Today in History: Siege of Vicksburg
Today in History–May 19–the Library of Congress features the Union siege of Vicksburg, Mississippi, begun on this day in 1863 under the command of General Ulysses S. Grant. By mid-June, nearly 80,000 Union troops had virtually sealed off the city. But it would take a few more weeks before Confederate forces surrendered on July 4. With the victory, the Union regained control of the Mississippi River, geographically dividing the Confederacy. Find out more about this Civil War campaign by visiting the Today in History section, then click the links below to access primary sources related to the battle and the war.
Siege of Vicksburg sheet music
Books, reports, narratives & other texts related to the Siege of Vicksburg
1863 historical newspaper coverage of the Siege of Vicksburg
Siege of Vicksburg periodical articles
- “Siege of Vicksburg” Harper’s New Monthly Magazine Volume 30, Issue 176 January, 1865
- “The Siege of Vicksburg: Personal Memoirs of U.S. Grant” The Century; a popular quarterly Volume 30, Issue 5 Sept 1885
- “A Woman’s Diary of the Siege of Vicksburg” The Century; a popular quarterly Volume 30, Issue 5 Sept 1885
Learning from the Source: Geography & the Civil War lesson plan
More Civil War primary source collections & teaching resources