How the Vicksburg Siege May Have Turned the Tide of the Civil War—Samuel Mitcham

History Unplugged Podcast

History Unplugged

Society & Culture, History

4.2 • 3.7K Ratings

🗓️ 16 August 2018

⏱️ 59 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

“Traitor!” “Failure!” “Bungling fool!”

Southern newspapers hurled these sentiments at Confederate General John C. Pemberton after he surrendered the fortress of Vicksburg—the key to controlling the Mississippi River during the Civil War. But were they justified in their accusations?

Today I'm talking with Dr. Samuel Mitcham, author of Vicksburg: The Bloody Siege that Turned the Tide of the Civil War. He argues that these newspapers—and history itself—have wrongly marred Pemberton’s legacy.

Some of the myths he argues against are that Pemberton’s indecisiveness delayed the aid Vicksburg needed, when in fact he had been urgently requesting reinforcements, stationed nearby, but his commanding general repeatedly ignored him due to a petty grudge.

The Confederate Army fought an exhaustive battle to defend the fortress of Vicksburg from the spring of 1862 until its surrender on July 4, 1863. Trapped for six weeks, the residents of Vicksburg were forced to dig caves and eat rats to survive. But, due to Pemberton’s stalwart character and resourceful mind, they continued to trust his command despite dire circumstances.

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1:02.8	Welcome to the history unplugged podcast. The unscripted show that celebrates unsung heroes,
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1:18.9	When Confederate General John C. Pemberton surrendered the fortress of Vicksburg,
1:28.9	which was the key to controlling the Mississippi River during the Civil War,
1:32.8	Southern newspapers called him a traitor, a failure, and a bungling fool.
1:38.0	This is mostly the narrative that historians have about Vicksburg, one of the most pivotal
1:42.2	turning points in the Civil War. But are these accusations justified?
1:47.1	Today, I'm talking with Dr. Samuel Mitchem, author of the new book Vicksburg, the bloody siege
1:52.1	that turned the tide of the Civil War. He argues that newspapers and much of history itself
	...

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