The Confederate’s fort at Vicksburg, Mississippi, was essential to the South, as it served as a key vantage point for them over the North. However, if the Union besieged this fort, the North would have control over the lower Mississippi River, which would split the South in half, cutting off the western half of the Confederacy from Virginia. With such an extreme advantage being given to the prevailing side, and the other a great defeat, the Battle of Vicksburg marks the true turning point of the Civil War. Once, while talking about Vicksburg, President of the Confederacy Jefferson Davis referred to it as “the nail head that holds the South’s two halves together”, just to stress how important this stronghold was. This fortification served many…
About one hundred and fifty-five years ago, Abraham Lincoln gave “The Gettysburg Address” on a blood soaked battlefield in Pennsylvania (Brown). “The Gettysburg Address” was first verbalized months after the battle of Gettysburg at a service to dedicate the opening of the national cemetery (The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica). Lincoln’s Address was spoken to the citizens and soldiers of the union in the wake of the second invasion of the North by Robert E. Lee (The Battle of Gettysburg Facts…
The Confederates fort at Vicksburg, Mississippi, was essential to the South, as it served as a key vantage point to them over the North. However, if the Union could besiege this fort, the North would have control over the lower Mississippi River, which would split the Confederacy into two, cutting off their connection to Virginia. With such an extreme advantage being given to the prevailing side, and the other a great defeat, is what makes the Battle of Vicksburg the true turning point of the…
VICKSBURG: A TIPPING POINT IN THE CIVIL WAR USAACE NCOA SSG Chad M. West 15Z SLC 17-003 SFC Maradol The Battle of Vicksburg was a collective land and naval battle that ensured a strategic location for the Union Army (Burden, 2000). Although, not as well-known as the Battle of Gettysburg or Fort Sumter, this was a tremendous victory for the Union Army as it helped to establish a much needed supply chain. Also, to note, the actual timeframe of the battle only lasted a couple of months,…
Attention Getter: How many of you know that Mississippi is one of the most obese states in the country? What if I also told you that Mississippi is one of the most food insecure states as well. Food insecure meaning that access to food is limited by lack of money or other recourses. A study done by USA Today called “States Where the Most Children Go Hungry” suggest that almost 30% of all children in Mississippi are food insecure meaning that when they go home; they probably are…
a war. There are pitched and siege battles. Pitched battles consist of a clash between two armies in an open position. A siege battle is similar but one tries to take hold of a fortified position. Different weapons have been used throughout the ages, whether it will be the guns we use nowadays, to the ancient but commonly used spear, or even more complex and rare used weapons such as the hunga munga. Military tactics have also evolved and become more sophisticated throughout the ages. They would…
Pertaining to American history it is vital to educate yourself about two symbolic men that put their differences aside so the Civil War could come to an end. Two men named Grant and Lee were able to do just that. In the reading “Grant and Lee: A Study of Contrast” by Bruce Catton, the author writes a compare and contrast essay detailing their backgrounds, personalities, and aspirations. When evaluating all of these contributing factors it is clear that Lee was vastly a more impressionable…
to disappear; others chose to devour the rotting maggoty carcasses of horses or other animals that were laying in the streets (Hastings 168; Reid 183; “Siege of”). In a like manner household pets-including Pavlov's dogs-were also not spared as people's dogs and cats were fed to starving residents (Hastings 168; “Siege of”). As a result of the drought of flour, several flour or bread replacements were concocted. Moldy grain was extracted from sunken ships in the Baltic Sea; floor sweepings,…
however the surrounding area including the Delaware River was under the control of General Washington and the Continental Army. The British General Howe was desperate to find a way to transport supplies and food to Philadelphia. In order to do this, he opted to attack American forts along the Delaware River. The Continental Army endured some of the fiercest bombardments of the war for the duration of their stay at Fort Mifflin. In addition to attacks by the British, the soldiers endured…
The role of a leader is an incredibly vital and often challenging job. With leadership comes the responsibility to set an example for followers, provide direction for the masses, and work with fellow leaders improve current situations. However, with the task of leadership also comes the unfortunate matter involving the misuse of power. Too often in history individuals have used said power to turn against those they were meant to protect. While there is a substantial time gap between the two,…