The Fall of Vicksburg, 150 years ago today (July 4, 1863)

Vicksburg, Mississippi

150 years ago today, the Confederacy's "Gibraltar of the Mississippi" fell to the army of Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant. It was a devastating blow from which the South would not recover.

The final acts in the moments leading to the surrender of Vicksburg were enacted before dawn on the morning of July 4, 1863. Having considered a final proposal from Lt. Gen. John C. Pemberton (CS), Gen. Grant (US) sent a letter through the lines to his Confederate counterpart:

Union battery before Vicksburg

     ...I can make no stipulations with regard to the treatment of citizens and their private property. While I do not propose to cause them any undue annoyance or loss, I cannot consent to leave myself under any restraint by stipulations. The property which officers will be allowed to take with them will be as stated in my proposition of last evening; that is, officers will be allowed their private baggage and side-arms, and mounted officers one horse each.
     If you mean by your proposition for each brigade to march to the front of the lines now occupied by it, and stack arms at 10 a.m., and then return tot he inside, and there remain as prisoners until properly paroled, I will make no objection to it. - Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, USA (July 4, 1863).

Confederate cannon at Vicksburg

In closing his final offer, Grant informed Pemberton that if he received no reply by 9 a.m., hostilities would resume. To avoid this, the Confederates should display white lines along their lines.

Pemberton reviewed the note and early on the morning of July 4, 1863, agreed to surrender Vicksburg, Mississippi, to the United States:

GENERAL:  I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your communication of this day, and in reply to say that the terms proposed by you are accepted. - Lt. Gen. John C. Pemberton, CSA (July 4, 1863).

Later in the morning, as the Union forces crowded to the tops of their breastworks and fortifications to watch, the Confederate army came out of its trenches for the first time in more than 45 days:

Former channel of the Mississippi at Vicksburg

...[T]he garrison was surrendered at 10 a.m., and the Federal forces immediately took possession of our works and placed guards in the city. If it should be asked why July 4 was selected as the day for the surrender, the answer is obvious. I believed that upon that day I should obtain better terms. Well aware of the vanity of our foes, I knew they would attach vast importance to the entrance on July 4 into the stronghold of the great river, and that to gratify their national vanity they would yield then what could not be extorted from them at any other time. - Maj. Gen. John C. Pemberton, CSA (August 2, 1863).

Union cannon at Vucksburg

Pemberton was right in his assessment of how the Union would regard the surrender of Vicksburg on the 4th of July. It was hailed across the North with celebrations and bonfires. Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman, Grant's friend and trusted subordinate, predicted the reaction of the Northern states and gently warned his commander about the fleeting nature of fame. He also commended him for his generosity to the Confederates who had fought from the trenches of Vicksburg for 47 days:

...I can hardly contain myself. Surely will I not punish any soldier for being "uncohappy" this most glorious anniversary of the birth of a nation, whose sire and father was a Washington. Did I not know the honesty, modesty, and purity of your nature, I would be tempted to follow the examples of my standard enemies of the press in indulging in wanton flattery; but as a man and soldier, and ardent friend of yours, I warn you against the incense of flattery that will fill our land from one extreme to the other. Be natural and yourself, and this glittering flattery will be as the passing breeze of the sea on a warm summer day. To me the delicacy with which you have treated a brave but deluded enemy is more eloquent than the most gorgeous oratory of an Everett. - Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman, USA (July 4, 1863).

Old Courthouse in Vicksburg

While the main army remained outside the city, a small force of Union troops entered Vicksburg on July 4, 1863 - 150 years ago today - and raised the U.S. flag from the top of the Warren County Courthouse. The historic building still stands in Vicksburg today, where it is now a museum and is generally known as the "Old Courthouse."

With the fall of Vicksburg, only one Confederate bastion - Port Hudson, Louisiana - remained along the full length of the Mississippi River. I will focus on events at that battlefield over coming days.

To learn more about the Battle of Vicksburg and the historic city itself, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/vicksburg1.

Vicksburg on July 3, 1863, The Beginning of the End

Illinois Memorial at Vicksburg

More than any other event that took place in 1863 - including even Gettysburg - the passage of a letter from Lt. Gen. John C. Pemberton (CSA) to Gen. Ulysses S. Grant (USA) on this date 150 years ago was the beginning of the end of the Confederacy.

