Siege of Vicksburg
Warren County, Mississippi
What happened
Union General Ulysses S. Grant besieged the Confederate army of General John C. Pemberton in the city of Vicksburg, Mississippi. Vicksburg, high on bluffs above the Mississippi River, was the last major Confederate stronghold on the river, and President Lincoln called it 'the key to the war'. After two Union attacks failed in May 1863, Grant surrounded the city and settled in for a siege. For more than 40 days the city was shelled and running out of food, many residents lived in caves dug into the hillsides, and on July 4 Pemberton surrendered.
Why it matters
Result: Union victory. Leaders: Ulysses S. Grant against John C. Pemberton. Why it matters: The Union gained control of the Mississippi River, splitting the Confederacy in two. Coming one day after Gettysburg, many see it as a turning point of the war.
What came next
Port Hudson, the last Confederate fort on the river, surrendered on July 9, 1863. In 1864 Lincoln put Grant in command of all Union armies.
Did you know?
People in Vicksburg dug hundreds of caves into the hills to shelter from the shelling and called them 'bombproofs'.
Timeline
- May 18, 1863Grant's army reaches Vicksburg.
- July 4, 1863Pemberton surrenders Vicksburg.
- July 9, 1863Port Hudson surrenders, giving the Union the whole Mississippi.