Library of Congress
by Frank Kohl
In May of 1863, Ulysses S. Grant marched towards the final goal of his campaign: Vicksburg. Taking this Southern stronghold would allow the Union to control the Mississippi River and boost Northern morale. After a series of battles, Grant’s troops forced General Pemberton’s Confederate army to retreat into the defenses surrounding Vicksburg.
Vicksburg was well defended with rifle pits and fortifications as well as steep ravines that made it easy for Confederate forces to beat back Union assaults. Unable to force his army into the city, Grant ordered troops to prepare for a siege.
During the next two months, Union forces rained cannon fire down upon Vicksburg. The Confederates suffered in the unbearable summer heat and were forced to ration their few remaining supplies. Quickly, Union troops dug tunnels under the fortifications and detonated explosives that devastated the city. Still, the determined Confederate defenders held out.
The Confederates fought back. In the Battle of Milliken’s Bend, they were defeated by newly formed, minimally trained black regiments, many of which were formerly enslaved men from local plantations. Their victory was praised by Grant and President Lincoln and paved the way for the recruitment for the U.S. Colored Troops. This integration would later shape the policies and approaches to emancipation.
Fall of Vicksburg
Fearful of a final assault and close to starvation, Confederate Generals decided to hear out Grant’s terms of surrender. They rejected Grant’s first response of unconditional surrender. Realizing his army could not support prisoners, he offered to let Confederate soldiers go with signed promises that, until exchanged, they would stop fighting the Union.
With the fall of Vicksburg, the North gained unrestricted access to the Mississippi River and cut the Confederacy’s supply and communication lines, splitting the would-be nation. An ecstatic President Lincoln celebrated the victory after months of relative inaction and Grant was appointed Chief of Armies, giving him complete control over Union forces. Although the war lasted two more years, this division ultimately led to the Confederate’s downfall.
Vicksburg Today
Vicksburg National Military Park commemorates the campaign and siege. Here, visitors can walk or drive along historic trenches and earthworks and discover sites that impacted the assaults and siege. Visitors can also view over 1,300 historic monuments and markers, 144 historic cannons, and the USS Cairo Gunboat and Museum.
The Odyssey of Ulysses explores the saga of U. S. Grant from his first battle to his final resting place. For information on this Article Series project, contact us.
At the time of the Civil War, the Mississippi River was the single most important economic feature of the continent — the very lifeblood of America. Upon the secession of the southern states, the river was closed to unfettered navigation, threatening to strangle northern commercial interests.
President Abraham Lincoln told his civil and military leaders, "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.... We can take all the northern ports of the Confederacy, and they can defy us from Vicksburg." Lincoln assured his listeners that "I am acquainted with that region and know what I am talking about, and as valuable as New Orleans will be to us, Vicksburg will be more so."
The Vicksburg campaign was waged from March 29 to July 4, 1863. It involved over 100,000 troops engaging in battles in west-central Mississippi at Port Gibson, Raymond, Jackson, Champion Hill, Big Black River, and 47 days of Union siege operations against Confederate forces defending the city of Vicksburg. Located high on the bluffs, Vicksburg was a fortress guarding the Mississippi River, and known as "The Gibraltar of the Confederacy." Its surrender on July 4, 1863, coupled with the fall of Port Hudson, Louisiana, on July 9, divided the South, and gave the North undisputed control of the Mississippi River.
The fighitng was brutal. By the end of the siege on July 4, 1863, close to 20,000 Americans would fall as casualties. Heroics would not go unnoticed. 120 Medal of Honors would be bestowed upon Union troops by the conclusion of the siege, including 96 men who would receive the honor following their efforts to take the Confederate fortifications on May 22, 1863.
Order of Battle
The order of battle shows the hierarchical organization, command structure, strength, disposition of personnel, and the equipment of units and formations of Civil War armies. An order of battle may change as a engagement progresses, and most are finalized from the dispatches and memoirs of the commanding officers.
Alabama Troops
A list of Confederate units from Alabama that served during the Vicksburg campaign.
Arkansas Troops
A list of Confederate units from Arkansas that served during the Vicksburg campaign
Florida Troops
A list of Confederate units from Florida that served during the Vicksburg campaign.
Georgia Troops
A list of Confederate units from Georgia that served during the Vicksburg campaign.
Kentucky Troops
A list of Confederate units from Kentucky that served during the Vicksburg campaign.
Louisiana Troops
A list of Confederate units from Louisiana that served during the Vicksburg campaign.
Maryland Troops
A list of Confederate units from Maryland that served during the Vicksburg campaign.
Mississippi Troops
A list of Confederate units from Mississippi that served during the Vicksburg campaign.
Missouri Troops
A list of Confederate units from Missouri that served during the Vicksburg campaign.
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North Carolina Troops
A list of Confederate units from North Carolina that served during the Vicksburg campaign.
South Carolina Troops
A list of Confederate units from South Carolina that served during the Vicksburg campaign.
Tennessee Troops
A list of Confederate units from Tennessee that served during the Vicksburg campaign.
Texas Troops
A list of Confederate units from Texas that served during the Vicksburg campaign.
Virginia Troops
A list of Confederate units from Virginia that served during the Vicksburg campaign.
Alabama Troops
A list of Union units from Alabama that served during the Vicksburg campaign.
Arkansas Troops
A list of Union units from Arkansas that served during the Vicksburg campaign.
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Connecticut Troops
A list of Union units from Connecticut that served during the Vicksburg campaign.
Illinois Troops
A list of Union units from Illinois that served during the Vicksburg campaign.
Indiana Troops
A list of Union units from Indiana that served during the Vicksburg campaign.
Iowa Troops
A list of Union units from Iowa that served during the Vicksburg campaign.
Kansas Troops
A list of Union units from Kansas that served during the Vicksburg campaign.
Kentucky Troops
A list of Union units from Kentucky that served during the Vicksburg campaign.
Louisiana Troops
A list of Union units from Louisiana that served during the Vicksburg campaign.
Massachusetts Troops
A list of Union units from Massachusetts that served during the Vicksburg campaign.
Michigan Troops
A list of Union units from Michigan that served during the Vicksburg campaign.
Minnesota Troops
A list of Union units from Minnesota that served during the Vicksburg campaign.
Mississippi Troops
A list of Union units from Mississippi that served during the Vicksburg campaign.
Missouri Troops
A list of Union units from Missouri that served during the Vicksburg campaign.
New Hampshire Troops
A list of Union units from New Hampshire that served during the Vicksburg campaign.
New York Troops
A list of Union units from New York that served during the Vicksburg campaign.
Ohio Troops
A list of Union units from Ohio that served during the Vicksburg campaign.
Pennsylvania Troops
A list of Union units from Pennsylvania that served during the Vicksburg campaign.
Rhode Island Troops
A list of Union units from Rhode Island that served during the Vicksburg campaign.
Tennessee Troops
A list of Union units from Tennessee that served during the Vicksburg campaign.
West Virginia Troops
A list of Union units from West Virginia that served during the Vicksburg campaign.
Wisconsin Troops
A list of Union units from Wisconsin that served during the Vicksburg campaign.
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U.S. Navy
A list of United States Navy units that served during the Vicksburg campaign.