THE BATTLE FOR VICKSBURG “Vicksburg is the key!” –President Abraham Lincoln
Jan 18, 2016
THE BATTLE FOR VICKSBURG
“Vicksburg is the key!” –President Abraham Lincoln
OVERVIEW
The war in the West was fought at the same time at the war in the East
East = Virginia, Maryland, PennsylvaniaWest = Tennessee, Louisiana, Arkansas, Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, North and South Carolina, and Texas
The Union plan was to take control of the Mississippi River…
WHY WOULD THE UNION WANT CONTROL OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER?
DAVID FARRAGUT AND NEW ORLEANS
April of 1862, 700 men and 18 ships set out to take New Orleans for the Union
Led by David Farragut , these men battled their way past Fort Jackson and Fort St. Phillip
By April 29th Farragut had subdued New Orleans, but most of the Confederate military and supplies had been sent to Vicksburg already
DAVID FARRAGUT
ULYSSES S. GRANT
MAP OF VICKSBURG
QUICK FACTS
In early May of 1862, Farragut approached the city of Vicksburg, Mississippi.
By the middle of May Grant’s troops had laid siege to the city.
Life in the city soon became difficult. Food and medicine began to run out.
IRONCLADS WERE USED TO SUPPORT THE SIEGE
UNION TROOPS SURROUNDED THE CITY
OVER 500 “CAVE HOMES” WERE DUG…
THE CIVILIANS SUFFERED AS MUCH AS THE SOLDIERS
QUICK FACTS PT.2
Hunger and disease were rampant; horses, dogs and rats became food
The Confederate soldiers threatened to mutiny
Vicksburg surrendered on July 4th, 1863(10 months after Antietam)
COOL DOWN
“When we moved to the caves, I brought…”
“Today I saw some soldiers who were…”
“Tonight for dinner I had…”