Vicksburg 1863: The Deepest Wound

(Hardback)

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Description

This book examines the Vicksburg campaigna critical turning point during the American Civil Warfrom the perspective of Texans and the rest of the Trans-Mississippi Confederacy. Vicksburg 1863: The Deepest Wound provides a thorough exploration of this pivotal Civil War campaign that pays special attention to the role played by Trans-Mississippi troops, especially Texans, and evaluates the many consequences of the campaign for Confederate states west of the Mississippi River. The book covers the Vicksburg campaign from its beginnings in November 1862 to its final conclusion in July 1863, describing the significant contributions of individuals such as Edmund Kirby Smith, John C. Pemberton, Joseph E. Johnston, and Ulysses S. Grant, and providing evaluations of conflicts such as the Battle of Big Black River Bridge, the Battle and Siege of Jackson, the Battle of Port Gibson, and the Battle of Raymond. The work also examines how dramatically the fall of Vicksburg affected the Confederate states west of the Mississippi River and documents the disastrous effect of this Confederate loss upon both civilian and soldier morale in the region.

Reviews

'Vicksburg is the key . . . the war can never be brought to a close until that key is in our pocket.' So Abraham Lincoln viewed this Confederate stronghold, given its strategic position in controlling trade along the Mississippi. Historian Dossman deeply investigates this decisive battle and the result is a surprisingly readable narrative that draws in the wealth of scholarship available on this subject. Endnotes, a bibliographic essay, and an index add to the work's value. VERDICT: A scholarly yet accessible overview of this turning-point battle for larger Civil War collections. * Library Journal *

Author Bio

Steven Nathaniel Dossman, PhD, is a scholar of the Civil War in Mississippi.