The Vicksburg campaign was waged from March 29 to July 4, 1863. It included battles in west-central Mississippi at: Port Gibson, Raymond, Jackson, Champion Hill, Big Black River and 47 days of Union siege operations against the city of Vicksburg. Located high on the bluffs, Vicksburg was a fortress guarding the Mississippi River. It was known as "The Gibraltar of the Confederacy." Its surrender on July 4, 1863, coupled with the fall of Port Hudson, Louisiana, divided the South, and gave the North undisputed control of the Mississippi River.

Today, the battlefield at Vicksburg is in an excellent state of preservation. It includes over 1,300 monuments and markers, reconstructed trenches and earthworks, one antebellum structure, over 125 emplaced cannon, restored Union gunboat, USS Cairo, and the Vicksburg National Cemetery.

Like most Civil War areas, Vicksburg National Military Park exists as a lasting memorial to the soldiers and civilians that suffered through the widespread tragedy and conflict of the Civil War. It is a vivid legacy of America's past, a place where students can learn and individuals reflect upon the dramatic events that shaped a young and developing nation.

Orientation to the park begins at the park visitor center with an 18 minute film. Visitors can then drive the historic 16 mile tour road through Union and Confederate siege lines.

Halfway through the park, visitors get a close-up view of the Union gunboat, the USS Cairo. The 175 foot long ironclad was sunk on December 12, 1862, by underwater Confederate mines just North of Vicksburg in the Yazoo River. Raised in 1964, the restored city class gunboat offers visitors a unique opportunity to view original cannons, cannon carriages, engines, boilers and pilot house, via a reconstructed gundeck. The nearby USS Cairo Museum houses a variety of military and personal artifacts, which were recovered with the Cairo during its salvage operation.

Adjacent to the USS Cairo is the Vicksburg National Cemetery. Established in 1866, it contains in excess of 18,000 graves, of which over 12,000 are unknown. Soldiers from the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II and the Korean War are interred here.

Visitor Center:    8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.;
Cairo Museum:   8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., November to March;
                          9:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., April to October.

CURRENT WEATHER:

National Weather Service, Jackson, MS   (50 miles east of Vicksburg)

Visitors traveling north-south on US Highway 61; follow same directions as I-20 above. US-61 joins with I-20 in its route through the city of Vicksburg.

Mileage to Vicksburg           Area Map

In Park: personal vehicle, bicycle, tour bus and taxi cab.

Vicksburg annual (park) pass is:    $10.00

Golden Eagle passport is:               $50.00

Golden Age passport,
for US citizens 62 and over,
available for a one time
administrative fee of                           $10.00

Golden Access passport
(for disabled) available:                       Free (upon proof)

Commercial vehicles:
1-6 passenger capacity is:                   $30.00
7-25 passenger capacity is:                 $40.00
Over 25 passenger capacity is:           $100.00

Visitor Center/Exhibits:

The main visitor center at the Clay Street entrance offers public information, artifact exhibit area,  bookstore, pay telephone,  rest room facilities (handicapped and baby changing area), and a city (county) information booth operated by the staff of the Vicksburg Convention and Visitors Bureau.

 

U.S.S. CAIRO

The USS Cairo complex includes a museum and restored Union ironclad gunboat. It is located at milepost 7.8 of the park tour road, or is accessible from downtown Vicksburg, via Cherry Street to Fort Hill Drive and Connecting Avenue. It offers public information, artifact exhibit area, bookstore, pay telephone, rest room facilities (handicapped and baby changing area) and picnic tables. On display at the museum are Civil War period naval artifacts recovered from the Union vessel. Sailors' personal possessions, cookware and weaponry, are among items on exhibit. A six minute video explains how the CAIRO was sunk by a Confederate underwater mine, how it was located and actions taken during its salvage efforts.

 

Exterior Circle Areas

Three exterior park areas include the riverfront batteries. The Union had a position at Navy Circle, and Confederate batteries existed at South Fort and Louisiana Circle. Traveling east-west on I-20, take exit 1a and go north on Washington Street.

 

Grant's Canal

Located across the Mississippi River in the town of Delta, Louisiana, visitors can view one of the last remaining sections of Grant's Canal. In 1863 Union forces unsuccessfully attempted to bypass Vicksburg by digging an 8-12 foot deep channel through Desoto Point. The hope was to divert waters of the Mississippi River, and bypass the formidable batteries of Vicksburg. Follow Interstate 20 west to the 1st exit ramp in Louisiana.  Turn right, cross the railroad tracks, and turn right again onto old US-80.  Highway signs mark the entrance to Grant's Canal just west of Delta, LA.

Facilities include an historic state highway marker, bronze tablet and wayside exhibits on Williams Canal, Grant's Canal and Black Troops at Milliken's Bend.

 

A narrated, self-guided driving tour is available on cassette tape, for sale at the park visitor centers. Scheduled talks are provided by park rangers at the visitor center and USS Cairo Museum, in season. There are living history black powder demonstrations at the visitor center, mid-June to mid-August. Check with visitor center and Cairo staff for day and time of programs.

Bookstores which are located at both park visitor centers are operated by Eastern National, a park cooperating association. Coordination of license park guide services and information on city/county attractions and accommodations are provided by the Vicksburg Convention and Visitors Bureau.

RECOMMENDED ACTIVITIES/PARK USE:

Driving tour of battlefield, via tour road; observing historic markers, tablets, plaques, monuments and cannon along tour route; walking, hiking, biking; photography; and birdwatching, twelve mile scout trail of moderate difficulty.

 

ADJACENT VISITOR ATTRACTIONS:

Museums, Antebellum homes, casinos, restaurants, antique shops, shopping and outlet malls, city/county library, and US Waterways Experiment Station.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Write:

Vicksburg National Military Park, 3201 Clay Street, Vicksburg, MS 39183, or call (601) 636-0583;

 

Eastern National, 3201 Clay Street, Vicksburg, MS 39183, or call (601) 638-4583;

 

Vicksburg Convention and Visitors Bureau, Clay Street and Old Highway 27, Vicksburg, MS 39183, or call (601) 636-9421.

ADDITIONAL HISTORIC BACKGROUND ON THE VICKSBURG CAMPAIGN:

At the time of the Civil War, the Mississippi River was the single most important economic feature of the continent; the very lifeblood of America. Upon the secession of the southern states, the river was closed to unfettered navigation, which threatened to strangle northern commercial interests. President Abraham Lincoln told his civil and military leaders, "See what a lot of land these fellows hold, of which Vicksburg is the key. The war can never be brought to a close until that key is in our pocket.... We can take all the northern ports of the Confederacy, and they can defy us from Vicksburg." Lincoln assured his listeners that "I am acquainted with that region and know what I am talking about, and as valuable as New Orleans will be to us, Vicksburg will be more so."

 

It was imperative for the administration in Washington to regain control of the lower Mississippi River, thereby re-opening that important avenue of commerce, enabling the rich agricultural produce of the Northwest to reach world markets. It would also split the Confederacy in two, sever that vital supply route, achieve a major objective of the Anaconda Plan, and effectively seal the doom of Richmond and the Confederacy. Vicksburg was the connecting link between the eastern and western parts of the Confederate States. The city sat astride a major Confederate supply route, over which the armies of Braxton Bragg and Robert E. Lee received much needed food, clothing, medicine and ammunition, as well as fresh troops.