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Whats The Importance of the Battle of Vicksburg to both sides (north and south) ?

The Importance of the Battle of Vicksburg to both sides (north and south)

The importance of Vicksburg to the Confederacy was that it was the last major fort on the Mississippi still in Confederate hands and thus still remaining an obstacle for Union supply shipments.

To the Union, Vicksburg would hold the same importance, though they already held Jackson, the capital of Mississippi, New Orleans, Memphis, Fort Donelson, New Madrid, Island No. 10, and Port Gibson on the south side of Vicksburg where smaller rivers lead around Vicksburg.

The victory turned out to have even greater importance for the North because they got Lt. Gen Pemberton's Army of the Mississippi to retreat to Vicksburg and surrender with the city. That put about 33,000 men and 171 cannons out of the total Confederate fighting force. That became a turning point in the war in the West, while the simultaneous Union victory at Gettysburg marked the turning point in the war in the East.

Also, a victory for either side would be major for political reasons as the American public was getting tired of the war. We can easily see how people are getting tired of Iraq, but the losses of years in Iraq are small compared to the losses of life of even one Civil War battle. The South was looking forward to a major victory to fuel a major boost in public cries for a peace treaty. Not only was a major Union victory necessary to help calm the public's patience to finish the war, but this was during 1863 and getting close to the end of Lincoln's first term so the status of the war would play a huge role in whether voters would reelect Lincoln or the former Union General George P. McClellan, who was in favor of ending the war with a peace treaty and concessions to the South.