In March, 1863, the 20th Michigan
moved to Kentucky where they skirmished and battled with
Confederates near the Cumberland River.
Vicksburg
Campaign
In June, 1863, the 20th Michigan was transferred to
reinforce General Grant’s army and naval forces besieging
Vicksburg, Mississippi.
General Grant’s army, along
with naval units on the Mississippi River, had started the
siege of Vicksburg. Mississippi in May, 1863.
In June the IX Corps, which included
the 20th Michigan, had joined as reinforcement
to General Grant’s army.
The IX Corps commanded
by General Parke in the Army of Maneuver under General Sherman
northeast of Vicksburg. The Army of Maneuver
was protecting the General Grant's troops around the city of
Vicksburg from any attempt by Confederate troops under
General Pemberton to break the siege.
Regiment
symbol (20MI) is serving within
the dashed oval in the XI Corps in General Sherman's
Army of Maneuver from June 20 until the Confederate
surrender on July 4 |
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Map of Sherman's fortified
line June 20 to July 4, 1863 to
which the 20th Michigan was deployed. |
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On July 4,
the 20th Michigan was
camped at Flower Hill Church. |
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After
Vicksburg surrendered on July 4, 1863, the IXth
Corps with the 20th Michigan moved east
to Jackson, Mississippi. For the second time in this
campaign, Jackson was placed under siege. Regiment symbol (20MI) north of Jackson, Mississippi is the approximate position of the 20th Michigan during the assault and recapture of Jackson, Mississippi by July 16, 1863. |
Union troops captured Jackson by July 16.
Contemporary map with orange regiment symbol (20MI) at the approximate location
of the 20th Michigan during the July, 1863 campaign to
recapture Jackson, Mississippi. |
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After the fall of Vicksburg, the 20th Michigan participated in another assault to recapture Jackson, Mississippi. The State Capitol Building survived the burning of the city. | |
Today the Old Capitol is the Mississippi the State Historical Museum. | |
Michigan State Memorial, Vicksburg National Military Park,Vicksburg, Mississippi. |
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Vicksburg
Campaign Sites in 2016 |
In August 1863, the 20th Michigan
returned to Kentucky.
In October, the 20th
Michigan crossed through the Cumberland Gap to eastern
Tennessee.
Many people in eastern
Tennessee were strongly pro-Union. One of President Lincoln’s
priorities was to secure the area and provide them protection
from the Confederates.
In September 1863, after the
Confederate victory at Chickamauga, Georgia, the main Union
army retreated to Chattanooga, Tennessee. The Confederates cut
them off and placed Chattanooga under siege.
At the same time, a large
Confederate force moved into eastern Tennessee.
The Union forces, including
the 20th
Michigan, withdrew into defensive positions in
Knoxville, Tennessee.
By November 25, 1863,
reinforcements under General Grant relieved the siege of
Chattanooga. That freed Union forces to go join those now cut
off in Knoxville.
Before the Union reinforcements could arrive, the Confederates assaulted what they hoped was the weakest point of Knoxville’s defenses, Fort Sanders on the far northwest corner of Knoxville.
1863 map of Knoxville with both Fort Sanders and the 20th Michigan. | |
Fort Sanders with position of the 20th Michigan and the direction of the main Confederate attack. |
Before the attack, the Union
soldiers soaked the sloped dirt walls of Fort Sanders. After
the water froze the icy slope would be even more difficult for
the Confederates to scale.
On November 29, 1863, the
Confederates attacked and failed in their attempt to take Fort
Sanders. The 20th Michigan suffered 19 casualties, with two
killed, eight wounded, and nine captured
November 29, 1863
Confederate assault on Fort Sanders, Knoxville,
Tennessee. |
The 20th Michigan remained in and around Knoxville
until March 1863, when it was ordered back to Virginia.
INDEX: Anson Croman and the American Civil War | ||
INDEX: Cizewski,
Lovetere, Musbach, & Robinson Families History All material not in the public domain © 2004 - 2018 Leonard H. Cizewski Last Major Update; July 4, 2022 Last Minor Revision: July 13, 2018 Last Reviewed: Posted: May 24, 2004 |
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