BGuthrie Photos: MS -- Vicksburg Natl Military Park -- Visitor Center

MS -- Vicksburg Natl Military Park -- Visitor Center:

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Specific picture descriptions: Photos above with "i" icons next to the bracketed sequence numbers (e.g. "[1] ") are described as follows:
1. VICKVC_130523_002.JPG: Trace Adkins appeared with the symphony orchestra a few days later to celebrate the sesquicentennial of the battle. I went down to New Orleans and missed it but it was apparently quite interesting.
2. VICKVC_130523_006.JPG: Union Army: Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota
3. VICKVC_130523_019.JPG: Confederate Army: Maryland Mississippi North Carolina South Carolina Tennessee Texas Virginia
4. VICKVC_130523_026.JPG: Artillery, The King of Battle: The types of cannon you see here all saw action during the Vicksburg fighting. For centuries, artillery had ruled the battlefield. By the time of the Civil War, advances like rifled barrels, improved aiming, and ignition had made cannon more powerful -- and more deadly than ever before. Here Confederate artillery made Vicksburg's fortifications tough and closed down the Mississippi to Union traffic. Here also, Union cannon held Confederates captive inside their defenses, forcing their final surrender.
5. VICKVC_130523_047.JPG: Confederate Army: Alabama Arkansas Florida Georgia Kentucky Louisiana Missouri
6. VICKVC_130523_053.JPG: Union Army: Missouri New Hampshire New York Ohio Pennsylvania Rhode Island Wisconsin West Virginia
7. VICKVC_130523_064.JPG: A Monumental Story: The silent hills and fields cannot convey the suffering and sacrifice that took place here during the struggle for control of Vicksburg and the Mississippi River. Today, it's the many monuments that tell this story. More than 1,300 plaques, markers, and memorials make Vicksburg National Military Park one of "the largest collection of outdoor sculpture in the country." Soldiers from 28 states fought in the campaign and siege of 1863. Nearly all of these states have erected monuments in the park to honor the men who served. 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. -- Inscription on the Pennsylvania State Memorial
8. VICKVC_130523_070.JPG: Take Care Out There: You won't be in the trenches dodging enemy fire during your visit today -- or wearing wet woolen clothes for days on end in the summer heat. All the same, dangers do exist in our park. A little caution will go a long way.
9. VICKVC_130523_076.JPG: Vicksburg is the Key This historic park commemorates the campaign, siege and defense of Vicksburg during the Civil War. The Union victory here in 1863 established Federal control of the Mississippi River and split the Confederacy in two. Although the war continued for nearly two more years, the battle here turned the tide that led to Union victory in the Civil War. "Vicksburg is the nailhead that holds the South's two halves together." -- Jefferson Davis "Vicksburg is the key. The war can never be brought to a close until that key is in our pocket." -- Abraham Lincoln
10. VICKVC_130523_082.JPG: Battle for Vicksburg: During the 19th century, rivers meant trade and transit -- none more than the Mississippi. This mighty artery of commerce was the nation's single greatest economic feature. In late 1862, Vicksburg remained the primary Confederate stronghold along the river. Union leaders realized the critical nature of Vicksburg's position, and launched a campaign to strike the Confederate heartland. More than 100,000 soldiers and sailors from 28 states, North and South, fought here in 1863. After two failed assaults of Vicksburg's defenses, Grant switched to siege tactics to take the city. Union troops kept the Confederates locked in their own city for 47 days. With no hope of supplies or reinforcements from outside, Pemberton finally surrendered. The Stars and Stripes flew over Vicksburg once again on July 4, 1863.
11. VICKVC_130523_089.JPG: Tour the Battlefield: The 16-mile park tour road travels first through the Union assault and siege locations, and then along the Confederate defensive lines. Stops along the way tell the story of the time when two armies fought on this land.
