April 18th - to Vicksburg National Military Park

We are now in an RV park in Clinton MS. Two days ago, this town was ravaged by a tornado that caused extensive damage, including in this trailer park. There was a tornado watch in effect for the Natchez area, too and some strong thunderstorms did occur while we were there. Luckily, we missed the severe weather. There are severe weather warnings for the deep south beginning Wednesday of this coming week, with the possibility of tornadoes. To say the least, this is a bit unsettling.

Spent the day exploring the site of one of the most horrendous battles of the Civil War – Vicksburg. It was here that the Federals under General U.S. Grant were finally able to prevail over the multiple defenses put in place by the Confederate Army under General John Pemberton. We drove the 16 – mile battlefield tour route that detailed each of the many battles that took place here. Altogether, the casualities (the dead and the wounded ) on both sides amounted to 20,000 men – an almost inconceivable number. The site consists of square miles of gently rolling hills covered with undulating waves of green grass and hardwood forest. Along the tour road are literally hundreds of stone monuments, some quite elaborate, which commemorate army units that participated in the conflict. The most imposing is that of the Illinois regiment, which is a domed monument containing the engraved names of 10,000 men who fought on behalf of the Union. In the end, General Grant was unable to penetrate the Confederate defensive positions. Instead, he cut off all supplies to the Confederates, and the town of Vicksburg they were protecting. He literally starved them into submission. The Confederate surrender opened the Mississippi River to unimpeded travel by Union boats, allowing the armies and goods from the North to pass the fortifications at Vicksburg without being bombarded. Lincoln believed that a victory at Vicksburg would be the “key” that would permit the Union to ultimately prevail over the South.

The most fascinating artifact at the Vicksburg Military Park is the Union gunboat USS Cairo. This is an ironclad steam powered vessel over 200 feet long that was blown up by an electrically detonated Confederate mine. For over 100 years, it remained buried in the mud of the Yazoo River, and was recovered in 1964 in remarkably good condition. The engines are the only ones still in existence from that era. The vessel is displayed outside under a permanent tent-like structure, and, there are walkways to allow you to board it! Fascinating! An adjacent museum holds a treasure trove of artifacts recovered from the vessel that provide an accurate portrayal of what life aboard must have been like.

There is a US National Cemetery on the site that contains the graves of the 20,000 Civil War dead, in addition to some from the World Wars, and the Korean Conflict. In the Civil War section, the unknown soldier's graves vastly outnumber those identified by name. It is a moving sight, to say the least.