(A) to end the war immediately
(B) to gain access to the West
(C) to support General Sherman
(D) ** to control the Mississippi River
EXPLANATIONS BELOW
Concept note-1: -Vicksburg’s strategic location on the Mississippi River made it a critical win for both the Union and the Confederacy. The Confederate surrender there ensured Union control of the Mississippi River and cleaved the South in two.
Concept note-2: -In May of 1863, Ulysses S. Grant marched towards the final goal of his campaign: Vicksburg. Taking this Southern stronghold would allow the Union to control the Mississippi River and boost Northern morale.
Concept note-3: -Grant hoped to secure control of the Mississippi River for the Union. By having control of the river, Union forces would split the Confederacy in two and control an important route to move men and supplies. The last major Confederate stronghold on the Mississippi River was the city of Vicksburg, Mississippi.
Concept note-4: -On May 16, Grant defeated a force under General John C. Pemberton at Champion Hill, one of the Confederates’ last defenses outside of Vicksburg. Pemberton retreated back to Vicksburg, and Grant sealed off the city by the end of May.
Concept note-5: -Along with the defeat of Robert E. Lee’s army at Gettysburg a day earlier, the Confederate surrender of Vicksburg, Mississippi on July 4, 1863 would turn the tide of the Civil War. The Union campaign against Vicksburg, in its entirety, would be the longest of the Civil War.