicksburg campaign. He was an exceptional strategist and arguably one of the best generals this country has ever seen.

It can be said that the South began the Civil War from a winning position. They had declared their independence, formed their own country and government, and they needed only to keep what they already had. But this was a monumental task as the government was required to protect every inch of land within the Confederacy. As a new country, the Confederacy needed to demonstrate the ability to defend its own territory from external threat. Without this ability, the Confederacy could never receive the international recognition and support it needed to survive. Aside from this reason, the South also needed to protect the institution of slavery from outside interference. If the Northern armies took control of a particular Southern area, the Confederates felt that they would free all the slaves, thus destroying the entire structure of society and its economic value. Because of this, Jefferson Davis was forced to devise a flawed war strategy which attempted to preserve the entire Confederacy at the cost of concentrating his forces.

To really understand the battles of the Civil War I had to go outside the textbook. The Battle of Vicksburg or Siege of Vicksburg was a key turning point in the war. Grant’s armies converged on Vicksburg in May 1863 (“Vicksburg”, 3). Grant decided to lay siege to Vicksburg after his heavy losses during the attacks on the stronghold (3). Grants army surrounded the city cutting off access for 47 days (3). On July 4 the confederate army surrendered. The Mississippi river was now open to the Union. Grant was appointed the General of the Union Army by Lincoln.

Many Americans thought that the Civil War would end quickly. The division in the country would eventually be mended through the swift destruction of the opposing force. However, when the battles started raging, those Americans came to the realization that this war would be long and brutal. There was great uncertainty to who would win this war because the strengths and weaknesses of each side. However, there were many decisive victories that would affect the length and victor of the war. The Capture of New Orleans was one of those decisive battles for the Union Army. Through the Capture of New Orleans, the Union army was able to take away the most important city to the Confederacy, severely disrupting the flow of resources and losing control

It is our duty, as soon to be Second Lieutenants in the Army, to learn from history. Learning from mistakes in the past is necessary to understand the responsibilities we will soon have. The Battle of Gettysburg shows prime examples of the nine principles of war: Objective, Offensive, Mass, Economy of Force, Maneuver, Unity of Command, Security, Surprise and Simplicity. In the military today, we are overwhelmingly blessed with every asset that we have including technology and monetary resources the list could go on forever but the most invaluable asset is history. Although all nine principles of war are pertinent to success on the battlefield, only five will be discussed in this analysis.

During the American Revolution, the Americans and French (Franco-American coalition) fought the British at the Battle of Yorktown also known as “The Siege of Yorktown”. The Americans and the French fielded a combined force of roughly 16,000 soldiers to defeat the British force estimated at 7,000 soldiers. American General George Washington and French Lieutenant General de Rochambeau led the American and French soldiers. The British commanding officer was Major General Lord Cornwallis. The battle occurred from September 28 thru October 19, 1781. Cornwallis lost his dominance in the Carolinas and decided to march his army north to Virginia and seize Yorktown and Gloucester along the York River.

This paper will examine the Battle of Fredericksburg through the research of analytical papers, historical articles and technical reports by conducting the four steps of battle analysis. It will analyze the effects of the use and dismissal of intelligence assets and disciplines when applied to the planning of a territorial battle campaign. Using terrain analysis it will discuss how the choice of advantageous terrain can sway the outcome of a battle. It will also discuss how timing and momentum can be critical to our overall military planning. Finally, it will present an alternative outcome to the battle by establishing the utilization of intelligence assets available to both commanding generals and how altering critical decision points would have presented a significantly different result.