The Longest Siege: Port Hudson, Louisiana, 1863 ( Russell W. Blount, JR - CWC) tours speaking on its podcast

speaking on its podcast

by Dean Thomas

at times bypassing the press altogether

ranging from Richard Nixon to Nancy Reagan

by Harold Holzer

The Longest Siege: Port Hudson, Louisiana, 1863 ( Russell W. Blount, JR - CWC) tours speaking on its podcastby Russell W. Blount Jr. During the Civil War, control of the Mississippi River was hotly contested by both the Union and Confederate armies. By late 1862, the South held only a 110 mile stretch of this vital waterway. Determined to defend this critical span, the Confederacy built two fortresses to defend it Vicksburg on the north end, Port Hudson on the south. Drawing on the letters and memoirs of soldiers and officers on both sides, this book