Podcasts History History Unplugged Podcast How the Vicksburg Siege May Have Turned the Tide of the Civil WarSamuel Mitcham

How the Vicksburg Siege May Have Turned the Tide of the Civil WarSamuel Mitcham

Published: Aug. 16, 2018, 7:52 a.m.

b"\\u201cTraitor!\\u201d \\u201cFailure!\\u201d \\u201cBungling fool!\\u201d




Southern newspapers hurled these sentiments at Confederate General John C. Pemberton after he surrendered the fortress of Vicksburg\\u2014the key to controlling the Mississippi River during the Civil War. But were they justified in their accusations?




Today I'm talking with Dr. Samuel Mitcham, author of Vicksburg: The Bloody Siege that Turned the Tide of the Civil War. He argues that these newspapers\\u2014and history itself\\u2014have wrongly marred Pemberton\\u2019s legacy.




Some of the myths he argues against are that Pemberton\\u2019s indecisiveness delayed the aid Vicksburg needed, when in fact he had been urgently requesting reinforcements, stationed nearby, but his commanding general repeatedly ignored him due to a petty grudge.




The Confederate Army fought an exhaustive battle to defend the fortress of Vicksburg from the spring of 1862 until its surrender on July 4, 1863. Trapped for six weeks, the residents of Vicksburg were forced to dig caves and eat rats to survive. But, due to Pemberton\\u2019s stalwart character and resourceful mind, they continued to trust his command despite dire circumstances."