The Siege of Vicksburg
Into the third year of the war, the Union knew they had to win the next battle in order to stand a fighting chance in the war. So, on July 4 1863, Ulysses S. Grant thought of a plan that would be sure to give the Union the upper hand in the Civil War. Union ships blockaded the ports of Vicksburg in order to stop the stock of supplies from entering the city. After 47 days, the Confederates gave in, the Union now had a chance to win the war.
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The siege of Vicksburg changed the course of the Civil War, the Union now had the upper hand. After years of losing to the Confederates, the north now stood a fighting chance in the Civil War. Although this victory was integral to the Union winning the Civil War, it cost them 10,000 soldiers, with the south losing 9,000 of their own soldiers. Not only did the south lose an immense amount of soldiers, but their defeat at Vicksburg cost them Port Hudson (Louisiana) and the Mississippi River. The loss of the Mississippi caused the south to split in two, with Texas, Arkansas, and Louisiana on the west side of the river.
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