Many assume Gettysburg was the "turning point" of the War Between the States because it prevented Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia from descending on Washington, D.C., and ending the war in a single battle. This is a reasonable argument, but in truth, while the Army of Northern Virginia was beaten at Gettysburg and forced to end its invasion of the North, it left the battlefield still a seasoned and highly effective fighting force. The Union still held the North and the Confederacy still held Virginia after Gettysburg.

Confederate Cannon overlooks the Mississippi River

The Fall of Vicksburg on the Mississippi River, however, split the Confederacy in two. No more supplies or men would come from the West to help. The beef supplies from Texas were cut-off. Weapons, munitions and medicines smuggled into the Confederacy by way of Mexico no longer had a place to cross the Mississippi River. The massive Union army that had encircled Vicksburg was free for action on other fronts. The front in the West soon would shift from the Mississippi River to Chattanooga, Atlanta and the Sea.  Massive shipments of supplies could descend the river from the Midwest to the Gulf Coast and, for the first time since early 1861, the farms and factories of Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois and Missouri once again had an outlet to

Where the two armies fought within feet of each other.

Vicksburg, in short, cleared the way for the destruction of the Southern infrastructure. The Army of Tennessee would fight hard against the invaders, but from July 3, 1863, the collapse of the Confederacy was assured, not because of a massive battle in Pennsylvania, but because a Confederate army in the muddy trenches of Vicksburg knew that it had done all that it could do.

On the previous day, Gen. Pemberton had polled his subordinate generals for their opinions on whether his army could break out through Grant's encircling forces. The almost unanimous conclusion was that the men were too worn down from more than 45 days in the trenches to be able to make such an attempt without the army suffering inconceivable losses. See In the Trenches at Vicksburg on July 2, 1863.

Confederate Cannon at Fort Hill

Although his generals had been clear that they and their men would fight on, Pemberton knew that the siege would end in Union victory no matter how long he continued to fight. There was no hope of Gen. Joseph E. Johnston raising an army large enough to break the siege in time to save the Confederates of Vicksburg.

Facing the inevitable and deciding to save as many lives - soldier and civilian - as possible, the Confederate general sat down 150 years ago today and wrote to his adversary, Gen. Ulysses S. Grant:

    GENERAL: I have the honor to propose to you an armistice for ______ hours, with a view to arranging terms for a capitulation of Vicksburg. To this end, if agreeable to you, I will appoint three commissioners to meet a like number, to be named by yourself, at such place and hour to-day as you may find convenient.
     I make this proposition to save further effusion of blood, which must otherwise be shed to a frightful extent, feeling myself fulling able to maintain my position for a yet indefinite period. - Lt. Gen. John C. Pemberton, CSA (July 3, 1863).

U.S. Navy Monument at Vicksburg

The proposal to negotiate honorable terms was delivered to Grant under a flag of truce by Maj. Gen. J.S. Bowen, who had fought so fiercely against overwhelming odds when the Union army crossed the Mississippi near Port Gibson. He requested to meet with the Union commander, but Grant refused, saying he would meet only with Pemberton himself.  He also responded to the Confederate general's attempt to obtain honorable terms:

...The useless effusion of blood you propose stopping by this course can be ended at any time you choose, by an unconditional surrender of the city and garrison. Men who have shown so much endurance and courage as those now in Vicksburg will always challenge the respect of an adversary, and I can assure you will be treated with all the respect due prisoners of war. - Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, USA (July 3, 1863).

View from Stockade Redan across to the Union Lines

Grant declined Pemberton's request to appoint commissioners to negotiate the terms of surrender. In an attempt to negotiate with Grant in person, Gen. Pemberton met him between the lines on the afternoon of July 3, 1863. He insisted that his officers and men be paroled and allowed to march out of the city with eight days' rations from their own stores. Grant agreed to consider the proposal and then withdrew to consult with his generals, promising an answer later in the day.

As silence fell across the battlefield at Vicksburg, the Union commander met with his top generals and then wrote the following letter to Gen. Pemberton:

Vicksburg National Cemetery

...On your accepting the terms proposed, I will march in one division as a guard and take possession at 8 a.m. to-morrow. As soon as rolls can be made out, and paroles signed by officers and men, you will be allowed to march out of our lines, the officers taking with them their side-arms and clothing, and the field, staff , and cavalry officers one horse each. The rank and file will be allowed all their clothing, but no other property. - Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, USA (July 3, 1863).

