With the loss of Confederate general John C. To Confederate President Jefferson Davis, Vicksburg was the 'nailhead that holds the South's two halves together.' President Abraham Lincoln remarked, “Vicksburg is the key! The war can never be brought to a close until that key is in our pocket.” The Vicksburg Campaign began in 1862 and ended with the Confederate surrender on July 4, 1863. The Mississippi River was the primary conduit for supplies and communication through the south as well as a vital lifeline for goods going north. Together with the Union victory at Gettysburg just a day before, Vicksburg marked a turning point in the fortunes of the Union army.

Pemberton’s Confederate troops surrendered to Gen. The Confederate surrender there ensured Union control of the Mississippi River and cleaved the South in two. Vicksburg’s strategic location on the Mississippi River made it a critical win for both the Union and the Confederacy.

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