siege siege july final major military action american civil war series maneuvers crossed mississippi_river drove led defensive lines surrounding fortress city mississippi major confederate stronghold mississippi_river capturing completed second northern strategy major assaults confederate fortifications repulsed heavy casualties grant decided city beginning reinforcement supplies nearly gone holding days garrison finally surrendered july successful ending significantly degraded ability confederacy maintain war effort described aftermath section campaign article historians suggest decisive battle campaign actually won grant victory subsequent siege conclusion action combined surrender port hudson july yielded command mississippi_river union forces hold rest conflict confederate surrender july following siege considered combined defeat retreat beginning day turning point war cut states arkansas louisiana texas rest confederacy communication confederate forces remainder war background military situation crossing mississippi_river south driving northeast grant won battles port gibson captured jackson mississippi state capital forcing withdraw westward attempts stop union advance champion hill unsuccessful knew corps preparing flank north choice withdraw burned bridges took edible path animal plant retreated fortified city evacuated occupied cavalry union longer run guns able dock dozens grant receive supplies directly previous route ran louisiana river crossing grand gulf north quarters army lost preceding battles expected general command relieve city large masses union troops march invest city repairing burnt bridges grant forces crossed sent note general asking sacrifice city save troops birth probably influenced fear public condemnation abandoned trying insisted port hudson held thought places worthless militarily caught middle victim convoluted command system think clearly chose army evacuate city head north escaped campaign chose army sealed fate troops city determined defend opposing forces union army tennessee brought corps siege detachment confederate inside line consisted divisions defenses confederate forces approached troops lines grant way advantage terrain fortifications defense nearly defensive line ran approximately miles based terrain varying elevations included hills steep angles attacker ascend fire perimeter included gun pits forts trenches major fortifications line included high bluff north city dominating approach city graveyard road northeast 3rd louisiana great protecting gap railroad line entering city square fort hall ferry road assaults grant wanted fully organize defenses ordered immediate assault troops corps difficult time approaching position rifle artillery fire brig brigade negotiate steep protected cross foot deep foot wide ditch attacking foot high walls attempt easily repulsed grant ordered artillery bombardment defenses division tried small number men able advance far ditch assault collapsed melee rifle fire hand grenades forth failed federal assaults damaged union morale confidence soldiers felt string victories mississippi costly casualties killed wounded missing versus confederate casualties killed wounded assumed regained fighting edge grant planned assault time greater care thoroughly defenses artillery naval gunfire lead units supplied ascend fortification walls grant want long siege attack entire army wide despite bloody union troops high spirits fed provisions seeing grant pass soldier commented soon union troops vicinity union served beans coffee night expected fall day union forces bombarded city night artillery pieces naval gunfire fleet river causing little property damage damaged confederate civilian morale morning defenders bombarded hours union attacked mile attacked graveyard road volunteers nicknamed hope detachment leading way followed divisions blair brig arranged long column regiments hoping achieve breakthrough concentrating mass narrow driven face heavy rifle fire blair brigades far ridge yards green southern edge poured heavy fire confederate position avail division waiting turn advance opportunity forward far right division brig spent morning attempting position mint spring corps assigned attack center jackson road right flank brigade brig advanced yards confederate line halted avoid dangerous flanking fire green left flank division assigned assault 3rd louisiana great brigade brig far slope grenades dark recalled brig brigade advanced columns attack failed found short scale fortification brig division advanced yards halted hours generals engaged confused discussions union left corps moved baldwin ferry road division brig assigned capture railroad 2nd texas division brig assigned square fort men achieved small breakthrough 2nd texas requested reinforcements clear breakthrough forthcoming advances failures grant received message stated heavily engaged reinforced requested diversion right corps grant initially refused request telling use reserve forces assistance grant mistakenly impression lightly engaged heavily reverse true followed message partially misleading implying captured forts stars stripes flying push line achieve victory union_army grant showed dispatch ordered corps advance grant ordered send division aid ordered assaults ransom moved repulsed immediately division suffered casualties aborted advance told murder order troops time division finally position right gave order charge 26th louisiana success assaults sector logan division thrust jackson road met heavy losses attack called attacked reinforced division success union casualties killed wounded missing evenly divided corps confederate casualties reported directly estimated grant blamed misleading dispatches poor results day storing political general caused campaign siege wrote grant regret having assaults regretted failed grant reluctantly settled siege col issued special orders grant corps commanders immediately commence work reducing enemy regular approaches desirable loss life shall sustained reduction capture garrison advantage taken natural ground gain positions start mines trenches advance batteries grant wrote memoirs determined regular siege camp enemy losses federal troops began dig constructing elaborate soldiers time referred ditches surrounded city moved closer closer confederate fortifications backs mississippi union firing river confederate soldiers citizens alike trapped determined hold miles mississippi long possible hoping relief new problem confronted dead wounded grant army lay heat mississippi summer odor deceased men horses