"The capture of Vicksburg by the US Army was one of the most important military events of the American Civil War because it opened the Mississippi River, cutting the Confederacy in two. The siege operations in and of themselves have a lot to offer to our understanding of the campaign and the war: the extent of the operations, the complexity of the strategy and tactics, the grueling nature of the day-by-day participation, and the effect on all involved. Only by understanding the siege in vivid detail, in all its complexities, can we fully understand the larger Vicksburg Campaign itself"-- Provided by publisher.

"The Great Problem" --"We Have Done Very Little, But Made A Great Noise In Doing It" -- "I Think We Will Siege Them Out" -- "My Men Are In Good Spirits, Awaiting Your Arrival" -- "We Hear Nothing But The Crack Of Guns Smell Nothing But Powder" -- "Grant Is Pressing, And Must Be Supplied" -- "The Mental Strain Became Awful Under Such Conditions" -- "The Most Miserable Place We Have Ever Been In" -- "Can't Our Government Send Us Relief?" -- "I Should Have Relieved Him Long Since" -- "Johnston Will Attack Within Forty-Eight Hours" -- "The Death Hole" -- "We Are Drawing Nearer Every Day The End Of Our Tether" -- "I Only Wonder It Has Held Out So Long" -- "Vicksburg Has Surrendered" -- "Gen. Grant Has `Caught The Rabbit'".