"Unconditional Surrender" Grant's decision to end his demand for the unconditional surrender of Vicksburg brought the battle to an end.  Late in the night, Pemberton responded to his offer:

Crater where tunneling Federals blew up a Confederate fort

     ...In the main your terms are accepted, but in justice both to the honor and spirit of my troops, manifested in the defense of Vicksburg, I have the honor to submit the following amendments, which, if acceded to by you, will perfect the agreement between us:
     At 10 a.m. to-morrow I propose to evacuate the works in and around Vicksburg, and to surrender the city and garrison under my command, by marching out with my colors and arms, stacking them in front of my present lines, after which you will take possession. Officers to retain their side-arms and personal property, and the rights and property of citizens to be respected. - Lt. Gen. John C. Pemberton, CSA (July 3, 1863).

Grant would not respond until the next morning, but the fate of Vicksburg had been decided by the late night of July 3, 1863.  The surrender would take place the next day.

I will post about the surrender of Vicksburg tomorrow. Please remember that you can read more about the Battle of Vicksburg anytime at www.exploresouthernhistory.com/vicksburg1.

In the Trenches at Vicksburg on July 2, 1863

Union Siege Gun at Vicksburg, Mississippi

150 years ago today, as the 15th Alabama and 2nd Maine faced off on the slopes of Little Round Top at Gettysburg, the Confederate soldiers at Vicksburg, Mississippi, endured another day of bombardment and trench warfare.

The previous day, July 1, 1863, Lt. Gen. John C. Pemberton - the Confederate commander at Vicksburg - firmly concluded that the city could not hold out much longer.. In a dispatch from headquarters that day, he polled his subordinate generals about the prospect of trying to break out of Vicksburg through the surrounding Union army of Gen. Ulysses S. Grant:

"Whistling Dick" - A Confederate Gun at Vicksburg

Unless the siege of Vicksburg is raised or problems are thrown in, it will become necessary very shortly to evacuate the place. I see no prospect of the former, and there are many great, if not insuperable, obstacles in the way of the latter. You are, therefore, requested to inform me with as little delay as possible as to the condition of your troops, and their ability to make marches and undergo the fatigues necessary to accomplish a successful evacuation. - Lt. Gen. John C. Pemberton, CSA (July 1, 1863).

The generals commanding sections of the Confederate lines around the city responded on July 2, 1863, 150 years ago today:

Mississippi River at Vicksburg

...My men are very cheerful, but from long confinement (more than forty-five days) in the trenches on short rations, are necessarily much enfeebled, and a considerable number would be unable to make the marches and undergo the fatigues which would probably be necessary to a successful evacuation of this city. If pressed by the enemy, and it should be necessary to place the Big Black in our rear in one march, the chances are that a large number of them now in the trenches could not succeed. I believe, however, that most of them, rather than be captured, would exert themselves to the utmost to accomplish it. - Maj. Gen. C.L. Stevenson, CSA (July 2, 1863).

Union Siege Battery at Vicksburg

...I concur in the unanimous opinion of the brigade and regimental commanders, that the physical condition of our men are not sufficiently good to enable them to accomplish the evacuation. The spirit of the men is still, however, unshaken, and I am satisfied they will cheerfully continue to bear the fatigues and privations of the siege. - Maj. Gen. J.H. Forney, CSA (July 2, 1863).

...There are about 3,000 men in my division, including State troops, in a condition to undertake a march of 8 or 10 miles a day in this weather, if there is an opportunity of resting at intervals. Out of these 3,000, only about 2,000 are considered reliable in case we are strongly opposed and much harassed. A secret evacuation I consider almost impossible...I believe that General Johnston has or will fight Grant, and my hope has been that he would be successful and in time to relieve us. At present, however, I see no chance of timely relief from him, and his dispatches have never indicated a hope of being able to raise the siege. Under these circumstances, I deem it best to propose terms of capitulation before being forced to do so from want of provisions. - Maj. Gen. M.L. Smith, CSA (July 2, 1863).