12. VICKVC_130523_102.JPG: Vicksburg National Military Park Campaign for Vicksburg: In October 1862, Ulysses S. Grant was appointed the commander of the Department of Tennessee and charged with clearing the Mississippi of Southern Resistance. That same month, John C. Pemberton, a West Point Graduate, and a Pennsylvanian by birth, assumed command of the roughly 50,000 widely scattered troops defending the Mississippi. Vicksburg became the focus of military operations for both men. During the winter of 1862-63, Grant conducted a series of amphibious operations (often referred to as the Bayou expeditions) aimed at reducing Vicksburg. All of them failed. By Spring 1863, Grant had decided to march his army of approximately 45,000 men down the west (Louisiana) bank of the Mississippi, cross the river well below Vicksburg, and then swing into position to attack the city from the south. On March 31, 1863, Grant moved his army south from his encampment at Milliken's Bend, 32 kilometer's (20 miles) northwest of Vicksburg. By April 28, the northerners were established at Hard Times on the Mississippi above Grand Gulf. On the 29th, Admiral David Dixon Porter's gunboats bombarded the confederate forts at Grand Gulf to prepare the way for a crossing, but the attack was repulsed. Undaunted, Grant march his troops a little farther south and, on April 30th stormed across unopposed at Bruinsburg. Striking rapidly eastward to secure the Bridgehead, the northerners met elements of Pemberton's forces at Port Gibson on May 1st. The southerners fought a gallant holding action, but were overwhelmed and fell back toward Vicksburg. After meeting and defeating a small confederate force near Raymond on May 12th, Grant's troops attacked and captured Jackson, the State Capital, on May 14th, scattering the southern defenders. Turning his army westward, Grant moved against Vicksburg along the Line of the Southern Railroad of Mississippi. At Champion's Hill on May 16th, and at Big Black River Bridge on May 17th, his soldiers attacked and overwhelmed Pemberton's disorganized Confederates, driving them back into their Vicksburg Fortifications. By May 18th, advanced units of the Federal Army were approaching the bristling Confederate defenses. Believing that the battles of Champion's Hill and Big Black River had broken the morale of the Confederates, Grant immediately scheduled an assault on the Vicksburg Lines. The first attack took place against the Stockade Redan on May 19th and failed. A second assault, launched on the morning of the 22nd of May also was repulsed. Realizing that it was useless to expend further lives in attempts to take the city by storm, Grant reluctantly began formal siege operations. Batteries of artillery were established to hammer the Confederate fortifications, from the landside, while Admiral Porter's gunboats cutoff communications and blasted the city from the river. By the end of June, with no hope of relief and no chance to break out of the Federal cordon, Pemberton knew that it was only a matter of time before he must "capitulate on the best of attainable terms." On July 3rd, he met with Grant to discuss terms for the surrender of Vicksburg. Grant demanded "Unconditional Surrender", Pemberton refused. The meeting then broke up. During the afternoon, the Federal commander modified his demands and agreed to let the Confederates sign a paroles not to fight again till exchanged. In addition, officers could retain a sidearm and a mount. Pemberton accepted these terms, and at 10 am on July 4th, 1863, Vicksburg officially surrendered. When Port Hudson surrendered five days later, the great northern objective of the war in the west – the opening of the Mississippi River and the severing of the Confederacy – was at last realized. For the first time since the war began, the Mississippi was free of Confederate troops and fortifications. As President Lincoln put it " The Father of Waters again goes Unvexed to the sea." Legacy from the Past: On December 12, 1862, the Union ironclad gunboat Cairo, along with several other vessels, steamed up the Yazoo River, north of Vicksburg, to destroy Confederate batteries and clear enemy obstructions from the channel. Suddenly, two expolsions in quick succession tore gaping holes in the boat's bottom. Within minutes the ironclad lay on the bottom of the river, only the tops of her smoke stacks and flagstaffs above the water. The Cairo had become the first vessel in history to be sunk by an electrically detonated mine. It is not for her wartime record, however, that the Cairo has won a lasting place in history, but because of what went down with her when she sank in the Yazoo. Here was preserved, in time capsule form, information about naval construction, naval stories, armament, and the personal gear of the crew who served on board. The vast array of artifacts recovered from the gunboat before and after it was salvaged in the early 1960's is now on display at the U.S.S. Cairo Museum adjacent to Vicksburg National Cemetery. These, together with the remains of the gunboat itself, give new insights into naval life during the Civil War years. The museum can be reached from the park tour road or through the city of Vicksburg via Fort Hill Drive and Connecting Avenue.
