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THE SIEGE OF VICKSBURG
MAY 26, 1863 - JULY 3, 1863.
Siege of Vicksburg.
Gen. U.S. Grant, assisted by the Navy under Admiral Porter.
Kurz & Allison, Art Publishers, [1888]. Lithograph, hand colored.
As a result of the second attack, May 22, Gen. Grant decided that Vicksburg
could not be taken by frontal assault and decided to lay siege to the city. Methodically, his
army constructed
a line of works around Vicksburg cutting it off from supplies and contact with
the outside world. On May 26, they began building thirteen approaches aimed at
different points along the Confederate line. The objective was to dig a tunnel
under the Confederate line and then destroy it with charges of black
powder , allowing
the Union forces to breach the defenses.
Around the end of June, Grant's forces, protected by artillery and
sharpshooters, neared their objectives. Along the Jackson Road, a mine was detonated beneath the Third
Louisiana Redan on June 25. Union forces charged into the crater attempting to
break through the breach. After approximately 26 hours of grim hand-to-hand
combat, the Federals were finally driven back and the breach sealed.
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