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Home , Lunette (fortification), May 19

Vicksburg NATIONAL MILITARY PARK • MISSISSIPPI

"Vicksburg is the key.... The war can never be to reduce Vicksburg, but once again Union at­ On 14, the Federals took Jackson, scat­ brought to a close until that key is in our tempts met with failure. tering the defenders. Grant then turned his pocket." A. Lincoln army west. Pemberton, meanwhile, brought his By the spring of 1863 three courses of action field army east from Vicksburg. On , were open to Grant. With Memphis as a base, the two forces clashed at Champion Hill. Af­ he could advance southward into Mississippi, ter this hotly contested battle, and one on the On 4, 1863, Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant put using the railroads to supply his army and in­ following day at Big Black Bridge, Pemberton's the key In President Lincoln's pocket. Vicksburg vest Vicksburg from the east. Secondly, he army fell back to Vicksburg's defensive works. fell, and 5 days later Port Hudson surrendered, could attack Vicksburg from directly across On , leading elements of Grant's army giving Union forces control of the Mississippi. the river. Or, he could down the west were approaching the bristling Confederate This victory came because of the type of war bank, cross well below Vicksburg, and then defense line. Grant chose to fight in the West, as opposed to swing into position to attack from the south. warfare back East where thousands of soldiers He had to choose the method that would buy Believing that Southern morale had deterio­ moved back and forth between Washington and victory at the lowest cost in Northern lives. rated. Grant immediately assaulted the city. Richmond, striking no decisive blows. Direct attack against Vicksburg would probably The first attack, on May 19, failed, as bring military disaster, and withdrawal toward did the second assault 3 days later on the sec­ Memphis would look like a Northern retreat. tor between the 26th Louisiana and Grant's western campaign was more aggressive, Grant chose to strike the city from the south Fort Garrott. more intense, and broader in scope than any in after the march downriver. the war up to that time. Massive movements Realizing it was useless to expend further lives took Federal armies deep into the Southern It was an important and difficult choice for in attempts to take the city by frontal assault. heartland, opening the Mississippi and cutting Grant. It meant exposing his army to possible Grant decided to capture the stronghold by the Confederacy in two. Northern forces rolled destruction if the Confederates checked his . Union engineers drove 13 approach southward in 1862 and captured Forts Henry advance out of the bridgehead. But, Grant re­ trenches toward their adversaries' works, seek­ and Donelson. After the savage fighting at Shi- called, the move was "eminently successful." ing to mine and blow up key points of the Con­ loh in , they closed in on Memphis and federate line. Heavy columns of Union infantry Corinth. Huge amphibious operations moved The Federals marched down the west bank of waited to storm through the gaps. Union forces up the Tennessee and Cumberland the river until they were opposite Bruinsburg, Rivers and down the Mississippi. The Union well below Vicksburg. Here, Grant's men The Federals exploded only two mines, both un­ aim of dividing the Confederacy along the "Fa­ crossed the river on , establishing a der the 3d Louisiana . The only attack- ther of Waters" appeared to be moving rapidly bridgehead on the Mississippi side, but encoun­ after the first explosion—failed. toward success. tering stout resistance from elements of Lt. Gen. John C. Pemberton's Confederate forces Still, time was running out for the beleagured Union seagoing vessels gave the North control near Port Gibson. By , Grant was ready defenders. Supplies were short. No assistance of the lower Mississippi, as New Orleans, Baton to push inland. came from other Confederate forces. On , As the Nation's principal conservation agency, Rouge, and Natchez fell in April and May 1862. Grant demanded unconditional surrender; Pem­ the Department of the Interior has basic respon- Although the Federals controlled most of the His aims were simple. He wanted to capture berton refused. Grant then proposed more lib­ sibilities for water, fish, wildlife, mineral, land, river, the Confederates occupied strong de­ Vicksburg and destroy the army garrisoning the eral terms, and on , the Confederates park, and recreational resources. Indian and Ter­ fenses on the banks, attempting to deny the city's defenses. Grant changed his plan. Instead surrendered. ritorial affairs are other major concerns of river to the Federal warships that could inter­ of marching north he would drive northeast to America's "Department of Natural Resources." rupt Confederate communications. Vicksburg cut the railroad between Jackson and Vicks­ The Department works to assure the wisest was the strongest and most important of these. burg. Then he would pivot and strike the town ADMINISTRATION choice in managing all our resources so each Situated on a high bluff overlooking the mighty from the east. will make its full contribution to a better United Mississippi, Confederate big guns above and Vicksburg National Military Park and Cemetery States —now and in the future. below the city controlled the river. Stiff resistance at Raymond on con­ are administered by the National Park Service, vinced Grant that a strong Confederate force U.S. Department of the Interior. The Union Navy's oceangoing vessels and river had concentrated at Jackson, the State capital. ironclads failed to take Vicksburg in the sum­ He now changed his immediate objective and A superintendent, whose address is Box 349, U. S. Department of the Interior mer of 1862. During the winter,Grant conduct­ decided to destroy this Southern force before Vicksburg, Miss. 39180, is in immediate charge National Park Service ed a series of land and amphibious movements attacking Vicksburg. of both park and cemetery. A TOUR OF THE BATTLEFIELD

