As a result of its critical location, Vicksburg unified the southern states. As long as the South held control of the Mississippi the southern states were not divided. Jefferson Davis described Vicksburg as, “"Vicksburg is the nail head that holds the South's two halves together” (Boundless, 2016). One of the main reasons the North wanted to siege Vicksburg was because they could cut the southern states down the middle, leaving Louisiana, Texas, and Arkansas separated from the rest of southern forces. Without unity of command, the South was left to a severe disadvantage. President Lincoln described Vicksburg as “See what a lot of land these fellows hold, of which Vicksburg is the key. The war can never be brought to a close until that key is in our pocket,” (Vicksburg Siege, n.d.). In order to hinder the unity of command the Vicksburg campaign was designed to shut off communication and supply with the rest of the Confederacy. Without communication with other Confederacy troops, no one was aware that there were troops trapped in Vicksburg. After gaining the control of Vicksburg, the North was able to further hinder the communication and unity of command between the southern states as they now were split down the middle. General Grant knew that when …show more content…
The Mississippi was the main supply route for southern troops at the time. Without control over the Mississippi, the South was unable to bring in food, supplies, and forces to support the war. During General Grants Siege confederate attempts to aid troops were unsuccessful as General Grant had completely cut off supply routes to the city by land and water. Economically, Vicksburg was one of the largest cities on the Mississippi making it a large area for trade vital to the southern economy. Not only was it crucial to military operations but civilian support of military operations as
Topic Paragraph: Did you know that the siege at Vicksburg was a major turning point in the war for the Union? In 1863 General Ulysses S. Grant would attack Vicksburg from the west side where there were no barriers. For more than six weeks, Grant laid siege on Vicksburg. Grant would block out the enemy so they could not escape and they were forced to surrender. Finally on July 4th, 1863 the confederates surrendered Vicksburg. Ulysses S. Grant would lead the Union army to victory at the Siege of Vicksburg. However, Grant attacked Vicksburg before and failed. The next time he attacked Vicksburg, he won. General John C. Pemberton would lead the confederates in the siege of Vicksburg. Pemberton
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.
In capturing Vicksburg, the Union had severed the Confederates into two halves entirely removing the Trans-Mississippi from the Confederate war effort. Removing the Trans-Mississippi from the war fatally crippled the South as the Trans-Mississippi had contained “nearly one million horses, 800,000 oxen, over 300,000 mules, and millions of cattle. The area was likewise a source of manpower. During the course of the war Texas furnished 58,000 men for Confederate armies, Louisiana provided 53,000, and Arkansas sent 45,000. Missouri and Indian Territory did not secede from the Union, but nonetheless sent 40,000 and 5,000 men, respectively, into rebel service.” (Prushankin, 2015). All of this and more, including huge quantities of molasses, cane sugar, sheep, oxen, cattle, mules, sweet potatoes, butter, wool, and salt, were transported through Vicksburg, until its surrender (Civil War Trust, n.d.). The capitulation of Vicksburg eliminated all of these supplies from the Southern war effort and wreaked havoc on the already struggling war machine of the South to provide food, arms and men to the army. Moreover, the loss of Vicksburg as an access route across the Mississippi cut off all of the Confederacy’s imports from Europe (Franklin, 2013). Routed through Mexico, European guns and machinery managed to partly offset the South's lack of industry and arms manufacturing businesses (Civil War Trust, n.d.). When this supply of new guns and machinery was ended, the South was forced to rely solely on its own insufficient manufacturing capabilities. The lack of new weapons and munitions factories would severely hinder the success of Southern armies as they struggled to keep their troops armed and ready to fight. Lastly, when the Union, by capturing Vicksburg, seized control of the Mississippi River or aptly called by biographer Lloyd Lewis “The spinal column of
Failure to attack would have been a marked change from the aggressive tactics used by Lee in the rest of the campaign and may have given McClellan the confidence to remain in Virginia, which would be a major blow to the Confederacy. The entire Army of Northern Virginia would be needed to contain these Union forces, and even on the coast the enemy was near Richmond, the heart of the Confederate cause. Any threat to Richmond had to be removed immediately as the fall of Richmond would act as a symbol for the fall of the Confederacy and would boost the willingness of the North to continue to prosecute the invasion of the Southern states. Given the lack of industry and manpower in the South, the best hope was simply to break the Union's will to fight since the Confederacy was incapable of sustaining war for as long as North. As if this blow would not be enough, a significant portion of the South's limited industry was located in Richmond (“Capital Cities of the Confederacy”). Already outmatched by the North, loss of this industrial base would prove nearly as devastating as the symbolical fall of the capital. Therefore, on an operational and
