The Union gained control of the Mississippi River as a result of which Civil War battle?

• A. Battle of Vicksburg
• B. Battle of Gettysburg
• C. Battle of Shiloh
• D. Battle of Antietam

Answer: (A)

Gaining control of the Mississippi River was a crucial strategic goal because it would cut the Confederacy in two and secure a vital transport and supply route for the Union. The decisive moment came with the Siege of Vicksburg in 1863. General Grant’s forces besieged the city, and after weeks of siege, the Confederate garrison surrendered. With Vicksburg in Union hands, the entire Mississippi became a Union artery from the northern border to the Gulf, effectively isolating the western Confederate states and crippling their ability to move troops and resources along the river. The other battles listed occurred in different theaters and did not yield river control. So the battle that secured Union control of the Mississippi was Vicksburg.