Grant's Canal

In the Civil War, General Grant came up with an idea to dig a canal to divert the Mississippi River, in order to change the flow to land lock and neutralize the City of Vicksburg, and the marker at Lake Providence shows of one of those four attempts.

As Abraham Lincoln said: "Vicksburg is the key supply route...and this war can never be won until we halt that key. Brig. General T. Williams began work on a canal to divert the Mississippi River and by-pass confederate batteries in Vicksburg in 1862.

Major General Ulysses S. Grant resumed work on the canal in January 1863. Rapid progress was made until a sudden drop in the Mississippi left the canal above river stage. The canal was dug deeper. However, an equally sudden rise in the river collapsed the dam and filled the canal with sediment and backwater. Grant abandoned the canal in March. The Union forces finally cut the Confederate supply route and Vicksburg.

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