The siege of Vicksburg lasted for 47 days in the summer of 1863.
Vicksburg, MS is situated on a high bluff that allowed the big guns placed there by Confederates to interdict Union navigation of the Mississippi River, was considered by both North and South as a major key to victory in the Civil War. The Confederates had it: but U.S. Grant, at the head of a formable Union Army, wanted it, and was coming to take if if he could.
Even though every attempt Grant had made up until this point to achieve this objective had failed, however, no one really expected him to give up. So, civilians were warned that a siege was a district possibility they should either prepare themselves to withstand, or they should get out before the storm broke.
Following there is the story of the events that transpired here. Like many of the Civil War Sites that are well set out with the ability to have an audio tour. When you get to walk the grounds one is filled with a great sense of loss. Very little is mentioned about the civilians that we're caught up in this war.
Some two months later, the storm of war did break over Vicksburg. General Grant landed his troops at the a point below Vicksburg on the same side of the Mississippi River. He fought a brilliant series of battles against Confederate Lt General John C. Pemberton, who was defending the town. Badly beaten, Pemberton's army was forced into the defenses of Vicksburg where, by 8 May, Grant bottled up and put under siege.
So now about the siege.
Following May 18, Grant placed the city under siege. Civilians who had chosen to remain in in their Vicksburg homes, as well as the slave population who had no choice in the matter, began to experience the harsh reality of life in a besieged city.
Residents quickly found themselves confronted with no further supplies of clean water, lack of food, medical supplies. Any supplies accumulated were now used to sustain the soldiers. The civilians were now on their own and is was not long until this critical shortage
of food led to consumption of mules, dogs, cats and even rats. Dogs became the meager meals for families pushed by families pushed by hunger to the edge of desperation. One story, told by Richard Wheeler in his book, "The Siege of Vicksburg," shows just how bad it got. A mother wrote of day when her little girl was sick, and a soldier gave her a bluejay he had caught for her to play with. After playing with the bird for a while, the child lost interest. She probably never knew that the next time she encounter that the little bluejay was the watery soup she had for dinner that evening.
The determination of Grant to force surrender of the town subjected Vicksburg to constant bombarment every day during the seven weeks of the siege. The shells could not distinguish between soldiers and civilians.
The civilian population quickly learned to respect the destructive power of the missiles that were poured relentlessly into the city. Many used basements for protection however, these did not protect them Eventually civilians stared to dig themselves caves in the side of hills to serve as (hopefully) bomb - proof shelters. The slaves dug the caves and this provided some measure of safety.
There is so much history here and so many stories . If left us with similar feeling of when we visited Gettysburg. So much tragedy.
Cheers,
Beverley and Ross
