Siege of Vicksburg

On May 18, 1863, the Siege of Vicksburg, Mississippi began. From the article:

"Siege of Vicksburg
The Siege of Vicksburg (May 18, 1863-July 4, 1863) was a decisive Union victory during the American Civil War (1861-65) that divided the confederacy and cemented the reputation of Union General Ulysses S. Grant (1822-85). Union forces waged a campaign to take the Confederate stronghold of Vicksburg, Mississippi, which lay on the east bank of the Mississippi River, halfway between Memphis to the north and New Orleans to the south. The 47-day siege gave control of the Mississippi River to the Union, a critical supply line, and was part of the Union’s Anaconda Plan to cut off outside trade to the Confederacy.

How Did The Siege of Vicksburg Start?
Vicksburg was one of the Union Army’s most successful campaigns of the American Civil War. The Vicksburg campaign was also one of the longest. Although General Ulysses S. Grant’s first attempt to take the city failed in the winter of 1862-63, he renewed his efforts in the spring. Admiral David Porter (1813-91) had run his flotilla past the Vicksburg defenses in early May as Grant marched his army down the west bank of the river opposite Vicksburg, crossed back to Mississippi and drove toward Jackson. After defeating a Confederate force near Jackson, Grant turned back to Vicksburg. On May 16, he defeated a force under General John C. Pemberton (1814-81) at Champion Hill. Pemberton retreated back to Vicksburg, and Grant sealed the city by the end of May. In three weeks, Grant’s men marched 180 miles, won five battles and captured some 6,000 prisoners.

Siege of Vicksburg map
Terrain and Confederate fortifications around Vicksburg. Indicated are the locations of Union forces under Sherman, McPherson, McClernand, and Carr. Buyenlarge/Getty Images
Who Won The Battle of Vicksburg?
Grant made some attacks after bottling Vicksburg but found the Confederates well entrenched. Preparing for a long siege, his army constructed 15 miles of trenches and enclosed Pemberton’s force of 29,000 men inside the perimeter. It was only a matter of time before Grant, with 70,000 troops, captured Vicksburg. Attempts to rescue Pemberton and his force failed from both the east and west, and conditions for both military personnel and civilians deteriorated rapidly. Many residents moved to tunnels dug from the hillsides to escape the constant bombardments. Pemberton surrendered on July 4, 1863, and President Abraham Lincoln (1809-65) wrote that the Mississippi River “again goes unvexed to the sea.”

The town of Vicksburg would not celebrate the Fourth of July for 81 years."