HIS 204 Vicksburg

Syllabus Review

Texts and Home Page

• Grant Wins the War: Decision at Vicksburg by James Arnold

• Assigned articles

• http://ocean.otr.usm.edu/~w416373/

Grading

• Exam 200 points• Quizzes 4 at 50 points each• Writing Assignment 300 points• Service-learning participation 50 points• Student presentation 50 points• Final Exam 200 points

ID & SIGs

• Identify and state the significance of the term in 2 to 4 sentences

• Focus is on the significance

ID & SIG Example

• Confederate departmental system. – The Confederacy organized its vast territory into

regional commands called departments. The intention was to leave most operational decisions to the departmental commanders, theoretically allowing the Confederate government to focus on only the most important strategic decisions. The reality was that departmental commanders tended to operate in isolation from each other with only limited unity of effort, and this would negatively impact on the cooperation between Pemberton at Vicksburg and the Trans-Mississippi Department.

Writing Requirement

• Due July 15• 1,500 to 2,000 word analytical paper• Analytical writing should

– articulate complex ideas clearly and effectively – examine claims and accompanying evidence – support ideas with relevant reasons and examples – sustain a well-focused, coherent discussion – control the elements of standard written English

• Thesis– “a position or proposition that a person ... advances

and offers to maintain by argument”• Topic choices are in syllabus

Writing Requirement• The comparative strategic importance of the Federal victories at

Vicksburg and Gettysburg.• The state of joint operational expertise at the time of Vicksburg and

Vicksburg as a joint operation.• The battle of Champion Hill including discussion of the concept of

the decisive point.• The importance of logistics in the Vicksburg Campaign from both

Confederate and Federal perspectives.• Vicksburg as a failure of Confederate leadership and command

structure.• The importance of maneuver in the Federal victory at Vicksburg

including discussions of the concepts of the turning movement, central position, and isolation.

• The impact of the siege of Vicksburg on the civilian population including a discussion of Vicksburg’s implications of the modern understanding of the law of land warfare.

Writing Style• Put the recommendation, conclusion or reason for

writing -- the “bottom line” -- in the first paragraph, not at the end.

– BLUF: “Bottom line up front”

• Use the active voice.

• Write for your audience, but, in general, keep it simple

– Use short sentences (an average of 15 or fewer words).

– Understand the words you use

– Write paragraphs that average 6 to 7 sentences in length.

• Use correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation.

Organization: “M1A1 Paper”

• Intro… tell them what you’re going to tell them

• Body… tell them

• Conclusion… tell them what you told them

Example

• Introduction– The University of Southern Mississippi is the

best all-around university in the state. This is because of its diversity of majors, opportunities afforded by its location, and richness of its student life. These attributes allow the University of Southern Mississippi to meet the needs of a wide variety of students.

Example

• Para 2– Majors

• Para 3– Location

• Para 4– Student life

Example

• Conclusion– There is something for everyone at USM. Whether a

student wants to major in dance or polymer science, he can get a quality education here. Hattiesburg is truly “the Hub City,” and USM’s location provides easy access to such places as the Gulf Coast, New Orleans, and Jackson. Finally, USM offers abundant student life opportunities ranging from fraternities and sororities to intercollegiate athletics to clubs. USM is the total package. It is the best all-around university in the state.

Student Presentations

• 7 to 15 minute presentation on one of the topics listed in the syllabus

• Expand on, don’t repeat, what has already been covered in class

• Use powerpoint

• Graded on both communication skills and content

Service Learning

• We’ll make a working field trip to Raymond to help with battlefield preservation efforts and meet with Vicksburg expert Parker Hills

• Points will be based on energetic and productive completion f assigned tasks and active engagement with BG (Ret) Hills

Quizzes

• ID & SIGs

Exams

• ID & SIGs

• Short Answer

• Essay

Schedule

• Day 1– Syllabus Review, Introduction, Strategic Setting,

Basic Military Doctrine

• Day 2– Basic Military Doctrine (cont), Personalities and

Armies– Select presentation topics

• Day 3– Joint Operations, Jan-Apr 1863 Attempts, Running

the Gauntlet, Grand Gulf, Bruinsburg, Port Gibson– Quiz

Schedule

• Day 4– Logistics, Raymond, Jackson, Champion Hill– Quiz

• Day 5– Assaults, Siege Life, Civilian Life– Quiz– Student presentations– Exam Review

Schedule

• Day 6– Exam

• Day 7– Staff rides and battlefield preservation, Other

Civil War sites in Mississippi, Prep for Raymond trip

– Student presentations

• Day 8– Service-learning trip to Raymond

Schedule

• Day 9– Discussion of Raymond trip, Strategic impact

of Vicksburg– Quiz (includes service-learning reflections)– Student presentations– Exam review

• Day 10– Final exam

Service-learning

• http://friendsofraymond.org/

• Hands-on experience in battlefield preservation

• Led by Parker Hills

• Reflections will be part of Day 9 quiz

Next

• Strategic Setting