Vicksburg, Mississippi, sat on high bluffs over the Mississippi River and was a key Confederate stronghold.
After failed assaults, Union General Ulysses S. Grant, an Ohio native, placed the city under siege from May 18 to July 4, 1863. Running out of food, the Confederate garrison surrendered.
Why It Mattered
With the fall of Port Hudson days later, the Union controlled the Mississippi River, splitting the Confederacy in two.
Visit
Vicksburg National Military Park includes the restored Union ironclad USS Cairo.
Explore More
Ohio is full of Civil War history. Visit the Ohio History Connection in Columbus, Camp Chase Confederate Cemetery, the Sherman House Museum in Lancaster, Grant’s birthplace in Point Pleasant, and Morgan’s Raid markers across southern and eastern Ohio. County historical societies often hold letters, photos, and flags from local regiments, so check with yours too.
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