• About the Medal of Honor and Ohio Recipients
• Design of the Medal of Honor
• For Conspicuous Gallantry: Stories of Ohio's Medal of Honor Recipients
• Related Sites

Conclusion of Battle

The Siege of Vicksburg: the Fight in the Crater of Fort Hill after the Explosion. From Archives/Library collection P 369.

As the artillery bombardment silenced at 10:00 a.m., the Union Army weaved its way through the Confederate fortifications on the bluffs of Vicksburg. Multiple assault columns attempted to use planks to span the ditches and ladders to climb the parapets built by the Confederates. Initially, a few of the color bearers were successful at placing their flags at the top of the breastworks. As the remaining members of the columns attempted to follow, however, they met with heavy enemy fire and were soon pinned down. The columns could not move forward or back. Ultimately, the limited penetration achieved by some of the columns could not be reinforced.

As Grant was assessing whether to end the assault, he received a message from Major General John A. McClernand, who claimed that his troops had taken possession of two forts. Based on the message, Grant ordered Major General William T. Sherman and Major General James B. McPherson’s corps to charge again. But, the Confederates had been waiting for this attack for six hours. As Sherman and McPherson’s troops advanced on the their positions, the Confederates repeatedly found their mark. Undaunted, the Union soldiers kept moving forward. The Confederates repelled their attacks one by one. Again, as in the initial assault, the Union soldiers found themselves pinned down by heavy enemy fire. Finally, refuge came in the

The Siege of Vicksburg: Attack on the Confederate Works. From Frank Leslie's Illustrated Famous Leaders and Battle Scenes of the Civil War, p. 344-345.

darkness of the night for the Union soldiers. As night fell, the Union soldiers were able to crawl to safety.

The second assault on Vicksburg had failed miserably. Grant realized that Vicksburg would only be taken by a traditional siege. So, the Union Army entrenched itself and waited for the city to surrender. On July 4, 1863, after 47 days, the city of Vicksburg, starving, and unable to withstand the constant Union artillery bombardment, surrendered.

1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10  11  12  Bibliography