Stockade Redan, Confederate fort at Vicksburg

...[M]y men are in as good, if not better spirits, than any others in the line, and able to stand as much fatigue, yet I do not consider them capable (physically) of enduring the hardships incident to such an undertaking. Forty-five days' incessant duty day and night, with short rations, the wear of both mind and body incident to our situation, has had a marked effect upon them, and I am satisfied they cannot give battle and march over 10 or 12 miles in the same day. In view of the fact that General Johnston has never held out the slightest hope to us that the siege could be raised; that his demonstration in our favor to relieve this exhausted garrison would of necessity be sufficient to raise it, I see no alternative but to endeavor to rescue the command by making terms with the enemy. - Maj. Gen. J.S. Bowen, CSA (July 2, 1863).

View of the battlefield from the Confederate trenches

The receipt of these opinions from his commanding generals, 150 years ago today, convinced Pemberton that he had no hope of fighting his way out of Vicksburg. While his army clearly could continue to hold out, the generals for the most part concurred in their belief that Gen. Joseph E. Johnston would not be able to help them.

Johnston was then trying to put an army together to save Vicksburg, but men and supplies were scarce and his task was simply impossible.

Looking down the Confederate lines at Vicksburg.

As Pemberton reviewed his situation, the outlook was bleak.  Throughout the day on July 2, 1863, soldiers huddled in their trenches and civilians - including many women and children - hid in caves they had dug beneath their homes - as Union artillery continued to bombard the city. As Chamberlain and the 2nd Maine fought gallantly against the Alabamians of the 15th on Little Round Top, at Vicksburg generals Grant and Sherman bombarded civilians.

The next day, July 3rd, would be the day on which Pemberton made his most important decision of the Battle of Vicksburg.

Please click here to read the next post in this series on the 150th anniversary of the surrender of Vicksburg.

To learn more about the Siege and Battle of Vicksburg, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/vicksburg1.

Grants Grand Assault on Vicksburg (May 22, 1863)

Railroad Redoubt at Vicksburg, Mississippi
Blue (U.S.) and Red Signs (C.S.) show the scene of hand to hand fighting.

150 years ago today, after one of the most ferocious bombardments ever unleashed on an American city, Gen. Ulysses S. Grant sent his Union army forward against the Confederate defenses of Vicksburg, Mississippi.  It was an unmitigated disaster.

Grant had closed in on Vicksburg from the east 4 days earlier after battling Confederate forces at Port Gibson, Raymond, Big Black River and other locations. The Confederate commander, Gen. John Pemberton, fell back into the prepared fortifications that ringed Vicksburg and prepared to defend the vital city that controlled traffic on the Mississippi River and provided a link between the two halves of the Confederacy that the river divided.

Stockade Redan at Vicksburg

In a first attempt to break through Pemberton's lines, the Union commander had sent Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman forward against the Stockade Redan on May 19, 1863. Confederate forces - primarily the 36th Mississippi Infantry - sent Sherman's men reeling back for their own lines. Confederate losses in the assault, the first fighting of the Battle of Vicksburg, totaled 8 killed and 62 wounded. Union casualties were much higher, with 157 killed and 777 wounded.

Grant tried again three days later on May 22, 1863. It was that attack, which took place 150 years ago today, that resulted in some of the bloodiest fighting of the Siege and Battle of Vicksburg.

Confederate Cannon at Vicksburg

Pemberton's men knew the attack was coming when, on the previous night, the Union army opened on the city with more than 220 cannon. The warships of the Union navy steamed to within range and joined in the bombardment, as soldiers and civilians alike in the beleaguered city dug tunnels to protect themselves from the falling shells.

Then, at 10 o'clock a.m., the Union army advanced. Watching from their lines, the Confederates saw enemy columns forming for attacks on the Stockade Redan, Great Redoubt, Third Louisiana Redan, Second Texas Lunette and the Railroad Redoubt. In the military terms of the day, a redan was a triangular fortification, a lunette was a semi-circular or crescent fortification and a redoubt was a square or rectangular fort.

Second Texas Lunette

Confederate cannon swept the field as the three-mile wide attack developed. The attacks on the Stockade Redan and Great Redoubt were driven back with heavy losses. The Federals almost broke through at the Second Texas Lunette, where heavy fighting took place before Confederate troops finally broke apart their attack.