13. VICKVC_130523_110.JPG: Campaign for Vicksburg: In October 1862, Ulysses S. Grant was appointed the commander of the Department of Tennessee and charged with clearing the Mississippi of Southern Resistance. That same month, John C. Pemberton, a West Point Graduate, and a Pennsylvanian by birth, assumed command of the roughly 50,000 widely scattered troops defending the Mississippi. Vicksburg became the focus of military operations for both men. During the winter of 1862-63, Grant conducted a series of amphibious operations (often referred to as the Bayou expeditions) aimed at reducing Vicksburg. All of them failed. By Spring 1863, Grant had decided to march his army of approximately 45,000 men down the west (Louisiana) bank of the Mississippi, cross the river well below Vicksburg, and then swing into position to attack the city from the south. On March 31, 1863, Grant moved his army south from his encampment at Milliken's Bend, 32 kilometer's (20 miles) northwest of Vicksburg. By April 28, the northerners were established at Hard Times on the Mississippi above Grand Gulf. On the 29th, Admiral David Dixon Porter's gunboats bombarded the confederate forts at Grand Gulf to prepare the way for a crossing, but the attack was repulsed. Undaunted, Grant march his troops a little farther south and, on April 30th stormed across unopposed at Bruinsburg. Striking rapidly eastward to secure the Bridgehead, the northerners met elements of Pemberton's forces at Port Gibson on May 1st. The southerners fought a gallant holding action, but were overwhelmed and fell back toward Vicksburg. After meeting and defeating a small confederate force near Raymond on May 12th, Grant's troops attacked and captured Jackson, the State Capital, on May 14th, scattering the southern defenders. Turning his army westward, Grant moved against Vicksburg along the Line of the Southern Railroad of Mississippi. At Champion's Hill on May 16th, and at Big Black River Bridge on May 17th, his soldiers attacked and overwhelmed Pemberton's disorganized Confederates, driving them back into their Vicksburg Fortifications. By May 18th, advanced units of the Federal Army were approaching the bristling Confederate defenses. Believing that the battles of Champion's Hill and Big Black River had broken the morale of the Confederates, Grant immediately scheduled an assault on the Vicksburg Lines. The first attack took place against the Stockade Redan on May 19th and failed. A second assault, launched on the morning of the 22nd of May also was repulsed. Realizing that it was useless to expend further lives in attempts to take the city by storm, Grant reluctantly began formal siege operations. Batteries of artillery were established to hammer the Confederate fortifications, from the landside, while Admiral Porter's gunboats cutoff communications and blasted the city from the river. By the end of June, with no hope of relief and no chance to break out of the Federal cordon, Pemberton knew that it was only a matter of time before he must "capitulate on the best of attainable terms." On July 3rd, he met with Grant to discuss terms for the surrender of Vicksburg. Grant demanded "Unconditional Surrender", Pemberton refused. The meeting then broke up. During the afternoon, the Federal commander modified his demands and agreed to let the Confederates sign a paroles not to fight again till exchanged. In addition, officers could retain a sidearm and a mount. Pemberton accepted these terms, and at 10 am on July 4th, 1863, Vicksburg officially surrendered. When Port Hudson surrendered five days later, the great northern objective of the war in the west – the opening of the Mississippi River and the severing of the Confederacy – was at last realized. For the first time since the war began, the Mississippi was free of Confederate troops and fortifications. As President Lincoln put it " The Father of Waters again goes Unvexed to the sea."
14. VICKVC_130523_113.JPG: Legacy from the Past: On December 12, 1862, the Union ironclad gunboat Cairo, along with several other vessels, steamed up the Yazoo River, north of Vicksburg, to destroy Confederate batteries and clear enemy obstructions from the channel. Suddenly, two expolsions in quick succession tore gaping holes in the boat's bottom. Within minutes the ironclad lay on the bottom of the river, only the tops of her smoke stacks and flagstaffs above the water. The Cairo had become the first vessel in history to be sunk by an electrically detonated mine. It is not for her wartime record, however, that the Cairo has won a lasting place in history, but because of what went down with her when she sank in the Yazoo. Here was preserved, in time capsule form, information about naval construction, naval stories, armament, and the personal gear of the crew who served on board. The vast array of artifacts recovered from the gunboat before and after it was salvaged in the early 1960's is now on display at the U.S.S. Cairo Museum adjacent to Vicksburg National Cemetery. These, together with the remains of the gunboat itself, give new insights into naval life during the Civil War years. The museum can be reached from the park tour road or through the city of Vicksburg via Fort Hill Drive and Connecting Avenue.
