Namesake:
U.S. Civil War Battle of Vicksburg
Between Cairo IL, and the Gulf of Mexico, the Mississippi river
meanders over a course of more than a thousand miles long. During the
Civil War, control of this stretch of the river was of vital importance
to the Federal Government. Command of that waterway would allow
uninterrupted passage of Union troops and supplies into the South. It
would also have the desired effect of isolating the states of Texas and
Arkansas and most of Louisiana, comprising nearly half the land area of
the Confederacy and a region upon which the South depended heavily for
supplies and recruits.
From the beginning of the war in 1861, the Confederates, to protect
this vital lifeline, erected fortifications at strategic points along
the river. Federal forces, however, fighting their way southward from
Illinois and northward from the Gulf of Mexico, captured post after
post, until by late summer of 1862 only Vicksburg and Port Hudson posed
major obstacles to Union domination of the Mississippi. Of the two
posts, Vicksburg was the strongest and most important. It sat on a high
bluff overlooking a bend in the river, protected by artillery batteries
along the riverfront and by a maze of swamps and bayous to the north
and south. President Abraham Lincoln called Vicksburg " the key" and
believed that "the war can never be brought to a close until that key
is in our pocket". So far the city had defied Union efforts to force it
into submission.
In October 1862, Ulysses S. Grant was appointed commander of the
Department of the Tennessee and charged with clearing the Mississippi
of Confederate resistance. That same month, Lt. Gen. John C. Pemberton,
a West Point graduate and a Pennsylvanian by birth, assumed command of
the roughly 50,000 widely scattered Confederate troops defending the
Mississippi. His orders were to keep the river open. Vicksburg became
the focus of military operations of both generals.
On March 31, 1863, Grant moved his army south from its encampments at
Milliken's Bend, 20 miles northwest of Vicksburg. By April 28, the
Northerners were established at hard Times on the Mississippi above
Grand Gulf. On the 29th, RADM David D. Porter's gunboats bombarded the
Confederate forts at Grand Gulf to prepare the way for a crossing, but
the attack was repulsed. Undaunted, Grant marched a little further
south and, on April 30, crossed unopposed at Bruinsburg.
Striking rapidly eastward to secure the bridgehead. The Northerners met
elements of Pemberton's Confederate forces near Port Gibson on May 1.
The Southerners fought a gallant holding action, but they were
overwhelmed and fell back toward Vicksburg. After meeting and defeating
a small Confederate force near Raymond on May 12, Grant's troops
captured Jackson, the state capitol, on may 14, scattering Southern
defenders.
Turning his army westward, Grant moved along the line of the Southern
Railroad of Mississippi. At Champion Hill on May 16, and at Big Black
River Bridge on May 17, his soldiers attacked and overwhelmed
Pemberton's disorganized Confederates, driving them back into the
Vicksburg fortifications. By May 18, advanced units of the Federal army
were approaching the bristling Confederate defenses.
Believing that the battles of Champion Hill and Big Black River Bridge
had broken Confederate morale, Grant immediately scheduled an assault
on the Vicksburg lines. The first attack took place on May 19. It
failed. A second attack, launched on the morning of May 22, was also
repulsed.
Realizing that it was useless to expend further lives in attempts to
take the city by storm, Grant reluctantly began formal sedge
operations. Batteries of artillery were established to hammer the
confederate fortifications from the land side, while Admiral Porter's
gunboats cut off communications and blasted the city from the river. By
the end of June, with little hope of relief and no chance to break out
of the Federal cordon, Pemberton knew that it was only a matter of time
before he must "capitulate upon the best attainable terms." On the
afternoon of July 3, he met with Grant to discuss terms for the
surrender of Vicksburg.
Grant demanded unconditional surrender; Pemberton refused. The meeting
broke up. During the afternoon, the Federal commander modified his
demands and agreed to let the Confederates sign paroles not to fight
again until exchanged. In addition, officers could retain side arms and
a mount. Pemberton accepted these terms, and at 10 a.m. on July 4, 1863
Vicksburg was officially surrendered.
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Historical Notes:
Built by Ingalls Shipbuilding, at Pascagoula, MS, USS VICKSBURG's keel
was laid on May 30, 1990 and she was launched on September 7, 1991. USS
VICKSBURG was sponsored by Tricia Lott, wife of the Honorable Trent
Lott, United States Senator, Mississippi. On October 12, 1991, Mrs.
Lott christened CG 69 as "VICKSBURG". The ship was commissioned on
November 14, 1992.
On her six month maiden deployment to the Mediterranean and Adriatic
seas as a part of the USS SARATOGA joint task group, USS VICKSBURG
operated as "redcrown" cruiser, an airspace deconfliction and command
and control platform, in support of United Nations operations "Deny
Flight", "sharp Guard" and "Provide Promise" off the coast of
Montenegro. In May 1994, USS VICKSBURG participated, as part of the USS
SARATOGA (CV 60) Battle Group, in the major annual spring NATO exercise
"Dynamic Impact 94", a conventional major NATO exercise for maritime,
amphibious, land based air and ground forces in the central and western
Mediterranean area. The exercise was being held in the Western
Mediterranean.
USS VICKSBURG was on station in the Florida Straits in August 1994 for
Operation Able Vigil. While deployed, USS VICKSBURG was tasked with
providing support to the interdicting and transporting Cuban migrants
in the Florida Straits to U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and
assisting the U.S. Coast Guard which had the primary responsibility for
Operation Able Vigil.
As a precautionary measure, in September 1996, USS VICKSBURG was one of
13 Navy ships homeported at Naval Station Mayport, and sent to sea to
avoid Hurricane Fran.