The critical moment of the day came, however, when Union soldiers stormed over the walls of the Railroad Redoubt and drove out its Confederate defenders. The desperately needed break in the Southern lines had been achieved, but before the Federals could exploit the advantage gained at the redoubt, Waul's Texas Legion counterattacked and drove them out in hand-to-hand fighting.

When all was said and done, the Confederacy still held Vicksburg and Grant had lost more than 3,000 men compared to a loss of around 500 for Pemberton.

To learn more about the Battle of Vicksburg and to check the schedule of planned 150th Anniversary events planned for this Memorial Day Weekend, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/vicksburg1.

Vicksburg 150th Anniversary Events Set for Memorial Day Weekend

Stockade Redan at Vicksburg

Memorial Day Weekend this year also marks the 150th anniversary of the Siege and Battle of Vicksburg, Mississippi, one of the most critical battles of the Civil War.

The battle for Vicksburg actually began on May 19, 1863 - 150 years ago today - when Gen. Ulysses S. Grant hurled his army against the Confederate fortifications at the Stockade Redan in an attempt to break through the Southern lines and capture the city without resorting to a long siege. The Confederate Army of Gen. John C. Pemberton, however, hurled back the attack in bloody fashion. Pemberton lost only 8 men killed and 62 wounded, compared to 157 killed and 777 wounded for Grant.

Battery De Golyer at Vicksburg

A second, larger attack came three days later on May 21, 1863, after a horrible bombardment of both military and civilian targets in Vicksburg, but ended in an greater disaster for the Union army. Some 3,000 U.S. soldiers were killed or wounded, compared to around 500 Confederates.

The fighting would go on for more than six weeks, ending only after the Confederate defenders and civilians in Vicksburg had been reduced to eating rats, mules and boiled shoe-leather. Gen. Pemberton surrendered the city to Grant on July 4, 1863, the same day that Pickett's Charge failed at Gettysburg.

To learn more about the Battle of Vicksburg, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/vicksburg1.

In commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the bloody siege and battle at Vicksburg, the National Park Service has planned numerous events that are now underway and will continue thorugh Memorial Day Weekend.  Here is a schedule:

Sunday, May 19

First Assault Programs:
10:00 a.m. - Confederate Perspective, Begins at Stockade Redan (Tour Stop 12)
1:00 p.m. - Union Perspective, Begins at Stockade Redan Attack Display (Tour Stop 5)

Wednesday, May 22

Memorial Day Event:
7:30 a.m. - Placement of flags on graves at Vicksburg National Cemetery.

Second Assault Programs:
10:00 a.m. - The Forlorn Hope, Begins at Stockade Redan Attack Display (Tour Stop 5)
10:00 a.m. - Second Texas Lunette Attack, Begins at Second Texas Lunette (Tour Stop 12)
10:00 a.m. - Assault on the Great Redoubt, Begins at the Great Redoubt (Tour Stop 11)
1:00 p.m. - Assault on Railroad Redoube, Begins at Railroad Redoubt (Tour Stop 13).

Thursday, May 23

Memorial Day Events:
10:00 a.m. - U.S. Postal Service Sesquicentennial Stamp National Event at USS Cairo Museum.
7:00 - 10:00 p.m. - Shadows of the Past walk at Vicksburg National Cemetery.

Friday, May 24

Memorial Day Event:
7:00 p.m. - U.S. Navy Band Concert at Park Visitor Center.

Saturday, May 25

Memorial Day Events:

9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. - Soldiers Thru the Ages Display at USS Cairo Museum
9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. - Programs held throughout the day at:

• Shirley House/Illinois Monument/Old Jackson Road 
• Pemberton's Headquarters (Crawford Street, downtown Vicksburg)
• Old Administration Building (Pemberton Ave., inside park) - U.S. Camel Corps program.
• Living History programs at various locations in the park.

9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. - Book Signings at the Park Visitor Center featuring Jeff Shaara, Dr. John Marszalek, Tim Isbell, Jeff Biambrone and Rebecca Drake.

10:00 a.m. - Re-Dedication of the Iowa State Memorial.

7:00 p.m. - Concert featuring Mississippi Symphony Orchestra with guest appearance by Trace Adkins at Park Visitor Center.

