Vicksburg, Mississippi - U.S.S. Cairo

One of the most fascinating exhibits at the Vicksburg National Military Park is the wreck of the Cairo, an actual Civil War ironclad gunboat raised from the bottom of Mississippi's Yazoo River.

The Cairo had taken part in the Battles of Plum Bayou and Memphis. On December 12, 1862, she was sent up the Yazoo River as part of an effort to clear the waterway of Confederate opposition. Seven miles north of Vicksburg, the gunboats came under fire from Confederate artillery. As the Cairo turned to respond, she was suddenly rocked by massive explosions. The gunboat had steamed over a submerged Confederate mine (then called at "torpedo").

The Cairo sank to the bottom of the Yazoo River in just twelve minutes, becoming the first warship in history to be sunk by an electronic mine.

The ironclad was raised during the 1960s and taken in sections to Pascagoula, Mississippi, where she was cleaned and preserved by workers at Ingalls Shipyard. Today the Cairo is the centerpiece of a fascinating museum and exhibit at Vicksburg National Military Park.

To learn more and see additional photos, please go 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.

Mammoth Cave National Park - Kentucky

One of the natural wonders of the world, Mammoth Cave is also one of the most historic sites in the South.

Discovered thousands of years ago by early Native Americans, the cave system is known to include more than 300 miles of chambers and passages with hundreds of miles remaining to be explored. This length makes Mammoth Cave the longest cave in the world.

The huge cave system is also a noteworthy landmark in America's black history because many of the explorers and guides who opened the cave to public view during the 19th century were African American residents of the local area.

To learn more about Mammoth Cave National Park, please visit our new Mammoth Cave pages at http://www.exploresouthernhistory.com/. Simply follow the link and then scroll down the page to the Kentucky heading in the Index section.