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…”