The Siege of Vicksburg ended the same time that the Battle of Gettysburg concluded. Both were decisive battles for the Civil War. The North was trying to cut off the Mississippi River trade to the South. Vicksburg was heavily fortified with 172 guns. President Lincoln said that “Vicksburg is the key! The war can never be brought to a close until that key is in our pocket.”
For every death in the fighting at Vicksburg, two died due to disease. It was thought that the Confederates would win since they were defending their homes. The North was better fed and better equipped. The South would take shoes from the Union dead.
Vicksburg National Military Park is a sprawling battlefield with red markers where the Confederates were located and blue markers where the Federal forces were. There are 1,300 state markers to commemorate the people who fought and died here. The Northern state monuments were erected at specific locations right after the war whereas the South did not have funds to do so. Some of theirs have more of a modern look.
This was the most beautiful and impressive monument and was erected by the people of Illinois.The stunning inside is open at the top like the Pantheon in Rome. The names of the leaders are on the white marble, and the names of all who served are written on the bronze plaques below and are listed by unit.
I was amazed that there was a reunion of the veterans who had fought on either side in 1917. Johnny Reb and Billy Yank were both Americans. They remembered it like it was yesterday!!
The Battle of Vicksburg took place from May 18, 1863-July 4, 1863. The Union soldiers had dug into the hillside.
Both sides lost about the same number of soldiers, approximately 10,000 each. However, the South was under siege and were out of supplies. So their surrender occurred on July 4, 1863.
Cannons from the Civil War improved each year. Wartime produces better equipment.The hillside has many depressions made by cannonballs.
Wooden boats were inferior to the new ironclad boats. There is a race to build a better boat.
USS Cairo (pronounced like Karo Syrup) was 175 feet long and 52 feet wide. The majority of the crew was made up of immigrants.There were 13 heavy cannons protected by 2 ½” of armor. At top speed, one ton of coal was used every hour.USS Cairo sank quickly due to a mine explosion. Fortunately no lives were lost. Items were well preserved for 100 years in the mud and silt. This river ironclad USS Cairo drafted only six feet of water and it was said that it could navigate in a heavy dew!!
Back on the Trace after a quick picnic overlooking the Mississippi River.
The Sunken Trace shows how wagons, carts, and foot traffic wore and tamped down the heavily traveled path.Rock Springs is a deserted town off the Trace. Here is a Methodist Church that is still standing and has a service one Sunday a month We are invited to come inside for prayer and quiet reflection. I signed the guest book while Rob gave a sermon … about sin, of course.Above is Emerald Mound. This is the second largest Indian Temple Mound in the United States after Monk’s Mound at Cahokia, Illinois. It was built and used between 1300 and 1600 A.D. by the forerunners of the Natchez Indians. These Indians used a natural hill as a base, which they reshaped by trimming the top and filling the sides to form a great primary platform, 770 feet long, 435 feet wide and 35 feet high. Our daughter told us to get a Shrimp Po’boy. We searched for the best one in Biloxi. They said that their secret is to fry the bread … Hmmm.
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One response to “May 13, 2024: Seige of Vicksburg”
Barbara
Love following your posts and travels through the Trace!
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