Which Union general launched the Vicksburg Campaign to gain control of the Mississippi River?

• A. Ulysses S. Grant
• B. Robert E. Lee
• C. George B. McClellan
• D. William T. Sherman

Answer: (A)

Gaining control of the Mississippi River was a strategic aim to split the Confederacy and sever its supply lines. The campaign to take Vicksburg was led by Ulysses S. Grant, who moved down the Mississippi, crossed at Bruinsburg, and laid siege to the city. The surrender on July 4, 1863, gave the Union full control of the river, fulfilling a key part of the plan to divide the Confederacy. This campaign is distinct from other generals’ actions: Robert E. Lee commanded in the East for the Confederacy, George B. McClellan led Eastern Theater operations, and William T. Sherman later conducted the campaigns in the deep South but did not launch the Vicksburg Campaign.