NO FOURTH OF JULY?
No Fourth of July?
Vicksburg, MS was a pivotal spot during the Civil War. Its location on the Mississippi river made it valuable to both the Union and Confederate armies. The town sits on a high bluff, and seemed for the first two years of the Civil War to be impenetrable. That was until May of 1863, when Ulysses S. Grant began bombarding them and would not let up. He brought in extra troops, determined to bring Vicksburg down. On July 4 of 1863, Grant succeeded in defeating Vicksburg.
At this point many of the soldiers in Vicksburg were sick and starving. A day that was once a national holiday became a day of defeat for these men who had fought so hard, and had lost so many. Not only that, but now that the Union controlled their portion of the Mississippi river, supplies were not getting to the rest of the south like they needed to. While this was a great day for the Union, this marked the beginning of the end for the Confederacy.
The town of Vicksburg was humiliated in its defeat, and for good reason. For so long it had held its ground, which it knew was prime real estate for the Confederacy. Despite trying to break up the attack upon it, they still lost. In losing, they caused other soldiers throughout the South to go without much needed supplies such as weapons, food and clothing. Vicksburg understood its defeat would eventually spell the defeat of the South. It was this shame they carried, and which caused them to stop celebrating on the fourth of July. They felt they no longer had anything which to celebrate.
Bibliography
tribunedigital-baltimoresun,. 'Where The Fourth Means Little Vicksburg: The Confederate Stronghold That Surrendered To Union Troops On July 4, 1863, Still Can't Find Reasons To Celebrate The National Holiday.'. Last modified 2001. Accessed July 25, 2015. http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1997-07-04/news/1997185007_1_vicksburg-siege- confederate.
