Siege Question

[Chertio]

I have a siege going at Vicksburg (picture attached) : Grant is besieging the place, and I have three forces in the surrounding regions (Adams, Claiborne, Yazoo) which I put there to exert ZoC and prevent escape.

I also tried putting ironclads on the river exit (Joseph Run) but they kept getting beaten away by a CSA fleet.

Can the enemy escape directly from the fort by river transport or must they get out of the fort (and evade or defeat Grant) first?

Are my three surrounding forces achieving anything useful, or is Grant alone enough to keep the CSA trapped inside the fort?

How long do sieges last, and is there any way to judge how soon they might end? The fort is completely breached and has no defensive benefits. The depot in Vicksburg looks permanently empty, do I have to wait for the troops to starve?

Also I managed to foul up the turn succession last turn and may have reconstructed it wrongly, maybe that might account for CSA force apparently being stuck in Vicksburg (PBEM, my opponent tried to exit last turn and failed).

[Redeemer]

I will try to answer your questions as best I can.

I have a siege going at Vicksburg (picture attached) : Grant is besieging the place, and I have three forces in the surrounding regions (Adams, Claiborne, Yazoo) which I put there to exert ZoC and prevent escape.

I also tried putting ironclads on the river exit (Joseph Run) but they kept getting beaten away by a CSA fleet.

Can the enemy escape directly from the fort by river transport or must they get out of the fort (and evade or defeat Grant) first?

Yes and Yes. They can leave by river transport since the port is not blockaded, but I believe they must evade Grant to do so.

Are my three surrounding forces achieving anything useful, or is Grant alone enough to keep the CSA trapped inside the fort?

Grant is enough to keep up the seige, but your other forces are keeping the military control in those other zones, whether that is useful or not is up to you.

How long do sieges last, and is there any way to judge how soon they might end? I have been getting messages about besieging and making breaches for a few turns, but this turn nothing (not even a "no effect" seige message). The depot in Vicksburg looks permanently empty, do I have to wait for the troops to starve?

The siege will last as long as it does, there are not set times. The breaches only let you know the status of the defenses and how effective the will be now if you assault the city. The siege may or may not end before the troops inside starve. Since you do not have the port blockaded, the city can continue to recieve supplies at a reduced rate (50% I think, someone correct me if I am wrong).

Also I managed to foul up the turn succession last turn and may have reconstructed it wrongly, maybe that might account for CSA force apparently being stuck in Vicksburg (PBEM, my opponent tried to exit last turn and failed).

If your opponent drops his forces outside of the city there is a normal chance of battle like any other, but I believe if he losses, he will got back into the city. I believe the same is true if he tries to move out of the region with evasion, if he fails he goes back to the city.

Someone else may correct me, but I think this is how it is.

[Chertio]

Thank you! There were two brief fights last turn between Grant and the defenders, maybe them trying to evade their way out and failing both times.

(So it looks as if the turn has worked as expected which is a relief, I must have reconstructed it correctly).

[77NY]

Interestingly, my forces in Vicksburg had the red flashing ZOC warning and were listed as "Besieged" but they were NOT inside the fort any longer and left their trenches.

As I mentioned to Chertio in our emails, I was able to get one light division out the previous turn by loading them directly onto a river fleet in the harbor. But Johnston's army had a light engagement with Grant (only ~1,000 casualties each) and went nowhere.

[Redeemer]

Interestingly, my forces in Vicksburg had the red flashing ZOC warning and were listed as "Besieged" but they were NOT inside the fort any longer and left their trenches.

As I mentioned to Chertio in our emails, I was able to get one light division out the previous turn by loading them directly onto a river fleet in the harbor. But Johnston's army had a light engagement with Grant (only ~1,000 casualties each) and went nowhere.

If they left the city and fought an engagement and if there were no other forces in the city and the entrenchments, then the entrechments would be lost. The turn I saw, showed vicksburg as besieged and the CSA forces inside fort patrick cleburne, but the fort has been breach so no longer provides any defensive benefit. If you fought a battle, you had no where to retreat too. Your only way out as I see it, is to win a battle against Grant and fight your way out or make the evasion roll and get out on the river.