Natalie Johnson

Mississippis Civil War

Ben Wynnes book Mississippis Civil War is very informative on the specifics of
the effects in Mississippi during the Civil War. Mississippi went through extreme
tragedies during this time. Many families were fighting together or against one another,
brother against brother. The Civil War not only ripped apart Mississippi but also the
Souths confidence in the Union. The North and the South were overly confident that
they could beat anyone, especially since the Mexico-American war. The realities of the
Civil War, such as a lack of food and weapons, and the causalities were not evident
amongst the Southerners and specifically the residents of Mississippi.
When Mississippi followed South Carolina, the rest of the southern states
followed in secession, they assumed it would be a quick war. The South wanted to be
separate from the Union in order to make their own decisions regarding slavery. There
was so much patriotic enthusiasm that volunteers were coming in quickly. They had no
idea the struggles that they were going to face. Many of these new army recruits wanted
to become much like their older, heroic war predecessors. Some of these men were
married with children or single and looking for adventure. The celebrations of
ceremonies were amongst many counties in Mississippi in recognition for the new
soldiers going off to fight for their Confederate states. These ceremonies really pushed
the spirits and confidence up for the soldiers and even the residents.
The soldiers were ready to tackle the Union. Sadly, there were not enough
adequate supplies for them. Pettus was having a hard time distributing enough weapons
and supplies to the soldiers in Mississippi. One of the first major battles, the Battle of
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Shiloh, really brought attention to the Confederate and Union soldiers as to how serious
this war really was. Many soldiers were not prepared for battle and the causalities
suffered from both sides were staggering. The firing of a gun or fighting another for the
first time became apparent this war was not going to be an easy defeat. Honor was not an
issue, it was the amount of weapons and supplies they could produce to defeat the Union.
After the Battle of Shiloh for instance, Corinth became somewhat of a hospital for
all the soldiers injured. During the war many areas in Mississippi were taken over to
serve as hospitals for both Confederate and Union soldiers. Corinth was low on supplies
and staff. The food and water quality and quantity was inadequate. The disease level was
high and many were struggling to bury the men who had passed away. These men were
young and had never seen a mangled body before. They were not prepared for the mental
pictures they would forever hold in their minds.
As the soldiers marched towards their destinations, bad weather and diseases
really slowed them down. It took much longer to get to where they needed to be because
of these obstacles. As a result, many soldiers walked away from the war efforts. They
were no longer interested in defending Mississippi. Before the Battle of Shiloh, five
percent of the total enlisted men had left the war. Those who were seeking an adventure
quickly understood the harsh realities of the war.
Men were not just dying from diseases or wounds. They died from unforeseen
accidents as well. On October 18, 1862, Peter Kirby was the conductor on the James
Brown that collided with another train A.M. West, losing many Confederate soldiers. The
loss of around eighty soldiers resulted from this accident. The citizens of Duck Hill came
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out to help with the burial and tending of soldiers. The way the townspeople came
together to help show their strength of patriotism was honorable.
Many of the citizens of Mississippi felt like the war was an ongoing, never-ending
battle. The realities of the war were approaching fast. The decline of faith was wearing
extremely thin. The war cost people the loss of family members and the destruction of
their property. Railroads and telegraph wires were destroyed, mules and horses taken,
pigs, chicken, and cows eaten, stores destroyed and merchandise stolen. The citizens
were losing their means of survival to Confederates who were lacking enough food
rations to go around. They were even to blame for many of the fires along their own
lines. They contributed along with the Union soldiers, for the destruction of many homes
and properties. Confederates and Union soldiers were taking what they could.
Despite the struggles the Confederate soldiers faced, they treaded on with
determination. General Ulysses S. Grant for the Federal Army was equally determined to
take Vicksburg down. During this time, Confederate soldiers suffered far more deaths.
The citizens were digging caves around the hillsides in the city where they sought out
refuge against shrapnel and stray bullets. The civilians were suffering as well as the
soldiers in their trenches. The soldiers were psychologically and emotionally drained
from waiting and the lack of food. As the fight in Vicksburg continued on, the
Confederate soldiers were realizing that they could not progress any further. On July 4,
1863 the Confederate army surrendered. Unfortunately, the fighting did not cease in
Mississippi.
War was less celebrated by the state at this point. Many volunteers were being
pressured to stay longer than they had originally planned. As before, many soldiers were
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walking away from the wartime efforts. They were either laying low or had fled to the
North. The citizens and soldiers were continually being told that their efforts were to
maintain their independence from the North. Mississippi was struggling to hold on to
their soldiers or to find new recruits. Many slaves had also run away and soldiers who
were once farmers had gone to war or were dead, leaving the primary crops out of order.
Mississippi had little to no funding to help the poor or even get them the required
resources they needed due to the destruction of many railroads. Mississippi elected
Charles Clark in hopes that he would get Mississippi back where it once was. He
persuaded Mississippians to continue their struggle to gain their independence against the
North and abolitionists. As time went on Mississippi slowly reconstructed their state.
There were more who spoke out about accepting Federal authority. Clark wrote to
President Johnson in hopes that Mississippi could enter the Union again.
Mississippi was hit hard during the Civil War. When the dust settled there was
much to be done about the effects of the war. No one could ever imagine the outcome of
a war. For Mississippi they were truly nave to the aftermath they would have to face.
From celebrations to grieving, Mississippi went through many negative issues. The
realities of the Civil War, such as a lack of food and weapons, and the causalities were
not evident amongst the Southerners and specifically the residents of Mississippi.