Sunday, May 26

Memorial Day Events:

9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. - Soldiers Thru the Ages Display at USS Cairo Museum
9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. - Programs held throughout the day at:

• Shirley House/Illinois Monument/Old Jackson Road 
• Pemberton's Headquarters (Crawford Street, downtown Vicksburg)
• Old Administration Building (Pemberton Ave., inside park) - U.S. Camel Corps program.
• Living History programs at various locations in the park.

7:00 p.m. - Concert by Jackson Mass Community Choir at the Park Visitor Center.

Monday, May 27

Memorial Day Events:

10:00 a.m. - Vicksburg City Memorial Day Parade in Downtown Vicksburg.

11:00 a.m. - Vicksburg City Memorial Day Program at Vicksburg Civic Center.

12:00 noon - Wreath Laying at Vicksburg National Cemetery.

Wednesday, July 3

Luminary Commemoration:

7:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. - 20,000 luminaries will be placed throughout the park and on Confederate Avenue in Vicksburg at every State Memorial to honor the casualties suffered by each state, North and South, during the Vicksburg Campaign.

Memorial Day, Part One - Vicksburg, Mississippi

With Memorial Day weekend now just one week away, I thought it might be a good time to devote time to some of the places in the South where the sacrifices of our military men and women touch the spirit every day of the year. Part One of this week long series focuses on Vicksburg National Military Park.

The Civil War was two years old when the Union army of General Ulysses S. Grant closed in on the powerful Confederate citadel of Vicksburg, Mississippi. The excitement of marching off to war and the dreams of glory had long since gone out of the soldiers of both sides.

By the spring of 1863, Union forces were engaged in campaigns that President Abraham Lincoln and other leaders hoped would finally implement the "Anaconda" strategy devised two years earlier by General Winfield Scott. By blockading the Southern coastline and then seizing control of the vitla Mississippi River, Scott had believed that the South might be squeezed to death, in virtually the same way that an anaconda kills its prey.

The blockade was now in place and the final key to the implementation of Scott's plan was Vicksburg. Driving into Mississippi near Port Gibson, Grant had defeated Confederate troops in a series of battles and finally closed in on Vicksburg from behind in mid-May of 1863. Confederate General John C. Pemberton pulled his men back into the powerful earthen forts, batteries and breastworks surrounding the Mississippi River city and prepared for a bitter fight that he knew might determine the outcome of the war.

Because of his recent open field victories over Pemberton's army, Grant hoped that he might break through the defenses of Vicksburg with one massive push. On May 19, 1863, he sent thousands of his men storming forward against the Stockade Redan, a powerful Confederate fort. They never even got close. When the smoke cleared, the Union army had lost 157 men killed and 777 wounded compared to only 8 killed and 62 wounded for the Confederates.

The Union general tried again two days later. Opening fire on the Confederate lines with more than 220 cannon, Grant joined with U.S. warships on the Mississippi in a 24 hour bombardment of Vicksburg. When the firing finally stopped, he sent forward his men in a line 3 miles wide, planning to storm over the Confederate fortifications. The fighting was hand to hand in places, but the Federal troops once again failed to force their way into the city. 3,000 Union soldiers fell in the attack, compared to only 500 Confederates.

The fight for Vicksburg now turned into a brutal siege. Confederate soldiers and citizens within the city burrowed into the ground for protection against the continual Union bombardments. Food ran short and soldiers and civilizans alike lived on rats, mules and anything else they could find. Union troops dug a tunnel under the Confederate defenses and set off a massive explosion on June 25th, hoping to rush through the resulting gap but once again they were thrown back.

Another explosion followed on July 1st, but in the end it was starvation and not the power of Grant's army that brought about the fall of Vicksburg. With his men on the verge of complete starvation, Pemberston surrendered on July 4, 1863.

To learn more about the Battle of Vicksburg and to explore the Vicksburg National Military Park, which preserves the scene of much of the battle, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/vicksburg1.

Old Courthouse Museum - Vicksburg, Mississippi

One of the most fascinating local museums in the South can be found in the Old Courthouse in Vicksburg, Mississippi.

