Fortress American Civil War Fortifications (3) The Mississippi & River Forts Osprey Books

The Mississippi River, the second longest in the US, played a decisive role in the American Civil War. The Confederate fortifications that controlled the lower Mississippi valley were put to the test in the lengthy Federal campaign of 186263, aimed at cutting off the Rebel states of Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas and creating a blockade of this vital trade route. Vicksburg was a fortress city, known as the "Gibraltar of the Confederacy," and its capture was seen as the key to victory in the war. Standing high above the east bank of the Mississippi some 300 miles from its exit into the Gulf of Mexico, and surrounded by difficult terrain for any attacking force, it presented a formidable obstacle to the forces of Ulysses S. Grant. Its defences boasted a network of forts, rifle pits, and cannon embrasures surrounding the city, including batteries Selfridge and Degolyer, and forts Hill, Garrott and Castle. Confederate batteries also stretched downriver to Warrenton. The initial Federal attack on May 19, 1863 failed to take the city, and a state of siege ensued, which saw the creation of a complex system of trenches, tunnels, mines, and batteries to invest the place. As the siege wore on, the conditions for the defenders worsened, and Confederate forces finally surrendered on July 4; the Federal victory was seen as a defining moment that led to the triumph of the Union in 1865. Federal forces constructed their own line of fortifications after they took the city, the whole complex being known as Fort Grant. Although Vicksburg is the best known site in the Mississippi valley, numerous other fortified strongholds were maintained by both sides in the vicinity, including New Orleans; Port Hudson; New Madrid (Island No.10); forts Henry, and Donelson; Fort Pemberton (on the Tallahatchie); forts Wade and Cobun (Grand Gulf); and the city of Jackson. This book examines these sites, the role they played in the war, and the fighting that took place there.