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Historian Details A Civil War Battle’s Lasting Legacy

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Residents of Vicksburg, Miss. had to eat rats throughout the Civil War — that is, until Confederate Gen. John C. Pemberton helped turn everything around.

Dr. Samuel W. Mitcham Jr., a historian and army veteran, dispelled a number of myths about the famous Vicksburg battle in his upcoming book “Vicksburg: The Bloody Siege That Turned the Tide of the Civil War,” which will be out for sale June 4. Mitcham’s book reevaluates the famous battle, which was a turning point in the Civil War due to changing power dynamics between the North and South. Mitcham also discussed the Confederate Army’s attempt to preserve the Vicksburg Fortress from October 1862 to July 4, 1863. The author consulted historical letters and diaries, which helped him gather new information about Vicksburg during the time of the siege. (RELATED: John Wilkes Booth Was Apparently The Leonardo DiCaprio Of His Day)

Mitcham explained to The Daily Caller News Foundation that his newest book is different from previous accounts of Vicksburg because it changes the perception of Pemberton from a bad leader to one who strived to keep the Confederacy alive. One common myth is that Pemberton was an indecisive and cowardly leader. However, Mitcham changes the narrative, expressing that he was a general with a resourceful mind and was staunchly committed to preserving the southern Confederacy.

Mitcham’s newest book “Vicksburg: The Bloody Siege that Turned the Tide of the Civil War” will hit shelves June 4. (Photo Courtesy of Regnery History)

“Pemberton was not a lucky general, but he was not a boob and deserved better than what he got,” the author told TheDCNF. The general was also a “capable military engineer who designed Fort Wagner.” (RELATED: World War II Vet Miraculously Survived Getting Shot Down By Nazis, And He Still Tells His Story)

The author instead tried to reclaim Pemberton’s character as a military general.

“Trapped for six weeks, the residents of Vicksburg were forced to dig caves and eat rats to survive. But, due to Pemberton’s stalwart character and resourceful mind, they continued to trust his command despite dire circumstances,” Mitcham said. He also joked that rats were a “delicacy at the end of the siege, not the beginning.”

A photo of author Dr. Samuel W. Mitcham Jr. (Photo Courtesy of Regnery History)

Mitcham was an Army helicopter pilot during the Vietnam War. The author has written more than 40 books, with a majority of his writings focused on World War II, and has also worked as a guest lecturer at the United State Military Academy at West Point. He is currently focusing on writing more books about the Civil War.