This historic structure dates from before the Civil War and was a major landmark during the siege and Battle of Vicksburg. Its clock tower can be seen in numerous photographs and drawings of the city dating from the time of the battle and it was here that U.S. troops under Gen. Ulysses S. Grant raised the United States flag on July 4, 1863, marking the end of the brutal siege.

Beautifully preserved and restored, the magnificent structure now houses a wide variety of displays and artifacts pertaining to the history of Vicksburg, the battle and the Mississippi River. Weapons, uniforms, original flags and other artifacts help visitors learn more about the battle, but the Old Courthouse also preserves its upstairs courtroom where many landmark cases were argued. Other displays tell about the great steamboats that once plied the Mississippi River. The decorative antlers from the famed paddlewheel boat Robert E. Lee can be seen.

To learn more about the Old Courthouse and other points of interest in and around Vicksburg, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/vicksburg4.

U.S.S. Cairo - A Civil War Ironclad on Display

One of my favorite historic sites in the South can be found in Vicksburg, Mississippi.

The U.S.S. Cairo, a Union ironclad, is the centerpiece of a fascinating museum at Vicksburg National Military Park. It is one of just a few surviving warships of that era and is particularly unique because you can actually climb aboard for a closer look.

Part of the Mississippi River fleet, the Cairo was built at Mound City, Illinois, and commissioned in January of 1862. She saw action in the battles of Plum Point and Memphis. In the latter engagement she played a key role in the destruction of the Confederacy's river fleet.

On December 12, 1862, however, she was sent up the Yazoo River north of Vicksburg with other vessels to drive away Confederates and open the way for an attack on the city. Instead, the ships were ambushed and as the Cairo turned to fire on Southern troops she floated over what was then called a "torpedo." This mine, connected to shore by an electric wire, was set off with a charge and exploded, sinking the ironclad.

It was the first sinking of a warship by an electronic mine in history.

The Cairo spent the next 100 years on the bottom of the Yazoo, but in the 1960s she was raised in three sections and taken to Ingalls Shipyard in Pascagoula, Mississippi, where she was painstakingly preserved. Brought back to Vicksburg, she is now the centerpoint of a fascinating museum that focuses on the vessel and the role of the U.S. Navy in the capture of Vicksburg.

If you would like to read more about the U.S.S. Cairo and see additional photographs of the ironclad, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/vicksburg2.

Battle of Vicksburg, Mississippi

For two months in the spring and summer of 1863, one of history's largest and most significant battles took place on the hills and ravines surrounding the charming Mississippi River city of Vicksburg, Mississippi.

The Battle of Vicksburg is commemorated today at Vicksburg National Military Park, where visitors can explore miles of both Union and Confederate trenches, forts, batteries and even a preserved Civil War ironclad.

The park is one of the key features in Vicksburg, a beautiful and historic city overlooking the Mississippi. If you would like to learn more, our new Vicksburg pages are now online at www.exploresouthernhistory.com/vicksburg5. Please stop by for a visit!

Submarine Smuggling not a new concept...

If you haven't seen it yet, CNN reported this week that smugglers have turned to submarines in an effort to sneak drugs across the Gulf of Mexico and into the United States.

As novel as it might sound, this is not exactly a new idea. In true Southern tradition, moonshiners on the Mississippi River once used a homemade submarine to slip illegal whiskey to shore from a hidden island distillery. Powered by a Model T Ford engine, the little one man sub carried moonshine from Davis Island to shore during the early days of prohibition.

The Mississippi Moonshine Running Submarine is now a permanent exhibit at one of my favorite historic sites, Grand Gulf Military Monument near Port Gibson, Mississippi. The site of an important battle during the Civil War's Vicksburg Campaign, Grand Gulf was a significant community on the Mississippi River during antebellum times.

Floods and disease drove away most of the inhabitants, however, and most of what remained of the town was destroyed during the war. The park today preserves a fascinating array of historic sites and artifacts, including earthwork forts and entrenchments, historic structures... and the moonshine running submarine!

You can learn more about Grand Gulf Military Monument and its little known submarine by visiting www.exploresouthernhistory.com/grandgulf1.

Spring Travel Part Five: Vicksburg, Mississippi

This is part five of a special spring series on some of my favorite heritage tourism destinations in the South.

