Vicksburg

Union Battery at Vicksburg

It took us about two hours along the Great River Road to reach Vicksburg National Military Park. The visitor center had a great interactive map of the battles and a movie which provided a great overview. The story of the battle of Vicksburg was a fascinating one. This was the last city of the Confederacy along the Mississippi. Ulysses S. Grant took a lot of risk to conquer Vicksburg. He took his men deep behind enemy lines in Louisiana, South of Vicksburg. Meanwhile iron-clad ships and supply ships went South along the Mississippi past the forts of Vicksburg to both supply Grant and transport his troops across the Mississippi. From there he drove North to Jackson, engaging in multiple battles and winning each time. Then he began the move to Vicksburg, but found that the city was heavily fortified. He twice tried to assault the city, losing 3000 soldiers, while the Confederates only lost a few hundred. After seeing this slaughter, he decided to lay siege to the city, which lasted 45 days. Several tunnels were created underneath the fortifications, mines were laid in the tunnels, and exploded to try to reduce the walls. Meanwhile, the soldiers and citizens in Vicksburg were quickly running out of food. Another tunnel had been constructed and Grant was planning on attacking on July 6^th, when the confederates surrendered on July 4^th. With the defeat of Vicksburg, the Union army controlled the Mississippi splitting the Confederacy in two. We toured the battleground, getting a good feel for the defensive formations in the city and the trenches dug by the Union Army. The battlefield is filled with monuments for each troop unit and their state. We made good use of the phone app that explains the battlefield. 

U.S.S. Cairo

The most interesting exhibit, however, was the iron-clad vessel, Cairo. This was one of the seven ironclads built by Eads (who we learned about at the  Missouri History Museum). It was sunk with a mine in the Yazoo river and sank in less than 15 minutes. In the 1960’s they were able to raise the ship out of the silt and mud. Many artifacts from inside the ship were recovered as well as most of the iron panels and cannon. It was fascinating to walk around  the ship. Especially interesting was the steam engine, and the drive mechanism for the paddle wheels. You also got a good feel for the iron plating supported on an oak frame.

Engine and Paddle Wheels

Our last stop of the day was Achuca Mansion, the Vicksburg home of Jefferson Davis’s brother, Joseph. The outside is Greek revival architecture while the inside was filled with cabinets, chandeliers, paintings and musical instruments from the early 1800’s. I was disappointed in the tour, however. We watched a video of what we were going to see and then were left free to wander the house.

Achuca Mansion