Friday May 18, 2012
May 18 ,1863 - Union forces begin the Siege of Vicksburg (right). Crossing the Mississippi River at Bruinsburg on April 29-30, 1863, Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's Army of the Tennessee embarked on a stunning campaign which saw it win several battles before driving Lt. Gen. John C. Pemberton's forces back into the Vicksburg defenses. A fortress that commanded the Mississippi, holding the city was key if the Confederates wished to deny use of the river to the Union. Attacking on May 19, Grant's army was repulsed by the Vicksburg defenses. Trying again on the 22nd, the result proved no better. Unwilling to suffer more casualties, Grant elected to lay siege. Reinforced over the next month, he compelled Vicksburg to surrender on July 4, 1863. Coming a day a after the Union victory at Gettysburg, the fall of Vicksburg, and Port Hudson fours days later, opened the river to Union traffic and marked the turning point of the Civil War.
Civil War Battles - 1863 in the West
Photograph Source: Public Domain
Wednesday May 16, 2012
May 17, 2006 - USS Oriskany (right) is sunk in the Gulf of Mexico as an artificial reef. Laid down during World War II as a "long-hulled" Essex-class carrier, Oriskany was not launched until after the conflict's end. Though nearly complete, work on the ship was suspended in 1947. It was resumed a few years later when the vessel became the prototype for the SCB-27 modernization program. Finally completed in 1950, Oriskany initially saw service in the Atlantic before transferring to the Pacific for the remainder of its career. Deployed to the Western Pacific in 1952, it made its combat debut supporting UN forces during the Korean War. Modernized again in the late 1950s, the carrier became a stalwart of the US Navy's aerial campaign during the Vietnam War. Between 1965 and 1973, the ship conducted seven deployments off Southeast Asia. In 1966, Oriskany suffered a devastating fire which killed over 40 men and was the result of a mishandled magnesium flare. Retired in 1976, Oriskany was originally sold for scrap but was later reclaimed by the US Navy. Given to the State of Florida, it was sunk as an artificial reef in 2006.
US Navy - Aircraft Carriers
Photograph Courtesy of the US Naval History & Heritage Command
Monday May 14, 2012
May 13-15, 1864 - Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman (right) fights the Battle of Resaca during his Atlanta Campaign. Pushing south from Chattanooga, Sherman sought to turn Gen. Joseph E. Johnston out of his strong position at Dalton, GA by exploiting an undefended mountain pass at Snake Creek Gap and capturing Resaca. Advancing through the gap, Maj. Gen. James McPherson's Army of the Tennessee failed to take the town on May 9 allowing Johnston to retreat south. Taking a position north and west of Resaca, Johnston repelled Union assaults on May 14 and counterattacked against Sherman's left flank. The fighting resumed the next day as Sherman attacked from the north and Johnston attempted another flanking maneuver. Learning that afternoon that Union troops were crossing the Oostanaula River and threatening his rear, Johnston withdrew south after nightfall.
Photograph Courtesy of the National Archives & Records Administration
Saturday May 12, 2012
May 12, 1863- Union forces under Maj. Gen. James B. McPherson (right) win the Battle of Raymond. After crossing the Mississippi River south of Vicksburg, Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant pushed northeast to sever the city's rail connections to Jackson, MS. Advancing on the Union right, McPherson's XVII Corps encountered an over-strength Confederate brigade near Raymond on May 12. Led by Brig. Gen. John Gregg, this force initially moved to attack the Union troops until realizing it was badly outnumbered. In the fighting, McPherson's men overwhelmed the Confederates and sent them retreating back to Jackson.
American Civil War - Fighting in the West:
Photograph Courtesy of the Library of Congress
