Vicksburg & Port Hudson

gary

Captain
Joined
Feb 20, 2005
Ed Bearss points out that Culp's Hill was the opposite end of a bookshelf to Little Round Top. Had either fallen, Meade's defenses would have crumbled.

Can the same be said about Vicksburg and Port Hudson? Port Hudson was closer to New Orleans, Baton Rouge and especially the Red River. Even if Vicksburg was in Confederate hands, Port Hudson could close off the Red River.

What say the learned scholars of CivilWarTalk?
 
I've always seen Gibson as a eventually it will fall but not a necessity. Vicksburg, I think was a priority because of the east-west rail line that ran thru their. The Mississippi will never flow free for either side during the war after New Orleans has fallen.
 
Concur Vicksburg was more important of the two because of the E/W RR. The South could survive without Port Hudson but not without Vicksburg.

Gardner could have prolonged the war had he evacuated or surrendered earlier. This would have freed Banks to march north and taken over from Grant; winning the laurels of Grant's hard fought campaign for himself.
 
The only way I can see prolonging the war by Gardner surrendering early is having Banks take over Vicksburg and fouling it up. Banks was to be the commander at Vicksburg over Grant and because he failed to capture Port Hudson didn't get his shot. It would have been pointless to defend Vicksburg by itself because it was surrounded. Port Hudson was just as important in many respects. Without Port Hudson, Vicksburg wouldn't have lasted very long and maybe wouldn't have been besieged. Other ports between the two would have been left open to supply the Confederacy. A lot of supplies came from the Port Hudson region and Texas. Clinton had a railroad that supplied Port Hudson and was active throughout the war. Even with Yankee occupation the rural towns around the Port Hudson region never stopped producing.
 
Back
Top