Vicksburg, Mississippi, is perhaps the most impressive Civil War site in America. Home to a beautiful, historic site and Vicksburg National Military Park, the city is an outstanding place to explore the history of the war that divided America and to learn about the experiences of Southern citizens who lived for months in a city under siege.

The National Military Park features miles of fortifications, entrenchments, artillery batteries and zig zag approach trenches, all dating from the 1863 siege that resulted in the fall of the important Confederate post on the Mississippi River The park also features an outstanding museum housing the wreck of the Union ironclad U.S.S. Cairo.

Other points of interest in Vicksburg include historic homes, the beautiful Old Courthouse Museum, a charming downtown district, a welcome center overlooking the Mississippi River, boat tours and more. There are numerous museums and historic sites, as well as plenty of modern accommodations, dining establishments, etc.

To learn more about Vicksburg, Mississippi, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/vicksburg1.html.

Spring Travel Part One: Poverty Point, Louisiana

Since spring is now here and everyone seems ready to shake off the winter blahs and explore a little, I thought I would take the next couple of weeks and share some of my favorite places in the South with you.

Poverty Point State Historic Site in northeastern Louisiana is one of the most impressive archaeological sites not just in the United States, but in the world. Located only about a half hour's drive north of Interstate 20 just west of Vicksburg, Mississippi, the park preserves the site of a Native American civilization that thrived some 3,000 years ago.

What makes Poverty Point so unique is that it preserves the mounds and earthworks of a civilization that thrived even before its inhabitants developed such things as pottery. The largest mound at the site rises over 72 feet above the surrounding farmland and was designed in the form of a giant bird. It overlooks a village site that was built atop a series of six semicircular concentric earthworks.

The park is extremely well maintained and offers a very nice interpretive center, paved walking trails, guided tours and a tram tour of the mounds. To learn more, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/poverty1.

Vicksburg, Mississippi - Old Courthouse Museum

This beautiful structure in Vicksburg, Mississippi is the city's historic Old Courthouse. Now a museum, it is located at 1008 Cherry Street downtown and is a major landmark of the city.

Built in 1858 on the grounds where Jefferson Davis began his political career, the courthouse was a key landmark during the 1863 Battle of Vicksburg. Although clearly visible to Union gunners outside the city, the courthouse was not materially damaged during the siege.

On July 4, 1863, the United States flag was raised from the clock tower officially ending one of the most important battles of the Civil War.

Today the courthouse contains an outstanding collection of artifacts relating to the history of Vicksburg and Mississippi. To learn more, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/vicksburg1.

Vicksburg, Mississippi - Battery De Golyer

Continuing our look at Vicksburg, Mississippi, this is Battery De Golyer at Vicksburg National Military Park. The first stop on the driving tour of the Vicksburg battlefield, this battery was one of many established by Union troops during the Battle of Vicksburg.

Manned by gunners from several units, including the 8th Michigan Artillery, Battery De Golyer at one point mounted as many as 22 cannon. The guns bombarded the Confederate "Great Redoubt," one of the forts guarding Vicksburg.

The battery was named for Captain Samuel De Golyer of the 8th Michigan Artillery, who was mortally wounded while directing artillery fire during the Battle of Vicksburg.

Our look at Vicksburg will continue, but in the meantime you can read and see more by going to www.exploresouthernhistory.com/Vicksburg.

Vicksburg National Military Park - Vicksburg, Mississippi

Over the next few days we will spend some time exploring Vicksburg, Mississippi, one of the most historic cities in the United States.

Vicksburg, of course, is home to the Vicksburg National Military Park, where Union and Confederate troops fought the Battle of Vicksburg, one of the largest and most significant battles in American history.

The massive Civil War battle was fought over miles of hills and ravines ringing the historic Southern city, as well as on the Mississippi River. Today, much of the battlefield is preserved at the national park, where visitors can explore earthwork forts, artillery batteries, tunnels, monuments and even a salvaged Civil War ironclad.

The photograph here shows the artillery display at the parking lot of the Visitor Center at Vicksburg National Military Park. The display gives visitors a chance to inspect the various types of cannon used during the siege and battle at Vicksburg.

Our look at Vicksburg will continue, but in the meantime you can read and see more by visiting our Vicksburg pages at www.exploresouthernhistory.com/Vicksburg.