Grant's Vicksburg Canal

[major bill]

At the Ann Arbor Civil War Round Table tonight David F. Bastian gave us a talk titled Grant's Vicksburg Canal. This was an interesting attempt but I am still a bit unsure if it was practical. Perhaps if the canal to bypass Vicksburg had been dug in the winter it might have been possible and perhaps even practical.

 

[Vicksburger]

At the Ann Arbor Civil War Round Table tonight David F. Bastian gave us a talk titled Grant's Vicksburg Canal. This was an interesting attempt but I am still a bit unsure if it was practical. Perhaps if the canal to bypass Vicksburg had been dug in the winter it might have been possible and perhaps even practical.

The Confederates had a big rifled gun which opened on the canal on May 19. 1863, making "very good shots". Speculation is that this was Whistling Dick or perhaps a Whitworth gun or the Widow Blakely. O.R. vol.25, p.19

 

[7th Mississippi Infantry]

While perhaps a good idea on paper, I think Grant realized this was an unrealistic endeavor from the start.
However, it did keep quite a few bored troops and newly freed slaves aka contrabands busy.

There are many threads on Grant's Canal.

Here's one of many:
https://civilwartalk.com/threads/the-canal-to-nowhere.91209/#post-738772

 

[alan polk]

The Confederates had a big rifled gun which opened on the canal on May 19. 1863, making "very good shots". Speculation is that this was Whistling Dick or perhaps a Whitworth gun or the Widow Blakely. O.R. vol.25, p.19

Did you mean to write March 19 instead of May 19? I believe by May 19, the canals were irrelevant to the Campaign.