15. VICKVC_130523_118.JPG: Warren County Courthouse Built entirely by slave labor and completed in 1858, the Warren County Courthouse was the most prominent structure in Vicksburg during the Civil War. The Confederate flag which flew from the cupola during the siege was visible from almost any point along the Union lines around the city. To protect the building from Federal artillery fire, Northern prisoners were housed in the upstairs courtroom and used as human shields. Today, the building houses a museum featuring unique displays on the Civil War and other aspects of Vicksburg history. The museum is open daily except Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas, and New Year's Day. Old Court House Museum
16. VICKVC_130523_123.JPG: A Negotiated Surrender At 3 o'clock on the afternoon of July 3, 1863, General John C. Pemberton and General Ulysses S. Grant met here to discuss the surrender of Vicksburg. Although the generals failed to come to terms at this meeting, an exchange of letters late that night resulted in acceptable terms. The city and its garrison were surrendered by Pemberton on July 4. The fall of Vicksburg marked a turning point in the war as it gave the North undisputed control of the Mississippi River and split the Confederacy in two. This 42-pounder cannon marked this site from 1867-1940. The restored cannon was returned here in 1990. The original monument erected by Union occupation forces occupied this site from 1864-1867. The marble shaft was one of the earliest monuments ever placed on a Civil War battlefield.
17. VICKVC_130523_127.JPG: "Utter subjugation awaits us in the Union, if we should consent longer to remain in it. It is not a matter of choice, but of necessity... [W]e must secede from the Union... to secure [slavery] as well as every other species of property." -- from "A Declaration of the Immediate Causes which Induce and Justify the Secession of the State of Mississippi from the Federal Union." Slavery and Disunion: Causes of the Civil War: The institution of slavery dramatically impacted United States development and eventually led to disunion and civil war. Although slavery existed in all of the colonies prior to the Revolution, in the emergence of the new nation the Northern states either abolished slavery or provided for gradual emancipation. In the Southern states, support for slavery also declined, but the invention of Eli Whitney's cotton gin in 1792 renewed demand for slave labor. As the South's wealth and dependency on slavery grew, the institution became a source of sectional discord that divided the nation. Despite a series of congressional compromises aimed at settling the issue of slavery remained the most absorbing, divisive, and volatile theme of political debate. The failure to resolve this issue in the political arena led to war. Mississippi rose to become one of the wealthiest states in the Union on the eve of the Civil War. Slavery flourished along the Mississippi River and in other parts of the state where cotton was king. The wealth created by slavery gave rise to the planter elite, their defense of the institution, and adherence to the principle of States' Rights. Although affected by slavery, the port city of Vicksburg was influenced more by merchant and professional interests than the planter elite. With a mixture of people from across the South, a sprinkling of Northerners, and immigrants from more than a score of foreign lands. Vicksburg's community life had a cosmopolitan flair. Its unique demographics and economic reliance on the river gave rise to a more conservative political perspective than found in most cities in the South. As the nation drifted to the brink of war, the residents of Vicksburg and Warren County went to the polls and elected pro-Union delegates to represent them at the state's secession convention in Jackson. The planter elite prevailed, and on January 9, 1861, Mississippi became the second state to secede from the Union. The citizens of Vicksburg soon found themselves at war, and their city a target of enemy guns.
18. VICKVC_130523_141.JPG: (1) River Batteries: Nestled on bluffs that tower 300-feet above the Mississippi, Vicksburg was situated on the highest point along the river between Memphis and the Gulf of Mexico. The city's river batteries, which contained fifty cannon, stretched over four miles form Fort Hill, in the North, to South Fort below town, and blocked Union Shipping on the Mississippi. These powerful batteries made Vicksburg the "Gibraltar of the Confederacy." One of Vicksburg's powerful river batteries photographed shortly after the siege with Union occupation forces in the background.
19. VICKVC_130523_146.JPG: (2) Southern Railroad of Mississippi: By mid 1862 the Southern Railroad of Mississippi, which connected Vicksburg with Jackson and points elsewhere in the Confederacy, was the last railhead on the Mississippi River. Vital supplies of food, men, and European-made arms from the Far South or Mexico flowed through the city en route to Confederate armies in the field. This nexus of river and rail made Vicksburg, in the words of Confederate President Jefferson Davis, "the nailhead that held the South's two halves together." The depot, warehouses, and rail yard of the Southern Railroad of Mississippi overlooking Vicksburg's waterfront.
20. VICKVC_130523_150.JPG: (3) A City Under Fire: Added to the destructive power of the Union land-based batteries, were the mighty guns of the US Navy. Feared most by the citizens of Vicksburg were the heavy mortars which lobbed 200-pound exploding shells into the heart of the city. Shells exploded with such intensity and frequency that the terrified residents of Vicksburg sought shelter in man-made caves. Scores of "rats" as the citizens called themselves, were killed or wounded during the siege. Mortar barges, such as the one shown in the lower right, featured a XIII-inch mortar that weighed 17,000 pounds and inflicted heavy damage to the city.
