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The Civil War
Vicksburg and Gettysburg
Fighting for the Mississippi
• Union strategy in the west focused on
gaining control of the Mississippi
River. This would allow the north to
cut the eastern states of the
Confederacy off from important
sources of food production in the
western states, and it would allow
them to control trade up and down
the Mississippi.
• Ulysses S. Grant was the most
important figure in the west. He had
served in the Mexican War, but had
resigned from the army. When the
Civil War broke out, he quickly
volunteered to serve in the Union
army. Lincoln quickly made him a
general.
• Grant had shown his military skill at
the Battle of Shiloh in April 1862.
• The Union troops had managed to
gain a stronghold on the Mississippi
River and by then end of April 1862,
Vicksburg was the last strong defense
that stood in their way of controlling
the entire river.
• The Southern defenders had an
advantage in their position on the high
bluffs overlooking the river. This
allowed them to cover the area with
their heavy guns.
• In Spring 1863, Gen. Grant blocked
southern forces from aiding
Vicksburg. He then surrounded the
city with his troops. The siege on
Vicksburg lasted 6 weeks.
• As supplies ran out, residents and
soldiers inside the city survived by
eating horses, dogs and rats.
• As hope for relief ran out, the
Confederate general had no choice
but to surrender Vicksburg to the
Union. This gave the Union forces
control of the Mississippi River.
The Battle of Gettysburg
• After experiencing successes at
Chancellorsville and Fredericksburg,
Gen. Lee was encouraged to invade
the north again. He hoped a victory in
the north would turn the tide in their
favor.
• In mid-June 1863, Lee cut across
northern Maryland into southern
Pennsylvania. Lee and his troops
gathered at a small town called
Gettysburg.
• Lee was unaware that Union troops were
just north of the town. When a
Confederate raiding party went into
Gettysburg for supplies, the Union troops
fired on them. This event triggered the
Battle of Gettysburg.
• The battle began on July 1, 1863. The
Confederates pushed the Union line back
to Cemetery Ridge, south of the town.
• The next day, Lee ordered an attack on the
left side of the Union line. But, a bold
charge by the Union troops turned the
Confederates back.
• Lee then planned to rush the center
of the Union line. The task fell to
three divisions of Confederate
soldiers.
• Gen. George Pickett commanded the
largest division. In the late afternoon,
about 14,000 men took part in
Pickett’s Charge up Cemetery Ridge.
• This attack was a disaster. Pickett
had led his men into a wide open field
which was overlooked by the Union
troops at Cemetery Ridge. Fewer than
half of Pickett’s men reached the top
of the ridge. Those that did reach
the Union wall were captured or
killed. Only about 6500 men returned
to the Confederate side. This
signaled the end of the battle, and it
dashed all hope of a Confederate
victory.
• Rain slowed the Union troops and
allowed Lee to retreat into Virginia.
Nonetheless, Gettysburg was a turning
point in the war. Lee’s troops would
never again launch an attack on
northern soil. Ironically, it also
happened on the same day as the
victory at Vicksburg. The Union
suffered a loss of 23,000 troops, while
the Confederacy lost 28,000.
The Gettysburg Address
• The Union’s new sense of confidence and
commitment was expressed by President
Lincoln in the Gettysburg Address on
November 19, 1863. This short, powerful
speech is one of the most famous in
American history. Lincoln spoke of the
importance of liberty, equality, and
democratic ideals. He reminded listeners
that the war was being fought to protect
these cherished principles. Lincoln
dedicated himself and the rest of the
North to winning the war and preserving
the Union.