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Article: Vicksburg canal projects become deadly debacles.(Saturday)(The Civil War)
- Article from:
- The Washington Times (Washington, DC)
- Article date:
- December 13, 1997
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1997 News World Communications, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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During every war, civilian and military officers come up with ideas that they later wish historians would quietly forget. One such suggestion during the Civil War led to two failed attempts by the Union military to divert the Mississippi River away from heavily fortified Vicksburg. Even today, the mighty river follows a tortuous course from St. Louis to New Orleans, but in 1862, it was even worse.
From a point north of Vicksburg, the river flowed southeast to its junction with the Yazoo, then made a long left turn to flow northeast for about five miles. Then it made a sharp right turn to flow past Vicksburg, on the east bank. Inside this sharp turn was a ...