21. VICKVC_130523_155.JPG: (4) Siege and Defense Lines: A series of ridges and deep ravines made Vicksburg a natural fortress that was strengthened by the construction of field fortifications. The Confederate line (shown in red on the map) stretched eight miles and consisted of nine major forts connected by trenches and rifle-pits. These defenses held fast in the face of determined Union attacks on May 19 and 22, leaving Grant no choice but to lay siege to the city. The Federal lines (shown in blue) tightened throughout the siege and after 47 days, starvation, disease, and no hope of relief compelled its steadfast defenders to surrender beleaguered city.
22. VICKVC_130523_171.JPG: Lt. General John C. Pemberton, Commander of the Confederate Army at Vicksburg. After the siege, Confederate President Jefferson Davis wrote to Pemberton, "I thought and still think you did right to risk an army for the purpose of keeping command of even a section of the Mississippi River. Had you succeeded, none would have blamed, had you not made the attempt few would have defended your course."
23. VICKVC_130523_184.JPG: Maj. General Ulysses S. Grant, Commander of Union forces during the siege of Vicksburg. At the start of the Vicksburg campaign, Grant's chief, Henry W. Halleck, wrote "The eyes and hopes of the whole country are now directed at your army. In my opinion, the opening of the Mississippi River will be to us of more advantage that the capture of forty Richmonds."
24. VICKVC_130523_189.JPG: From May 18 to July 4, 1863, Vicksburg was a city under siege. For 47 days both soldier and citizen were subjected to terrible hardships.
25. VICKVC_130523_193.JPG: Life in the Trenches: "Living on this slender allowance, fighting all day in the hot summer sun and at night with pick-axe and spade, repairing the destroyed portions of the line, it passed all comprehension how the men endured the trying ordeal." -- William Tunnard, 3rd Louisiana The hot sun beat unmercifully upon the Confederate troops living in the ditches surrounding Vicksburg. Their meager rations consisting of field peas, cornmeal, and a handful of meat did nothing to drive the pangs of hunger away. For forty-seven days the constant hum of the minie ball, booming of cannon, and cry of the wounded were their regular companions. Throughout the ordeal, the defenders clung to one hope -- that the Confederate army in Jackson was marching to their aid. But help never arrived. On July 4, 1863, the white flag fluttered over the defensive works, and Vicksburg surrendered. Union forces eventually paroled 29,500 Confederate soldiers. Most importantly, Union forces, by gaining control of the Mississippi River, had split the Confederacy in two halves.
26. VICKVC_130523_198.JPG: The Confederate Trench: Life behind the Confederate lines was a far cry from the comfort experienced by the Union soldier whose duties were light with plenty of relief time for reading hometown newspapers, mail and pilfered books. Food was plentiful, though sometimes monotonous. Even so, there was a war going on and one yankee soldier wrote, "Everywhere I went I was met with the familiar zip, zip of rebel bullets flying promiscuously through the air."
27. VICKVC_130523_203.JPG: Caring for the Wounded: "On passing through the hospital what heart-rendering spectacle greets the eye. here we see the horrors of dreadful war! Is it not on the field of battle amid the confusion & clamor of arms, where the sulphurous smoke & the thundering cannon drowns & hides the cries & mangled bodies of the dead & wounded victims, but in the solemn hospitals where the wounded & dying are conveyed that the awful horrors of war are depicted." -- William L. Foster, Confederate Chaplain A constant stream of litter bearers bore Union and Confederate wounded away from the front lines around Vicksburg. Makeshift hospitals located in large tents and even civilian's homes emerged around the front line area in an attempt to accommodate the large number of wounded and sick patients. Soldiers wounded in the arm or leg could almost always expect amputation. A skilled surgeon could amputate a limb in roughly five minutes. Surprisingly, most patients survived the operation. Unfortunately, infection claimed the lives of many soldiers.
28. VICKVC_130523_219.JPG: Confederate Hospital Room: Most furnishings are original period pieces; replicas include the Confederate litter and soldier's jacket. The surgical kit, made by Gemrig of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is typical of those used by surgeons of both armies. Vicksburg's homes often served as hospitals for sick and wounded Confederate soldiers.
