Download The Civil War in Mississippi

The Civil War in Mississippi
MS saw many battles, mostly
because of the importance of the
Mississippi River.
The Start of the
War
1. The Civil War began on
April 12, 1861, at Fort
Sumter, South Carolina.
2. When the war begins,
most people don’t
believe that it will last
very long.
3. For the First Battle of
Bull Run, people will
actually take picnics
and go watch the
battle.
Northern and Southern Advantages
North:
1. More men.
2. More industry.
3. More railroads.
4. Already existing military.
South:
1. Fighting to defend their homeland.
2. Knowledge of the terrain (landscape).
Northern and Southern Strategies
North:
1. Capture Richmond, VA, the capital of the
Confederacy.
2. Divide and conquer – split the Confederacy
into three sections.
3. Blockade the south – use their navy to
close southern ports.
South:
1. Hold their own until European countries
come to their aid.
The Beginning of War
• Both Confederacy and Union wanted
control of the Mississippi River
– The North could cut off its western supply
routes
– Vicksburg becomes a critical location
• Before the Union could get to Vicksburg,
they had to remove the Confederacy
from their holds in north MS
• Ulysses S. Grant commanded the Union
forces
• First major battle was the Battle of
Shiloh, Tennessee
• It was not long before the Union troops
could move up and down the MS river
safely- with one important exception
The Battle for Vicksburg
• Confederacy still held Vicksburgcreated problems for Union
• What do you know about the city of
Vicksburg that would make boats
traveling vulnerable to artillery
fire???????
• Also to the north and east of the city
was swampy land and very few roads,
moving troops would be difficult
June- September 1862
• Union general (Farragut) wanted to build a
canal across from Vicksburg on the LA side so
boats could avoid the gunfire.
• Confederates were still fighting to drive the
Union forces back to Corinth, Union forces
counterattacked with overwhelming numbers
and Confederates retreated
– Several thousand Confederates died in/around
Corinth
October 1862
• Ulysses S. Grant invaded north MS in hopes to
capture Jackson, which he did in Mid-May
December 1862
• Union forces began a direct attack on
Vicksburg, landing troops north of city
• Floods and bayous made Union forces struggle
• Grant decided the city could not be attacked
from North so he moved his troops south of
the city, then to the Northeast
• After taking Jackson, Grant moved his troops
west toward Vicksburg
• The Union eventually
surrounded the city of
Vicksburg, but not yet taken
• Many residents were forced
to live in caves
• Food was in short supply that
people ate mules and rats
• July 4th, 1863 after a 6 week
siege, the Confederate forces
surrendered.
– After this many Vicksburg residents
refused to celebrate independence
day
Effects of the Battle of Vicksburg
• Confederacy lost hold of a vital stronghold
• 40,000 soldiers were lost as well as those
weapons
• This signaled the end for the Confederate
States of America
Final Days of the War
• After the Battle of Vicksburg, two
years of fighting remained
• Union forces then turned their
attention toward Meridian, another
strong railroad site for the
Confederates
– Union forces took Meridian within a
week
• The fighting in Mississippi took
place mainly along the river and
northeast due to major rail lines
• General Robert E. Lee (Confederate)
surrendered his army to Grant at
Appomattox Court House in 1865
– The war was over
Mississippians in the War
• Around 80,000 fought in the Confederate
Army
• Some 500 Mississippians fought for the
Union
• More than 17,000 black MS slaves and
freedmen fought for Union
• 27,000 men died, with more returning home
with permanent injuries and with the lasting
taste of defeat
The Home Front
•
•
•
•
Early in the war, life in MS was peaceful
Women made uniforms and served as nurses
Men volunteered for military service
Supporters of the Union were typically killed
unless they were prominent figures in society
and usually they fled the state
• Politics tried to continue but they
lost significance
• Legislature passed laws but
could not be enforced
• Brief trials were given by citizens
which usually ended in hangings
• Financially the state struggled:
MS’s wealth was tied up in land,
slaves, and cotton
• Little cotton could be sold
because the Union had
captured New Orleans
• Simple necessities of life
became luxuries: salt was
scarce, coffee and tea were
unavailable
• With many of the men gone,
slaves began to rebel by doing
little work or none at all.
The End of Slavery
• During the war, slaves had disappeared and
others refused to work
• When the Union arrived in MS in 1862, many
black men, women, and children would flee
to army camps searching for freedom
• Blacks did many services for the Union army:
dug trenches, canals, cooked, and washed
clothes. Some even guided troops through
the land
• 1862- Abraham Lincoln (president)
issued the Emancipation
Proclamation
– January 1st, 1863 all slaves owned
by persons in the Confederate
states were free.
– It DID NOT free all slaves in the
United States. Only those not under
Union control.
• 1863-Union army began to recruit
black soldiers (paid less than white
soldiers)
• After the war a new social order
had to be created
• December 1865-13th Amendment
was passed
– Abolished slavery
Civil War Packet
• Label the major battles fought in Mississippi
on the blank map. (use page 122)
• Label and color the Confederate state BLUE
and the Union states RED.
– Also label the two cities that served as capitals for
the Confederacy
• Complete the two handouts on the Famous
Generals and the Civil War in Mississippi
Generals
1. B- U.S. Grant
2. D- Albert Sidney Johnston
3. C- Pierre G.T. Beauregard
4. F- Henry Halleck
5. E- Sterling Price
6. H- John C. Pemberton
7. G- William T. Sherman
8. I- Stephen D. Lee
9. J- Benjamin Grierson
10. A- Richard Taylor