battle for the muddy mississippi :: essays research papers

Battle for the Muddy Mississippi"Take suppress" This phrase was used daily as the citizens of Vicksburg scattered from the rain of mortars by Union guns. Vicksburg, Mississippi is a city in the heartland of the secret South. It sits on high bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River near the mouth of the Yazoo River. colonized in 1790, Vicksburg was and is an important get polish offping and trading center (Leonard 40). During the courtly War, Vicksburg was a key factor in the control of the entire Mississippi River. After the surrender of Natchez, Baton Rouge, and New Orleans, the Union precious Vicksburg. The city wouldnt go easy. "Mississippians dont know, and refuse to learn how to surrender"(Ward 420). Confederates fortified it with guns and study artillery to keep the city out of the Unions hands. The Union knew it wasnt going to be easy. In the siege of Vicksburg, Farragut tried to take the city, Grant took over, and he seized the city. familiar Farragut, a Union general, reaches Vicksburg on May 26, 1862. His ships fired 20 shots and continued down stream. The following day Farragut returned and bombarded the city for 12 hours (Miles 194). The civilians go away to live in the country until things calmed down (Foote 395). Van Dorn, leader of demurrer for Vicksburg, sent the "Arkansas" to Vicksburg. The "Arkansas" destroyed three warships for an estimated loss of $3,000,000 (Foote 386). The ship was later grounded and her own crew destroyed her (Miles 224). The process of trying to stretch out past Vicksburgs guns became too difficult. The Union tried to build canals to bypass the city. Farragut started a canal across a peninsula north of Vicksburg that would return to the river 10 miles past the city but his attempts failed (Miles 202). He finally withdrew from Vicksburg and headed southeastern to Baton Rouge (Miles 229). In October of 1862 the commander of Tennessee was brought in to clear the Confederates off th eir turf. Ulysses S. Grant replaced Farragut to finish what he started. Gen. Pemberton was brought in to lead in Vicksburgs defenses. Gen. Pemberton raise many of the defenses inadequate and replaces cannon, rebuilds forts, and placed them in more effective locations (Miles 283). study Sam Lockett was chief engineer under Pemberton. He worked on the layout of the forts. The chief(prenominal) forts protected the entrances of the 6 main roads entering the city.