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Vicksburg: Grant's Campaign That Broke the Confederacy

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'Vicksburg: Grant's Campaign That Broke the Confederacy' by Donald L. Miller is a detailed and engaging account of the pivotal Vicksburg campaign during the Civil War. Miller's writing style brings history to life by weaving together personal accounts of participants, military maneuvers, and the social revolution sparked by Union operations in Mississippi. covers Grant's strategic decisions, the challenges faced by Union forces, and the ultimate impact of the campaign in breaking the Confederacy.

Writing/Prose:

The writing is characterized by a captivating narrative that intertwines thorough research with engaging storytelling.

Plot/Storyline:

The narrative intricately weaves the strategic importance of the Vicksburg Campaign, detailing Grant's multifaceted decisions throughout the military operation.

Setting:

The setting is primarily the strategic landscape of Vicksburg, encapsulating both the military operations and the social dynamics of the era.

Pacing:

The pacing is well-structured, striking a balance between thorough detail and engaging storytelling.

Notes:

The Vicksburg Campaign lasted nearly a year and a half.
Grant's decisions, both good and bad, significantly impacted the campaign.
The campaign involved complex operations against both Confederate forces and difficult terrain.
Miller highlights the importance of Union naval support in the campaign's success.
Union operations led to the freedom of thousands of slaves during the campaign.
The campaign destroyed Mississippi's plantation economy and initiated a social revolution.
Miller provides profiles of lesser-known figures, like Gen. Joe Johnston, and challenges common perceptions of them.
Grant experienced moments of luck in earlier battles like Donelson and Shiloh.
The book is based on personal writings of participants from both sides of the conflict.
Vicksburg was crucial for opening the Mississippi River to Union trade.
The narrative is based on a vast amount of research and personal stories, making it engaging to read.

From The Publisher:

Winner of the Civil War Round Table of New York's Fletcher Pratt Literary Award

Winner of the Austin Civil War Round Table's Daniel M. & Marilyn W. Laney Book Prize

Winner of an Army Historical Foundation Distinguished Writing Award

"A superb account" ( The Wall Street Journal ) of the longest and most decisive military campaign of the Civil War in Vicksburg, Mississippi, which opened the Mississippi River, split the Confederacy, freed tens of thousands of slaves, and made Ulysses S. Grant the most important general of the war.

Vicksburg, Mississippi, was the last stronghold of the Confederacy on the Mississippi River. It prevented the Union from using the river for shipping between the Union-controlled Midwest and New Orleans and the Gulf of Mexico. The Union navy tried to take Vicksburg, which sat on a high bluff overlooking the river, but couldn't do it. It took Grant's army and Admiral David Porter's navy to successfully invade Mississippi and lay siege to Vicksburg, forcing the city to surrender.

In this "elegant…enlightening…well-researched and well-told" ( Publishers Weekly ) work, Donald L. Miller tells the full story of this year-long campaign to win the city "with probing intelligence and irresistible passion" ( Booklist ). He brings to life all the drama, characters, and significance of Vicksburg, a historic moment that rivals any war story in history. In the course of the campaign, tens of thousands of slaves fled to the Union lines, where more than twenty thousand became soldiers, while others seized the plantations they had been forced to work on, destroying the economy of a large part of Mississippi and creating a social revolution. With Vicksburg " Miller has produced a model work that ties together military and social history" ( Civil War Times ).

Vicksburg solidified Grant's reputation as the Union's most capable general. Today no general would ever be permitted to fail as often as Grant did, but ultimately he succeeded in what he himself called the most important battle of the war-the one that all but sealed the fate of the Confederacy.

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