The USS VICKSBURG left its homeport on April 29, 1997 for a six-month
overseas deployment with the USS JOHN F. KENNEDY (CV 67) Battle Group
(CVBG) to relieve the USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT (CVN 71) CVBG, which had
been operating in the Mediterranean Sea, Adriatic Sea, Red Sea and
Persian Gulf. The USS JOHN F. KENNEDY (CV 67) Battle Group deployed in
support of Operation Deliberate Guard and Operation Southern Watch. As
part of that battle group, USS VICKSBURG took part, in July, in the 6th
Fleet exercise Invitex involving 12 nations, and from September
23-October 7, in NATO'S Exercise Dynamic Mix. That exercise placed JOHN
F. KENNEDY Battle Group units on opposing sides and was designed to
increase task force and unit readiness as forces implemented NATO
strategy and doctrine.
In 1998, USS VICKSBURG experienced significant problems with AEGIS
Baseline 6.1 and CEC 2.0 integration, which forced re-scheduling its
deployments and caused a major rework of these computer programs.
USS VICKSBURG took part in U.S. Baltic Operations (BALTOPS) '99 in the
Western Baltic Sea in mid-1999. The exercise included 53 ships,
submarines and aircraft from European allies and Partnership for Peace
(PfP) nations Poland, Germany, France, United Kingdom, The Netherlands,
Finland, Latvia, Sweden, Denmark, Estonia, Lithuania and the United
States.
In the fall of 1999, USS VICKSBURG, participated solely in the
modernized phase of the 40th annual UNITAS deployment to South America.
During that deployment, it served as Flagship for the Commander, South
Atlantic Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet, and Commander, Destroyer Squadron
Six. The 40th UNITAS was a three-week exercise was hosted by Brazil and
included 23 ships from six countries, including the host, the United
States, Argentina, Uruguay, Portugal and Spain.
USS VICKSBURG took part in September 2000 in Underway No. 10", one in a
series of tests leading to the Cooperative Engagement Capability (CEC)
Operation Evaluation (OPEVAL) scheduled for Spring 2001. The CEC system
provides the capability to cooperatively engage targets by a warship
using data from other CEC-equipped ships, aircraft, and land-based
sensors, even in an electronic-jamming environment. It also provides a
common, consistent and highly accurate air picture, allowing battle
group defenses to act as one seamless system. The test, off Wallops
Island, VA, simulated missile firings from some of the Navy's most
technically advanced ships against unmanned drones.
From February 9, 2001, to March 2, 2001, USS VICKSBURG took part in a
technical evaluation (TECHEVAL) to test whether the Cooperative
Engagement Capability (CEC) was on track to a successful Operational
Evaluation (OPEVAL) in April and May of 2001. The TECHEVAL was
conducted in two phases, the first off the coast of Puerto Rico and the
second off Wallops Island, Va. The tests included live missile firings
and tracking exercises from some of the Navy's most technically
advanced ships.
As part of the USS GEORGE WASHINGTON (CVN 73) Carrier Battle Group
(CVBG), and in response to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001,
USS VICKSBURG set sail in support of defense and humanitarian efforts
off the coast of New York.
USS VICKSBURG, as part of the JOHN F. KENNEDY (CV 67) Battle Group
(CVBG) participated in Joint Task Force Exercise (JTFEX) 02-1, with
Phase I of the exercise running from January 19 through 26, 2002, and
Phase II running from February 7-14.
USS VICKSBURG deployed as part of the USS JOHN F. KENNEDY Battlegroup,
which relieved on March 8, 2002, the USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT (CVN 71)
Carrier Battle Group, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. USS
VICKSBURG was tasked with helping protect the USS JOHN F. KENNEDY (CV
67) from threats in the sky, on the surface, or underwater. |
Ship's Crest:
The Shield:
Dark blue and gold are
the colors traditionally associated with the United States Navy. Red is
emblematic of sacrifice and valor. The blue and gray of the shield
recall the two sides involved in the Civil War. The four sections
underscore July 4, 1863, the date of the confederate surrender at
Vicksburg, MS. The Naval sword and musket, crossed to express strength,
signify the teamwork and the joint operations of the land and sea
forces at Vicksburg when the Union Navy transported General Ulysses S.
Grants Army inland under fire. The annulet symbolizes General Grants
siege of the city by closing the ring on the Confederate forces to win
the battle. The vertical missile symbolizes the firepower of the
current cruiser, USS VICKSBURG (CG 69). The border simulates the armor
plates of the Civil War gunboats and the part they played in the
battle; the seventeen black cannon balls pay tribute to the Unions 17th
Army Corps Commander who was victorious at Vicksburg, and was appointed
Commander of the Vicksburg District on July 4, 1863.
The Crest: The American eagle in
flight symbolizes the reunification of the states involved in the Civil
War. The eagle carries a streamer containing the two battle stars of
the previous cruiser, USS VICKSBURG (CL 86), received for service in
World War II. The key held in the eagles right talon represents
President Abraham Lincolns statement that "Vicksburg is the keythe war
can never be brought to a close until that key is in our pocket." The
trident in the eagles left talon is symbolic of a sea power with its
three tines representing the anti-air, anti-surface, and anti-submarine
warfare capabilities of the present guided missile cruiser, USS
VICKSBURG (CG 69). The trident also honors the previous ships named
"VICKSBURG". The embattled wall above the wavy lines recalls the high
fortresses of the city of Vicksburg along the east bank of the
Mississippi River, and also represents defense, strength, and the
combat capabilities of USS VICKSBURG (CG 69).
Motto: "Key to Victory"
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