We suggest that you begin the tour at the visitor 8. National Cemetery. The final resting place center. for almost 17,000 Union soldiers, of whom about 13,000 are unknown. Many Confeder­ 1. Battery DeGolyer. From this position Union ates who died during the siege lie in Vicksburg field guns hammered the Great Redoubt. At City Cemetery. one time the Federals mounted 22 artillery pieces here. 9. Fort Hill, the anchor of the left flank of the Confederate line. Confederate gunners 2. Shirley House. Once in the thick of battle, posted here assisted the river batteries in this house is the only surviving wartime sinking the Union gunboat Cincinnati. structure in the park. It has been recon- * structed to its 1863 appearance. 10. Redan. Here on May 19 Confeder­ ates threw back the first assault on the Vicks­ 3. Third Louisiana Redan. Here was one of the burg lines. Three days later the Federals major Confederate earthworks guarding the again attacked and again were thrown back. Jackson Road approach to Vicksburg. Two mines were exploded beneath the redan in 11. Great Redoubt. On Union forces hopes of breaking the Confederate line. launched an unsuccessful attack against this massive earthwork guarding the Jackson 4. Ransom's Gun Path. Dismantling two 12- Road. pounder guns, men of the 2d Illinois Artillery, aided by Ransom's infantry, dragged the can­ 12. Second Texas Lunette. A Confederate forti­ non over rough terrain to an earthen parapet fication guarding the Baldwin's Ferry Road only 100 yards from the Confederates. entrance to Vicksburg. Union soldiers dug approach trenches to within 15 feet of the 5. Stockade Redan Attack. From this and lunette before the end of the siege. nearby points. Union soldiers on May 19 swept toward the Confederate 13. Railroad Redoubt. This redoubt protected surrounding the Stockade Redan, but were the Southern Railroad of Mississippi. On the repulsed with heavy losses. Three days later morning of May 22, Northern troops assailed the "Forlorn Hope," an advance force of 110 this strongpoint and forced out the defenders. volunteer Federals, attacked from here. Few A detachment of Waul's Texas Legion coun­ returned. terattacked and in a savage fight with bayo­ nets, clubbed muskets, and artillery shells 6. Thayer's Approach. During the afternoon of used as grenades drove out the Federals. May 22, Union soldiers stormed up the hill toward their adversaries, then were stopped 14. Fort Garrott. Here, on 17, Confederate by geography and Confederate fire. Later, soldiers suffered from the highly accurate Maj. Gen. John M. Thayer pushed his ap­ fire of Union sharpshooters. Confederate proach trench toward the Confederate line. Col. Isham W. Garrott picked up a rifle- His soldiers used the tunnel beneath the road musket to return the fire. A Federal musket to avoid crossing the ridge where they ball pierced his heart. He died before he would be exposed to enemy fire. could learn he had been promoted to briga­ dier general. 7. Battery Selfridge. One of the artillery bat­ teries manned by naval gunners. A plaque at 1 5. Hovey's Approach. This restoration gives an the monument tells the story of the Navy's indication of the construction of Federal role in the siege of Vicksburg. approach trenches.