Aug 15, 2010 - Vicksburg, Mississippi

Today we drove into Mississippi and dropped the RV off at Le Fleur State Park Campground on the Pearl River. We pulled into our site, unhooked the car, and drove about 45 minutes to Vicksburg. It is the battlefield where the South lost control of the Mississippi River. We started our tour at the visitor’s center where we caught up on some history so we would have a better appreciation of what we were seeing. Having just stayed at Nottoway Plantation, we were able to get a feel of what it may have been like on that part of the Mississippi River during the Civil War.

We drove on a 16 mile road that meandered through 2000 acres of National Parkland. There are 150 restored cannons, and over 1,350 markers and monuments that identify all of the battles during the siege of Vicksburg. All of the original forts, rifle pits and battery positions are visible, and when you are on high ground, you can imagine just how the battles unfolded! It was a very powerful and emotional experience to be on the actual ground that shaped the future of the United States.

It was not just about the battle on the ground, but even more importantly, it was the battle for control of the river ways. Hundreds of vessels of all kinds battled up and down the rivers, but none were as effective as the “Ironclads” which were the backbone of the fleet. These boats had 2-3 inch thick pieces of iron covering the entire top and sides of the boat at an angle, which made them resistant to cannon fire. The underbelly of the boat was left unprotected to save weight, and maintain stability. However, this left the ironclads open to attack by the newly invented “torpedos” that we now know as mines. The Union Iron Clad, “Cairo” met just such a fate. It sunk in the Yazoo River in just 12 minutes due to two torpedo hits to the side. It was raised from the river floor 102 years after it’s sinking, and is now resting on a concrete pad within the Vicksburg National Park. The Cairo and it’s contents were very well preserved, and the museum displays hundreds of these salvaged artifacts, giving us knowledge of what Naval life was like during the Civil War.

Brett was scheduled to get off of work at 8pm, so we drove into Jackson in time to meet up with him for dinner. He has Sunday off, so we will all move Lindsey into her dorm and show LeeAnne and Paul around her campus.