A history of the United States for schools . resthe Confederates could not build fortifications thatcould withstand the Federal river fleets. But on theeastern side the basin of the great river is bounded bythe lofty plains of Tennessee and Mississippi, whichterminate in precipitous bluffs; and here and there, atlong intervals, the river sweeps close up to the bluffsand washes their base. Among these points are Mem-phis, Vicksburg, Grand Gulf, and Port Hudson. Theseplaces stand on the summit of high bluffs, and they candestroy warships with a plunging fire, without incurringmuch damage in retu
A history of the United States for schools . resthe Confederates could not build fortifications thatcould withstand the Federal river fleets. But on theeastern side the basin of the great river is bounded bythe lofty plains of Tennessee and Mississippi, whichterminate in precipitous bluffs; and here and there, atlong intervals, the river sweeps close up to the bluffsand washes their base. Among these points are Mem-phis, Vicksburg, Grand Gulf, and Port Hudson. Theseplaces stand on the summit of high bluffs, and they candestroy warships with a plunging fire, without incurringmuch damage in return. Hence it is almost impossibleto assault them in front from the river ; the only way ofapproaching them safely is from the east or rear side. After the fall of Corinth had exposed Memphis to at-tack from the rear, the Confederates lost con- . Importance trol of the Mississippi River down to Vicks- of vicks-burg. That place, as well as Grand Gulf and po^ Uad-Port Hudson, they strongly fortified, and from ^° 4o8 THE FEDERAL UNION. Ch. Vicksburg to Port Hudson,250 miles, they held theriver in their grasp. Be-tween these two points theRed River empties into theMississippi, and the RedRiver was the military roadby which men and suppliescould be sent from Texas,Louisiana, and Arkansas tothe central and eastern re-gions of the this way, too, the Southcould still communicatewith Europe in a round-about way through capture of Vicksburgand Port Hudson by theFederals meant the cuttingoff of one of the most important sources of supplies forthe South, and the final completion of the blockade. Itwould be one of the most damaging blows that could bestruck at the Confederacy. THE VICKSBURG CAMPAIGN §146. SLAVERY-AND SECESSION. 409 Grants first movement toward Vicksburg, in Decem-ber, 1862, was by the rear, through the state of Missis-sippi ; but by the time he had advanced from Corinthhalfway toward Jackson, the Confederates succeeded indestroying the railro
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