"The Siege of Jackson, Mississippi" by Jim Woodcock

For most of us, the role of Mississippi in the Civil War revolves around Vicksburg and the months-long siege of that Mississippi River city in 1863 by the army of Ulysses S. Grant. Vicksburg was a critical target for the Union; until it fell, it prevented Union control of the Mississippi River.  

But for Mississippi, the war was far greater a force than only Vicksburg. Northern Mississippi, and cities like Corinth, Holly Springs, and Oxford, experienced the destruction of war before Vicksburg did. From early in the war, the Gulf Coast was effectively controlled by the Union Navy. The state’s citizens experienced increasing degrees of shortages of foodstuffs and basic necessities. 

 

And then there was Jackson, the state capital.

To continue reading, please see my post today at Dancing Priest.