Grant’s successes in May of 1863 at Vicksburg, Mississippi, was very strategically sound. On May 1st, 1863, Ulysses S. Grant entered at the battle of Port Gibson by crossing the Mississippi River with his army. With Confederate forces not knowing his plans, Grant sent a group of his army under the command of General William T. Truman with the objective being to capture Jackson, Mississippi’s capital, while planning on obtaining Vicksburg in an attempt to permanently closing the Confederate supply base. When the first assaults on the city showed that Vicksburg had strong defenses, the Union army was forced to lay siege to the city. On July 4, 1863, after digging trenches and lobbing hand grenades for 46 days, Confederate
Vicksburg was a strategic point of the greatest importance. Situated on a high bluff overlooking a hairpin turn of the Mississippi River, it was known as the “Gibraltar of the Confederacy.” Confederate President Jefferson Davis called it the nail head that holds the South’s two
Grant’s and his armies worked together to take over Vicksburg. Through the months of May and June of 1863 and with his strategic military style, his armies took over the city and boxed in Lieutenant General John Pemberton Confederate army. Pemberton could do nothing so on
Commander asked Grant for terms and conditions of surrender. Grant demands unconditional surrender, but Pemberton refuses. Later Grant offers that instead of taking Pemberton army prisoners, he will release them and many will go home. They finally surrendered on July 4. After five days at Port Hudson, Louisiana, the last Confederate stronghold on the Mississippi, which split Confederacy into two. Wild Scott's Anaconda plan brought victory to the union after months of success. The Union army gain of the river Vicksburg Mississippi, therefore dividing confidence and ending with the surrender of General Pemberton. Ulysses S. Grant also union used total war to there advantage, which is the systematic structure of the entire land. This total warfare was considered similar to genocide. The battle was purely won on the basis of cruelty to the civilians and army men. Grant losses 10,000 killed wounded or missing, and many losses of Confederates too. Many Civilians were killed. But this battle was a turning point of the war, as Mississippi river was under control of Unions no Confederates were not able to send supplies across its width. Texas-Mexico border were the borders from where suppliers supplies and it was impossible for even French to cross the Mississippi River.
This complicated war full of bloodshed and death started merely by an assault of a Confederate left flank. Deemed the single most deadly day in American military history, the Union (who had more men) swept many attacks towards the Confederate army. Even though the South had more spirit and useful tactics the sheer numbers of the Union made this battle one to remember. They fought for many hours in Miller's cornfield to then make a last stand at Antietam Creek. With the only sign of cover being trees and the stone bridge which was worn by bullets and bodies you could tell this fight was going to be bad. The Union captured the bridge and with a final push and counter attack from another Union division the Union were victorious and were another
Thus, the Union's victory at Gettysburg was of utmost importance to prevent this possible domination that could have been gained by the Confederation, smashing the Confederacy's hope for a victory in the war. The battle of Vicksburg was important because it took place in Mississippi, and the Confederates used the river as their main source for supplies. If the Union could gain control of this river they would be able to stop the movement of supplies and weaken the South, and effectively split the Confederacy in half. Lincoln said: “Vicksburg is the key, the war can never be brought to a close until
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.
Grant began to make plans for a campaign against Vicksburg. The campaign in the American Civil War culminating in the surrender of Vicksburg, Mississippi. The Union forces under General Ulysses S. Grant on July 4, 1863. General Ulysses S. Grant with the largest force, about 67, 000 men. I was to guard rail communications and occupy towns in the Union. It held territory in the west, but he would concentrate on taking Vicksburg. Vicksburg is the last principal confederate bastion on the
"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.
On the eventual winning side, General Grant made advances across the James River of which General Lee was not ready for. “Grant and his men built a pontoon bridge more than 2,000 feet long to cross the river. Grant then took his men across the bridge and they marched on to Petersburg. Petersburg was a railroad center. I was connected by railroad to the capital of the Confederates, Richmond, Virginia. At Petersburg, Grant hoped to stop all the trains from going to Richmond and the rest of the South. He also hoped to prevent General Lee from receiving their supplies by train. At Petersburg, Grant was confronted by General Beauregard and his small army of men, who battled him and held him off until General Lee came along. General Grant decided the only way to win this battle was to have a siege” (The Civil War). This conflict put both sides in a
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.