Good Family Trips -- Vicksburg and Shiloh
General Sherman called him a "devil" who should "be hunted down and killed if it costs 10,000 lives and bankrupts the treasury." Vicksburg became Grant's objective, but this would prove to be a more difficult task than the Western armies had ever attempted. The Union made many failed attempts before the key was in their pocket.
When planning a trip into Mississippi consider the Natachez Trace a wonderful drive.
Gen. Grant started to try to capture Vicksburg in December 1862, he had to turn back after supply bases behind his advance were destroyed by Confederate cavalry raids. Sherman's offensive at Chickasaw Bayou designed to coordinate with Grant was also repulsed. Grant and Sherman were back in Memphis trying to organize another campaign as 1863 began. Grant consolidated forces and sent them down to set up on the west side of the Mississippi. Canals were attempted to divert the river away from the Vicksburg bend; the flooding river diverted itself by cutting a new channel in 1876. Today the Yazoo flows past Vicksburg in the old channel, due to a Corps of Engineers diversion effort. A meandering gunboat offensive was tried north of Vicksburg, several other operations to establish a force north of Vicksburg were attempted. All of these attempts failed and some were nearly disasters.
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