The plan on our road trip, was to stay in
Jackson but with a little driving time left up my sleeve, we decided to bypass
the city and find a quieter country town to stay the night. So Vicksburg Mississippi was the stopping
point and what an incredible little town this is. So glad we went the extra few miles! Little did we know that apart from being a
pretty town on the banks of the mighty Mississippi River, this town was the
site of one of the most important battles of the American Civil War.
There is an amazing National Military Park on
the site of the battlegrounds which has brilliantly preserved the entire
battleground allowing visitors to travel a 16 mile route around where the Union
and Confederate armies held their lines.
From what I learnt, the siege battle from May 18 to July 4 1863 was one
of the final major military actions in the war with Union Major General Ulysses
Grant pitting his forces against the Confederate army of under the charge of Lt.
General Pemberton. It seems that Grant
was not having much success against the Confederate fortifications of the city
so decided to besiege Vicksburg instead.
The Confederate army held out for more than 40 days before starvation,
disease and fatigue won through and Pemberton surrendered to Grant. This combined
with the capitulation of Port Hudson only a few days later yielded command of
the Mississippi to the Union. As I
understand it, the surrender, along with General Lee’s defeat at Gettysburg the
previous day, was the turning point in the war.
Tragically, this one battle saw Union
casualties of 10,142 and Confederate casualties of 32,697. So today the
Vicksburg battlefield is considered a War Cemetery and National Monument. What I found sad was that the vast bulk of
those who died are unknown and walking the battleground and cemetery was a
disquieting experience.
The other thing I noted was how beautiful this
area is and the banks of the Mississippi are. It is hard to imagine the horror that was for
all sides and the local townspeople over those months in 1863. It reminded me
of the walk I took in the Somme – another beautiful country setting that now
plays host to the souls of those who died in battle. A beautiful place I suppose to rest!
Beyond the battlegrounds, Vicksburg is a lovely
side trip off the Interstate – an historic town with some fabulous architecture
and yet again, welcoming friendly people!
If you are interested in reading more, check
out the website for the Military Park – it really is an interesting place. http://www.nps.gov/vick/index.htm