James H.

Gore Mississippi and the Civil War During the United States Civil War, Mississippi played two different critical roles for the North and the South. Full of pride and undersized, Confederates would hold Mississippi for most of the war, but as the war proceeded, Mississippi would eventually fall to the North. In Ben Wynnes Mississippis Civil War, Wynne analyzed three vital Civil War events that took place in Mississippi. The first battle at Corinth or the occupation of Corinth, The second battle at Corinth, and the battle of Vicksburg. Full of pride for their communities, Mississippians hoped to defend their state in these battles and achieve military glory. The first battle in Mississippi Wynne evaluated was the first battle at Corinth. At the time, the Confederate Army under P.G.T. Beauregard held the commercial boomtown. The city was vital to the Confederates due to the fact that Corinth was a major railroad juncture depot for supplies and troops. Corinth located at the top of Mississippi proved to be the first line of defense against the invasion of the Union army after their success in the battle of Shiloh. The Union army believed if they could take Corinth away from the Confederates, it would provide the push needed to eventually take the rest of the state. As the Union army pressed towards the city, small skirmishes took place between the North and the South. Bad weather played a role as well and aided the South by hindering the advance of the Union on the city. The Union commander Halleck with an army of about 120,000 soldiers started a slow march towards Corinth. The Union line was five miles long and well equipped with siege guns and fresh troops. Meanwhile, the Confederates realizing they were outnumbered, and in danger of a considerable loss

of troops, began to devise a plan of evacuation of the city. Then the Confederate commander Beauregard and his subordinates issued the order of evacuation of the city to avoid such a hammering loss. The evacuation was a huge success over a four-day period. The Union army advanced into the city, set up strong fortifications, and gathered supplies. The initial fall of Corinth was not a bloody battle or an extreme loss of life, but a critical win for the Union and provided a base for deeper advancement into the rest of Mississippi. The second battle Wynne mentioned is the second battle at Corinth. This time the scene was very different. The Union had control of the city and transformed it into a heavily fortified military base of operations. The Union commander, William S. Rosecrans, knew how important it was to hold such a crucial key point in the state, however, the Confederates hoped to retake the city as well. Southern commander Earl Van Dorn was charged with the difficult task to take back Corinth for the Confederacy. Van Dorn had some success early on, and drove back the Union army into the heart of the city. The Confederates took a toll of losses on the advancement however, and had to stop and regroup for the night. The next morning the Confederate lines were stricken with confusion, and briefly broke the Union defenses and were put down. The worst violence of the war Mississippi witnessed occurred in historic downtown Corinth and around the rail depot. Soldiers fought in hand-to-hand combat during the struggle and much blood was shed for both sides. The Union had a significantly sized fort in the middle of their lines named Fort Robinette. This fort was a battery of three large cannons operated by a single infantry unit. The Confederates led a large charge towards the battery and were utterly destroyed. The Confederates lines across the town were falling back to retreat

from the chaos. The Confederates would rally at Ripley and work their way to Holly Springs to regroup. The Confederates lost about twenty percent of their army, while the Union lost only about ten percent. The Confederates never succeeded in the struggle to take the city of Corinth back from the Union and their attempt was essentially a lost cause. The loss tarnished Van Dorns reputation as a military leader and lead to his demotion later on. As for the Union, they had yet again defeated the Confederates in Mississippi but not without seeing the courage the South had in defending the Confederacy. Thirdly, Wynne carefully analyzed the Battle of Vicksburg. The city of Vicksburg rested on a large bluff that provided a better defense than a town on flat land. The Confederates had spent months preparing for war there. In the eyes of both sides, this port city was key to the Confederate success. Once the Union had taken most of Northeast Mississippi, it was only a matter of time before they would approach Vicksburg. Vicksburgs forces were lead by John C. Pemberton and numbered about 33,000. The Union forces, under the command of General Ulysses S. Grant, numbered approximately 70,000 total. Grant surrounded the city and his cannons and ships rained down shells upon the city day after day. Grants initial assault was repelled by the Confederates, who were determined to hold the city. The next morning Grant relentlessly pounded the city with artillery fire that burned several buildings down. The Union began another charge and suffered about 3000 casualties and were forced to fall back once more. Next Grant planned on laying siege to the city and waiting until the enemy ran out of supplies and food. Grant sent the U.S.S. Cincinnati down the river to destroy one the cities most northern forts to break into the Confederate lines. However, the fort still

possessed its heavy artillery that the Union thought were moved elsewhere during the siege. The ship was easily destroyed by the Confederacy and was another boost of moral for the surrounded Confederates. Unfortunately, as days without food became weeks, the Confederates found themselves at a loss. On July 3, Pemberton ordered his top subordinate, John S. Bowen, to take the white flag to General Grant. However, on July 4, 1863, Vicksburg was officially surrendered to the Union. Pemberton chose that day because he thought he could achieve better surrender terms for the Confederacy and give the Union a sense of pride. The victory at Vicksburg would be Grants greatest personal victory and establish him as the military hero of the United States army. In Ben Wynnes Mississippis Civil War, Wynne submitted three evaluations of three key Civil War battles that took place in Mississippi. Wynne paints a colorful picture of each battle to the reader from both sides of the North and the South. Wynne really shows the reader how each city in Mississippi played a key role for the Confederates. The battles that took place in Mississippi were perhaps the most violent and harsh battles of the Civil War. Mississippians will never forget the men who died fighting to defend their great state.