Tag Archives: Civil war

83-Vicksburg MS

Vicksburg – a key Mississippi port during the Civil War

We visited Vicksburg as it was another major battle site in the Civil War.  Vicksburg is situated at what was then a sharp curve of the Mississippi River (the river has since changed course and mostly bypasses the town) with high bluffs overlooking both the river and the surrounding countryside.  Ravines and ridges made natural fortifications.

The Confederate commanders knew that Vicksburg would be a major site during the war – the Union’s intention was to occupy the entire length of the Mississippi River, effectively cutting the south into two halves.  So, they built up the natural fortifications by moving vast amounts of earth to create steeper slopes and higher ridges, and also put large branches of trees on those steep slopes to further confound any troops trying to scale them.

The Union attempted several times to break into the city, but the natural and man-made fortifications repulsed them each time.  So, they decided on a seige instead.  The Union held the river and surrounded the city, not allowing any supplies to come in and constantly bombarding the city with cannon and gunfire.  After 47 days the Confederate army surrendered the city.

Several ships built as “ironsides” ships were involved in the battles and seige.  One, the Cairo, was sunk in the river where it sat for 102 years before being raised and partially restored.  This ship is on display and it was very interesting to see the design of the ship and the artifacts that were recovered.  The crew abandoned ship very quickly as it was sinking, but no crew died during the evacuation.

Here are pictures:

 

82-Shiloh TN

Shiloh and Corinth – two Civil War battles

Jeff loves the history of the Civil War, so we’ve see several Civil War battlefields this year.  At Shiloh we saw a fairly small area that was the scene of a very bloody and desperate battle in the spring of 1862.

General Grant and his army were marching south with the intended destination being the Mississippi river port of Vicksburg.  While near Shiloh, in southwestern Tennessee, he was given orders to stop in the area and wait for General Buell and his army to arrive, then they would continue their southward march together.  Grant was ordered to NOT engage the enemy while waiting for Buell.

But, the confederates learned that Grant was in the area, having landed with his troops at the Pittsburg Landing of the Tennessee River.  The confederates also learned that there was another army on the way to meet Grant.  They decided they needed to attack before the second army arrived and drive Grant and his army into the swamps to the northwest where they could be defeated.

The battle started near a small log church called Shiloh and lasted 3 long days.  The number of dead and wounded from both sides was staggering – higher than the number of casualties for all previous wars that the U.S. had participated in altogether!

It seemed for a while that the confederates would win the battle, but Buell’s troops arrived in time to assist, and the confederates lost this battle.  Grant and his army continued the march south, where they next intended to take the railroad junction at Corinth which would cut the supply line to the confederate army.

At Shiloh there was an auto tour that we drove, to see the different areas where the armies fought and to see the monuments and descriptive plackards that were placed in various places.

We also visited Corinth which is not far away.  The battle at Corinth was a different story altogether.  As the Union army approached the confederate general knew there was no way he could win – they were vastly outnumbered and his men were sick with disease.  So, he pulled out.  The Union army occupied the town for several months.  In October of that year the confederates under the command of General Van Horn decided it was time to get the crucial railroad junction back, so they attacked.  They were repulsed, however, after visious fighting.  The Confederate army left, the Union army remained, and the townspeople had to deal with the large numbers of confederate dead and wounded.  One woman wrote in her journal that every home was crowded with wounded laying the floors in every room, sometimes so thick you couldn’t walk without stepping on them.

Right in the area where the battle of Shiloh was held, there were several Indian mounds from a previous civilization.  We were able to walk up to the top of one mound that overlooked the Tennessee River, and learned a little about the culture that thrived there for hundreds of years before white man arrived.

Here are pictures: