March 31, 2022
VICKSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK
3201 Clay St, Vicksburg, MS
“Vicksburg National Military Park preserves the site of the American Civil War Battle of Vicksburg, waged from March 29 to July 4, 1863. The park, located in Vicksburg, Mississippi, also commemorates the greater Vicksburg Campaign which led up to the battle.” - Wikipedia
If you are a history buff, then a visit to Vicksburg’s national park is a must stop. My visit started with a visit to the Visitors Center, with its small museum and a viewing of the 20-minute video titled, “Here Brothers Fought, The Siege of Vicksburg.” It was then time to start the self-guided driving tour of the battlefield using the National Park Service app on my phone. Unfortunately, and the only negative of the day, a portion of a main road was closed for repairs. There was a detour, but of course the detour did not allow me to follow with the app’s points of interest, at least not in order.
Like my past trips to Gettysburg, there were monuments to individuals, troops, and states everywhere along the drive. My interest was piqued because troops from Iowa fought here, and I found myself looking for monuments with ties to my state. Blue and red metal markers were placed all around the park, with blue markers pertaining to Union lines and red markers pertaining to Confederate forces. The markers, along with the overall layout of the park, helped me visualize what happened here.
For me there were two highlights. The first was the USS Cairo, one of seven ironclad warships built by the Union. She was sunk by a “torpedo” in December of 1862, it sank so quickly that the crew had to abandon all of their possessions. No lives were lost. The ship was discovered in 1956 and in 1960 the process of salvaging the ship and its contents was begun. The somewhat restored gunboat is on display along with a museum housing many of the artifacts that were recovered. My second highlight was the Iowa Memorial. I may be prejudiced, but I thought this memorial dedicated to the men of Iowa who fought at Vicksburg was one of the best monuments in the park.
I’ve toured Gettysburg several times and each time I gain a better understanding of the events that took place there. I believe the same would be true of a return trip to Vicksburg, so a return trip may be in order.
Exhibit of ammunition in the museum.
"The Council of War" - Possibly my favorite small sculpture. I've seen other places, such as Lincoln's museum in Springfield, IL.
Exhibit of a confederate post in the museum.
Gateway to the park's auto tour.
Memorials to individuals, troops, or states can be found all around the park. States have been dedicating memorials to their soldiers since 1903.
An open field with the red (Confederate) and blue (Union) markers.
My first sighting of an Iowa memorial.
I also found plaques from Iowa describing their involvement at the site.
Plaque honoring an officer from Iowa.
The Mississippi State Memorial.
"Commemorating the service of the 1st and 3rd Mississippi Infantry Regiments, African descent and all Mississippians of African descent who participated in the Vicksburg Campaign."
Arkansas State Memorial
Kansas Memorial - "The bottom circle represents the unity of the pre-civil war era. The broken circle in the center represents Union torn asunder by the war 1861-1865. The perfect circle at the top depicts regained unity of the post-war era. An eagle atop all typifies the glorious majesty of our country."
Texas State Memorial. Memorials by southern states appear to be more modern, that is because it took longer for southern states to become financially stable.
View from a bluff. This is not the Mississippi River, but would have been during the war. In the 1870 the Mississippi changed course and is a little ways south (left) of here. This is the Yazoo River.
USS Cairo
Looking at the original wood you can see where the torpedo (mine) struck the warship.
The paddlewheel frame.
The pistons from the steam engine which turned paddlewheel.
What's left of the ironclad side.
USS Cairo Museum
Medicine bottles salvaged with the warship.
My second favorite monument. The Missouri State Memorial. The inscription says in part, "to commemorate and perpetuate the heroic services, the unselfish devotion to duty, and exalted patriotism of the Missouri soldiers, both Union and Confederate." The panels show Confederates facing the Union troops.
The Iowa Memorial. "Iowa's Memorial To Her Soldiers Who Served in the Campaign and Siege of Vicksburg" Casualties at Vicksburg for Iowa: Killed 330, Wounded 1347, Missing 114.
Bronze equestrian figures of a single soldier. The soldier, dressed in uniform, carries a flag in his proper right hand and holds the horse's reins in his proper left hand.
Six bronze plaques depict "Vicksburg for the Tourist" published by the Illinois Central System Passenger Department, ca. 1929-1930.
Vicksburg National Cemetery embraces 116 acres, and holds the remains of 17,000 Civil War Union soldiers, a number unmatched by any other national cemetery.