air wounded crying medical help water grant refused request truce thinking weakness finally relented held fire union recovered wounded dead soldiers sides trading hostilities existed moment truce grant army began fill mile ring short time clear union soldiers able effect complete confederate defenses outlook escape roads leading south federal troops grant found help union general chief quickly began shift union troops west meet grant needs reinforcements arrive siege lines man division june troops remnants attached corps took position far south came division detachment led brig june assembled troops nearby posts memphis final significant group reinforcements join man strong led arriving june arrival grant men effort cut grant supply line louisiana major general attacked bend mississippi june mainly defended colored troops fought inferior weaponry finally fought rebels help horrible cost defenders lost confederate loss bend left hope relief cautious boxed lots munitions little food poor diet showing confederate soldiers end june half sick hospitalized malaria diseases cut ranks city resident stay night soldiers vegetable garden constant bother loss food siege wore fewer fewer horses dogs seen wandering shoe leather resort adults siege union shells town army artillery fire heavier continued suitable housing reduced minimum ridge located main town rebel defense line provided diverse lodging duration caves known locally dug yellow clay hills houses structurally sound deemed safer occupy people best comfortable furniture pictures tried time movements foraging rhythm unsuccessfully citizens union soldiers gave town nickname prairie dog village despite union fire town fewer dozen civilians known killed entire siege command changes grant actions siege settle lingering rivalry general wrote self note troops claiming credit soon victory grant waiting months slip clashed early campaign received permission relieve january waited grant finally relieved june prepared action left turned recovered wound sustained restored command remote texas command change occurred june addition grant concerned confederate forces rear command stationed division vicinity far north act covering force june transferred grant command corps nucleus special task force mission prevent gathering forces interfering siege given command task force brig replaced began moving relieve reached july delayed potentially difficult encounter late garrison fell jackson eventually pursue capture jackson july louisiana operations siege union confederate forces kept busy supporting role louisiana mississippi_river commander received telegraph requesting movement grant communication lines mississippi_river grant established important supply depots bend young point smith jurisdiction smith failed recognize importance situation june smith finally decided action request directing favor garrison taylor commanded developed campaign grant supply depots taylor assaults defeated bend battle young point response growing confederate activity area grant decided dispatch troops trenches river presence confederate division louisiana particular concern presence possibly aid confederate escape brig brigade corps ordered vicinity bend cooperate walker division stationed vicinity richmond louisiana richmond happened important supply line providing food louisiana june defeated walker destroyed richmond louisiana men returned constructed artillery battery targeting iron spent union artillery shells construction begun june placed pounder rifle railroad iron targeted destroyed june day second gun added battery continued harass defenders garrison surrender additional confederate activity louisiana occurred june landing attacked plantation army training center run slaves destroyed plantations captured slaves face marines confederate raids caused damage minor setbacks showed cause disturbances area crater 3rd louisiana late siege union troops 3rd louisiana packed pounds gunpowder explosion blew apart confederate lines june infantry attack troops logan division followed blast known lead regiment col charged foot diameter foot deep crater ease stopped recovering confederate infantry union soldiers pinned defenders rolled artillery shells short pit deadly results union engineers worked set crater order infantry soon soldiers fell new defensive line crater left explosion june union miners worked dig new south july detonated infantry attack followed pioneers worked july widen initial crater large infantry column pass future anticipated assaults events following day need assaults surrender aftermath july sent note grant fort demanded surrender grant wanting feed hungry union prison camps offered parole prisoners considering state expected fight hoped carry home stigma defeat rest confederacy event occupied army taken months ship prisoners north men july exchanged received august mobile harbor alabama tennessee september fought battles november invasion georgia confederate government protested validity technical grounds issue referred grant april general chief army dispute effectively ended prisoner exchanges war cases surrender old oak tree historical event personal memoirs grant described fate tree short time body root limb disappeared fragments taken trophies tree furnished wood shape trophies surrender finalized july independence day day hoped bring sympathetic terms united_states continued minor actions fortress city fallen surrender port hudson july mississippi_river firmly union hands confederacy split president lincoln famously announced father waters goes sea union casualties battle siege confederate surrendered campaign march claimed union confederate killed wounded addition surrendered men turned grant cannons rifles legacy folk tradition holds fourth july independence day holiday celebrated world war claim false large independence day celebrations held early battlefield preservation works maintained national_park_service park located mississippi delta louisiana flanking mississippi_river commemorates greater led battle reconstructed forts trenches evoke memories day siege ended surrender city victory port hudson farther south louisiana gave union control mississippi_river park includes historic monuments markers miles historic trenches earthworks mile tour road mile walking trail homes cannons restored sunk december grant canal site union_army attempted build canal let ships bypass confederate artillery fire memoirs primary sources isbn war rebellion compilation official records union confederate armies washington resources
Siege of Vicksburg