29. VICKVC_130523_224.JPG: Camp Life: "Before I got threw reeding your letter sorowful tears run down my cheaks. Oh that expression of distres almost broks my humble heart. My heart is so full of anguish I can hardly write... Rachel if you want me to come just write to me and say you do and I will come if I have to fight my way threw and swim the Miss. The whole Yankey and Confederate armys couldn't keep me from coming..." -- FM Caylor, Waul's Texas Legion When not fighting in the entrenchments, soldiers camped in ravines and hollows behind the front lines. Bomb shelters were constructed by layering heavy timbers and reinforcing the top with dirt excavated from underneath. In some cases, soldiers also erected tents for shelter. During the late evening hours, both sides usually stopped firing. Throughout many portions of the lines, Union and Confederate soldiers bantered back and forth causing much laughter in a mostly gloomy environment. Other soldiers passed the time playing cards or dice, cooking, writing letters, reading newspapers, and discussing recent events. No matter the side on which they fought, all feverishly wished to go home.
30. VICKVC_130523_230.JPG: Union Officer's Tent: Most furnishings are original; exceptions include the replica camp table and tent. Of special interest is the field desk used at Vicksburg by Captain Henry Ede, regimental quartermaster, 81st Illinois Volunteers.
31. VICKVC_130523_240.JPG: "Vicksburg is the key," said President Abraham Lincoln, "And the war can never be brought to a close until that key is in our pocket." The Struggle for Control of the Mississippi: Early in 1862, Union army and naval forces moved with determination to capture Vicksburg and open the Mississippi River to unfettered navigation. Ocean-going vessels commanded by Flag Officer David Glasgow Farragut moved upstream from the Gulf of Mexico and compelled the surrender of New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and Natchez. The fleet arrived at Vicksburg in mid-May, but demand for the city's surrender was refused. Farragut's warships, later joined by the inland water fleet that had forced the surrender of Memphis on June 6, bombarded the city through much of the summer to no avail. Attempts by Union soldiers to excavate a canal across the base of De Soto Point, in Louisiana opposite Vicksburg, and change the course of the river also ended in failure. Federal forces withdrew from the area in late July. By year's end, a two-prong advance led by Union Generals Grant and Sherman was also thwarted. A daring Confederate cavalry raid, led by General Earl Van Dorn, destroyed Grant's advance base of supplies at Holly Springs, and Sherman's attack was bloodily repulsed along the banks of Chickasaw Bayou, north of Vicksburg. Grant next orchestrated a series of ill-fated bayou expeditions that were easily checked. In late March 1863, he launched his army on a bold campaign that would result in the fall of Vicksburg and enable him to present Lincoln with the key to victory.
32. VICKVC_130523_248.JPG: The Struggle for Control of the Mississippi: Early in 1862, Union army and naval forces moved with determination to capture Vicksburg and open the Mississippi River to unfettered navigation. Ocean-going vessels commanded by Flag Officer David Glasgow Farragut moved upstream from the Gulf of Mexico and compelled the surrender of New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and Natchez. The fleet arrived at Vicksburg in mid-May, but demand for the city's surrender was refused. Farragut's warships, later joined by the inland water fleet that had forced the surrender of Memphis on June 6, bombarded the city through much of the summer to no avail. Attempts by Union soldiers to excavate a canal across the base of De Soto Point, in Louisiana opposite Vicksburg, and change the course of the river also ended in failure. Federal forces withdrew from the area in late July. By year's end, a two-prong advance led by Union Generals Grant and Sherman was also thwarted. A daring Confederate cavalry raid, led by General Earl Van Dorn, destroyed Grant's advance base of supplies at Holly Springs, and Sherman's attack was bloodily repulsed along the banks of Chickasaw Bayou, north of Vicksburg. Grant next orchestrated a series of ill-fated bayou expeditions that were easily checked. In late March 1863, he launched his army on a bold campaign that would result in the fall of Vicksburg and enable him to present Lincoln with the key to victory.
