The Battle of Vicksburg :: American America History

The Battle of siege of VicksburgThe accomplished War split our nation, Americans competitiveness Americans, brother against brother. The war lasted four vast years, a key battle fought westward was the turning point in the war the Battle of Vicksburg. Between Cairo, Illinois, and the Gulf of Mexico, the manuscript River twists and winds for nearly 1,000 miles. usually referred to as the trunk of the American tree. The river was vital to both the American government and to the helper forces in the west. The city of Vicksburg, Mississippi, 250 feet high, overlooks the Mississippi River on the Louisiana-Mississippi state b roll. Confederate forces mounted artillery batteries ready to challenge the passage of Union ships. Receiving withstand of Vicksburg and the Mississippi River was a huge benefit in the war. collectible to the Geographic location made it ideal for defense. Before the outbreak of the gracious War, Vicksburg, Mississippi had become single of the most prosperou s and sophisticated towns on the old southern frontier. The city was a booming center of trade, its wharves displace with boats carrying all manner of goods and commodities. It boasted a municipal orchestra, a Shakespeare repertory company, and an rattling(a) courthouse in the Greek revival style. To its proud citizens, Vicksburg was the Queen urban center of the Bluff and a center, as one of them wrote, of culture, education and luxury. All this was to win over with coming of the war. By early 1862 the peaceful town had become one of the most strategically important spots in the entire Confederacy- and would currently be one of the most bitterly fought over. From the beginning of the war in 1861, to protect their most prized possession, the Confederacy put up fortifications at strategic points along the river. Federal forces eventually captured post after post. After fighting their way southward from Illinois and northward from the Gulf of Mexico. Until by late spend of 1862, only Vicksburg and Port Hudson appeared to be major constraints to the Union. Of the two posts, Vicksburg was by far the strongest and most important. Setting high over feeling a bend in the river, protected by artillery and perilous swamps. So far the city had defied Union efforts to force it into submission. In order to protect the Mississippi Valley, Confederates established a line of defense, which ran from Columbus, Kentucky, overlooking the Mississippi River trough Bowling Green to Cumberland Gap where the bright flank was ensure on the mountains.