Both Karla and I were raised in areas near Civil War battlefields (Manassas for me, Gettysburg for Karla) and visiting them on a semi-regular occasion was the norm. I remember as a Boy Scout walking the hilly terrain, reading about the defenses and weapons of the day and wondering what the soldiers were thinking and feeling. There is a special kind of history in a battlefield; it exudes the horrors and heroes from many generations ago. You just need to listen to hear their stories.
The entrance to the auto tour
Vicksburg National Military Park commemorates the battle and siege of Vicksburg, which was waged from March 29 to July 4, 1863, culminating in a Union victory. After numerous direct attacks failed including two assaults on May 19 and 22 that resulted in heavy casualties, on May 25, the Union Army led by Major General Ulysses S. Grant decided to besiege Vicksburg and the Confederate Army led by Lieutenant General John C. Pemberton. The siege lasted until Pemberton’s surrender on July 4, 1863. In addition to controlling the major supply route, the Union victory cut off the states of Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas from the rest of the Confederate States, effectively splitting the Confederacy in two for the duration of the war. Many historians consider the joint wins at Gettysburg and Vicksburg to be the turning point of the Civil War.
Vicksburg was important to both sides of the Civil War due to its location along the Mississippi River. Vicksburg sits on the high bluffs and was the last Confederate stronghold along the river which was the major supply route
The National Park Service has created an excellent set of displays, visitor centers and driving tour that I highly recommend, whether you’re a civil war enthusiast or not. We started our tour at the main visitor center, located right off I-20 near the town of Vicksburg. They had a number of great display cases, including one depicting the clothes and gear a typical soldier of both the confederate and union armies would have worn/carried. There is also a 20 minute film that nicely summarizes why and how the battle took place, but doesn’t bog down into details, instead opting to tell a number of crucial stories with period reenactments. If you want more detail I recommend the excellent Shelby Foote book, The Beleaguered City: The Vicksburg Campaign.
Displays at the entrance visitor center include clothing and rations
Re-creation of life in the the trenches
Cannons on display at the entrance visitor center
We then drove the auto tour, stopping at a number of areas to get an idea what the soldiers may have seen in 1863. We spent a good 2 hours driving/walking around the tour, and a good portion of the tour (between stops #9 and #10) was closed for repairs due to a mudslide along the drive. If you’re really into the battles you could easily spend an entire day here. We enjoyed visiting the state monuments, some listing every soldier from that state in the battle. I would especially recommend a stop at the Illinois monument. From the NPS website, “Modeled after the Roman Pantheon, the monument has sixty unique bronze tablets lining its interior walls, naming all 36,325 Illinois soldiers who participated in the Vicksburg Campaign”. On a calm, cool, quiet day such as when we visited, with no one else around, the monument was alive. I didn’t make a sound, which for those of you who know me is saying something.
Cannons and trench remain
Another trench area. Blue and red signage throughout the region show troop movements and positions
The Illinois Monument includes forty-seven steps in the long stairway, one for each day of the Siege of Vicksburg
One section of panels listing each soldier from Illinois who participated
Panels listing the soldiers line the inside walls of the Illinois Monument
The Wisconsin Memorial also lists all of their 9,075 soldiers who participated
The Shirley House is the only surviving wartime structure in the park. It served as the headquarters for the 45th Illinois Infantry
The Pennsylvania Memorial reads: “Here brothers fought for their principles. Here heroes died for their country and a united people will forever cherish the precious legacy of their noble manhood”
A statue of Ulysses S Grant, the major general leading the Union army at Vicksburg
Soldiers built this tunnel to prevent being shot on the higher exposed ground
The numbers of deaths, wounded, and missing soldiers from Vicksburg
About halfway through the auto tour you arrive at the USS Cairo Museum, which is a must visit. Even if you skip everything else in the park you should come here. The museum is built around the salvaged wreck of one of the more unique Civil War weapons: an ironclad gunboat. This is something you have to see to believe. Sadly, this gunboat didn’t last very long (11 months) before being sunk by a confederate torpedo. From the NPS website, “Over the years the gunboat was soon forgotten and her watery grave was slowly covered by a shroud of silt and sand. Impacted in mud, Cairo became a time capsule in which her priceless artifacts were preserved.” Eventually the vessel was located and exactly 100 years after being sunk it was raised to the surface. The gunboat was reassembled and all salvaged artifacts are on display.
Remains of the USS Cairo
Side view of the USS Cairo showing the iron cladding and several cannons
The steam chambers. USS Cairo was powered by 2,000 pounds of coal per hour
Munition artifacts from the USS Cairo
Tool artifacts from the USS Cairo
The National Cemetery in Vicksburg includes the remains of 17,000 Union Soldiers. Additionally, there are graves for soldiers from the Spanish-American War, World Wars I & II, and the Korean Conflict. Many Confederate soldiers are buried at Vicksburg’s Cedar Hill Cemetery.
We visited Vicksburg while stayed at Yogi on the Lake Campground in Pelahatchie, MS. We also drove part of the Natchez Trace Parkway and hiked at some local parks.
