Vicksburg, MS

[Siege of Vicksburg, by Kurz and Allison - Courtesy of Wikipedia]

Date(s): May 18-July 4, 1863

Location: Please click on link below for map.

Campaign(s): Grant’s Operations against Vicksburg (1863)

Battles in Campaign:

• Grand Gulf, MS - April 29, 1863 C

• Snyder's Bluff, MS - April 29-May 1, 1863 D¹

• Jackson, MS - May 14, 1863 B

• Port Gibson, MS - May 1, 1863 B

• Raymond, MS - May 12, 1863 B

• Champion Hill, MS - May 16, 1863 A

• Big Black River Bridge, MS - May 17, 1863 B

• Vicksburg, MS - May 18-July 4, 1863 A

• Milliken's Bend, LA - June 7, 1863 C¹

• Goodrich's Landing, LA - June 29–30, 1863 D¹

• Helena, AR - July 4, 1863 B

Situation:

Commanders:

• Union: Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant

• Confederate: Lt. Gen. John C. Pemberton

Principal Forces:

• Union: Army of the Tennessee

• Confederate: Army of Vicksburg

Description:

• In May and June of 1863, Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant’s armies converged on Vicksburg, investing the city and entrapping a Confederate army under Lt. Gen. John Pemberton.

• On July 4th, Vicksburg surrendered after prolonged siege operations.

• This was the culmination of one of the most brilliant military campaigns of the war.

• With the loss of Pemberton’s army and this vital stronghold on the Mississippi, the Confederacy was effectively split in half.

• Grant's successes in the West boosted his reputation, leading ultimately to his appointment as General-in-Chief of the Union armies.

Photo Gallery:²

Navy Circle	View of bridge over Mississippi from Navy Circle	U.S. Battery Benton	U.S. Battery Benton
View of bridge over Mississippi from Navy Circle	Minnesota State Memorial
Union 6th and 12th Batteries Monument	Michigan State Monument	Monument to Yost's Ohio artillery battery	32nd Ohio Infantry 17th Corps.
Union Battery DeGolyer It contained the largest concentration of cannon (22) in the union siege lines.	Union Battery DeGolyer It was named after its commander, Capt. Samuel Degolyer, who was mortally wounded during the siege. Battery Degolyer faces the Great Redoubt, a Confederate fortification constructed to guard the Jackson Road entrance to the city.	Illinois Century Monument	Illinois Century Monument
Inside the Illinois Century Monument	Inside the Illinois Century Monument	Shirley House	Cap. Andrew Hickenlooper - Fifth Ohio Battery
Third Louisiana Redan	The Mine Explosion Union mine reached 40 feet under the redan.		Wisconsin State Monument
Wisconsin State Monument	Union Soldier - Wisconsin State Memorial	Under Fire - Wisconsin State Memorial	Union trench
		Ohio Infantry Monument	African American Monument
African American Monument	African American Monument	Pennsylvania Century Monument	Pennsylvania Century Monument
Rhode Island State Memorial	Grant Headquarters Monument - General U. S. Grant Memorial	Grant Headquarters Monument - General U. S. Grant Memorial	Massachusetts Memorial
Massachusetts Memorial	4th Ohio Artillery Battery 1st Division 15th Corps	Marker describing trench used in Thayer's approach	U. S. Navy Memorial
Admiral David Dixon Porter - U. S. Navy Memorial	Tennessee Heavy Artillery of Johnston's Company of the Army of Vicksburg	14th Mississippi Light Artillery	View of Mississippi River from Confederate artillery battery
Missouri Monument	Missouri Monument	Marker indicating Confederate line manned by troops from Mississippi and Arkansas
Confederate Brig. Gen. Lloyd Tilghman Monument	Louisiana State Memorial	Mississippi Monument	Mississippi Monument
Mississippi Monument	Mississippi Monument		Confederate President Jefferson Davis Monument
Texas Monument	Alabama Monument	Confederate Brig. Gen. Isham Warren Garrott
	Union Approach Trenches	Gov. Oliver Perry Morton - Indiana Monument
Iowa Century Monument	Iowa Century Monument	Union Maj. Gen. John A. McClernand Monument

Please see the National Park Service State Memorials for a complete list of monuments and pictures.

Please see the National Park Service On-line Tour. 

Classification³: A

Casualties⁴:

• Union: 10,142  

• Confederate: 9,091

Results: Union Victory

Battlefield Websites:

• Vicksburg National Memorial Park - National Park Service

• Battle of Vicksburg - Wikipedia

• Vicksburg: The Battle for Control of The Mississippi River - HistoryAnimated.com

Recommended Resources:

¹ National Park Service summary.

² Please click on the image to enlarge it. You may copy the images if you include the following note and link with each image: "Courtesy of civil-war-journeys.org."

³ Classification:

• A - having a decisive influence on a campaign and a direct impact on the course of the war

• B - having a direct and decisive influence on their campaign

• C - having observable influence on the outcome of a campaign

• D - having a limited influence on the outcome of their campaign or operation but achieving or affecting important local objectives

⁴ Casualties are someone killed, injured, wounded, captured or missing.

Revised 08/02/2008