33. VICKVC_130523_254.JPG: Occupation and Reconstruction: The Union occupation force consisted largely of United States Colored Troops who patrolled Vicksburg's streets and provided law and order well into the period of Reconstruction. General James B. McPherson and his staff at the Balfour house headquarters on Crawford Street in Vicksburg. Confederate General John Pemberton surrendered the city of Vicksburg on July 4, 1863. The Union army occupied the city through the remainder of the Civil War and into the Reconstruction era. General James McPherson commanded the occupation force at the beginning and worked to restore Federal authority in the region. A force of 5,000 US Colored Troops (USCT) patrolled and maintained law and order in the area. Vicksburg also served as a base for continued Union operations, a recruiting and training station for black soldiers, and a prisoner-of-war exchange point. Vicksburg's citizens suffered the humiliation of life in an occupied city. Civil liberties were suspended and loyalty oaths were required in order to escape banishment from the city. People declared "enemies of the government" had their property seized. Military courts imposed a harsh justice until Mississippi was readmitted to the Union in 1870. After the surrender, thousands of formerly enslaved people poured into Vicksburg to search for work or enlist in the Union army. The Freedman's Bureau opened schools to teach the freed black population of all ages how to read and write -- necessary tools in a new way of life. Some black people opened churches and banks, and a few entered the political arena. At the close of Reconstruction, many newly bestowed freedoms were limited or taken away. It was not until the Civil Rights movement of the 1950s-1960s that racial equality was established by law. Despite the harsh realities imposed by occupation and Reconstruction, restored river commerce slowly brought economic stability back to the region. Today Vicksburg is once again a flourishing port city.
34. VICKVC_130523_260.JPG: Occupation and Reconstruction: Confederate General John Pemberton surrendered the city of Vicksburg on July 4, 1863. The Union army occupied the city through the remainder of the Civil War and into the Reconstruction era. General James McPherson commanded the occupation force at the beginning and worked to restore Federal authority in the region. A force of 5,000 US Colored Troops (USCT) patrolled and maintained law and order in the area. Vicksburg also served as a base for continued Union operations, a recruiting and training station for black soldiers, and a prisoner-of-war exchange point. Vicksburg's citizens suffered the humiliation of life in an occupied city. Civil liberties were suspended and loyalty oaths were required in order to escape banishment from the city. People declared "enemies of the government" had their property seized. Military courts imposed a harsh justice until Mississippi was readmitted to the Union in 1870. After the surrender, thousands of formerly enslaved people poured into Vicksburg to search for work or enlist in the Union army. The Freedman's Bureau opened schools to teach the freed black population of all ages how to read and write -- necessary tools in a new way of life. Some black people opened churches and banks, and a few entered the political arena. At the close of Reconstruction, many newly bestowed freedoms were limited or taken away. It was not until the Civil Rights movement of the 1950s-1960s that racial equality was established by law. Despite the harsh realities imposed by occupation and Reconstruction, restored river commerce slowly brought economic stability back to the region. Today Vicksburg is once again a flourishing port city.
35. VICKVC_130523_271.JPG: From Enslaved People to Freedom Fighters: "The African regiments being inexperienced in the use of arms, some of them having been drilled by a few days, and the guns being very inferior, the enemy succeeded in getting upon our works... Here ensued a most terrible hand to hand conflict o several minutes duration, our men using the bayonet freely and clubbing their guns with fierce obstinacy." -- US Brigadier General Elias Dennis Milliken's Bend, a quiet Northern supply depot located north of Vicksbuerg on the Louisiana side of the Mississippi River, became the unlikely proving ground for recently recruited African-American soldiers. On June 7, 1863, Confederates attacked the isolated river outpost in an attempt to relieve pressure on the besieged Confederate garrison at Vicksburg. With their backs to the river and facing Confederates enraged at the sight of armed black soldiers, outnumbered Union troops fought hand to hand with determination, bravery, and courage in repulsing the assault. Previous to the battle, many Northern people had doubts that blacks would fight in battle. Milliken's Bend reversed this belief and led to renewed recruitment efforts for other black Union soldiers to help gain freedom for all enslaved people.
36. VICKVC_130523_282.JPG: Cave: All furnishings are original pieces of the Civil War era, and are typical of household articles brought into the caves during the siege. This rocking chair was used in one of these Vicksburg caves.
37. VICKVC_130523_286.JPG: "... shut up as in a trap..." "Our new habitation was an excavation made in the earth, and branching six feet from the entrance, forming a cave in the shape of T. In one of the wings my bed fitted; the other I used as a kind of a dressing room; in this the earth had been cut down a foot or two below the floor of the main cave; I could stand erect here; and when tired of sitting in other portions of my residence, I bowed myself into it, and stood impassively resting at full height..." -- My Cave Life in Vicksburg, by a Lady During the siege, Union cannon bombarded the city of Vicksburg from the east while Union naval forced lobbed mortar shells from the west. Caught in the crossfire, Vicksburg's civilians sought the safety of caves dug into the sides of hills. Caves usually contained one or two rooms. Civilians brought the basic necessities of life, such as beds, chairs and rugs, into the hot, damp, musty, and humid caves. People continued their daily life as best they could under the circumstances. In one instance, a child was born in a cave. His parents named him William Siege Green.
38. VICKVC_130523_292.JPG: Bomb Shelters: To escape relentless shelling from Federal artillery many citizens of Vicksburg took refuge underground. They dug caves into hillsides of loess soil, a fine-grained clay deposit indigenous to this area. Single family caves had only one or two rooms, others were huge and and accommodated as many as 200. To avoid entrapment and induce air circulation caves often had several entrances. Cooking took place outside the entrances. Amenities were preserved in the caves with carpets, furnishings and wall niches for books, candles, and flowers. Jane Bitterman described her underground quarters as "far more pleasant than the people imagine." Thanks to widespread use of caves only a very small number of Vicksburg citizens were killed or wounded during 47 days of sustained bombardment.
39. VICKVC_130531_13.JPG: A Negotiated Surrender: At 3 o'clock on the hot afternoon of July 3, 1863, General John C. Pemberton and General Ulysses S. Grant met here to discuss the surrender of Vicksburg. Although the generals failed to come to terms at this meeting, an exchange of letters late that night resulted in acceptable terms. The city and its garrison were surrendered by Pemberton on July 4. The fall of Vicksburg marked a turning point in the war as it gave the North undisputed control of the Mississippi River and split the Confederacy in two. The original monument erected by Union occupation forces occupied this site from 1864-1867. The marble shaft was one of the earliest monuments ever placed on a Civil War battlefield. Surrender interview between Generals Pemberton and Grant, July 3, 1863. The 42-pounder cannon marked this site from 1867-1940. The restored cannon was returned here in 1990. Hon. John C. Pemberton III and Col. Ulyssess S. Grant III, grandsons of the army commanders at Vicksburg, taken on May 22, 1937.
40. VICKVC_130531_19.JPG: Warren County Courthouse Built entirely by slave labor and completed in 1858, the Warren County Courthouse was the most prominent structure in Vicksburg during the Civil War. The Confederate flag which flew from the cupola during the siege was visible from almost any point along the Union lines around the city. To protect the building from Federal artillery fire, Northern prisoners were housed in the upstairs courtroom and used as human shields. Today, the building houses a museum featuring unique displays on the Civil War and other aspects of Vicksburg history. The museum is open daily except Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas, and New Year's Day. Old Court House Museum
41. VICKVC_130601_027.JPG: Manufactured by Marshall & Company in St. Louis, this 12-pounder Howitzer was manned by members of Battery A, 1st Illinois Light Artillery, the unit served this piece at Fort Donelson, Shiloh, Chickasaw Bayou, Arkansas Post, and Vicksburg. During the siege it saw action along the Graveyard Road (Tour Stop #5). In recognition of its gallant service, the unit received new cannon during the siege of Vicksburg. An inscription on the breech states that this gun had fired 1,900 rounds before it was retired from service in June 1863.
42. VICKVC_130601_057.JPG: Medal of Honor issued to Henry Taylor on 1 September 1893
43. VICKVC_130601_064.JPG: Color Sergeant Henry H. Taylor was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during the assault on the 3rd Louisiana Redan at Vicksburg, on June 25, 1863.
44. VICKVC_130601_069.JPG: Medals of Honor issued to David H. Helms on 26 July 1894. Medals of Honor issued to Charles W. Rundle on 26 July 1894.
45. VICKVC_130601_083.JPG: Private Charles W. Rundle was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during the assault on the Stockade Redan at Vicksburg on May 22, 1863.
46. VICKVC_130601_111.JPG: 24th Iowa Infantry Veteran's Medal: After the war, veterans established regimental associations to maintain the fraternal bonds forged during the conflict as well as to preserve and record the history of their participation in the war. They would periodically gather for regimental reunions. At these reunions they would hand out commemorative ribbons, pamphlets, and medals to surviving members. This medal was given to William T. Rigby at one such reunion.
47. VICKVC_130601_118.JPG: 1917 Peace Jubilee Medal: In October 1917, thousands of Union and Confederate veterans returned to Vicksburg for the National Memorial and Peace Jubilee. Organizers presented Rigby with this medal in appreciation for his support and promotion of the gathering.
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