The Battle of Vicksburg

Before leaving on the trip, I listened to the Battle of Vicksburg from Michael Shaaras’ book about the battles of the civil war. Actually being there things really started to make sense. This is true of most things, standing on that ground everything makes so much more sense.

Many of the different canons used during the battle and siege, I don’t know which were southern and which were northern. I hired a guide, and boy was he enthusiastic. Maybe a little too much information. I know too many people here in LA, who’s families arrived long after the war who like to preen about the north winning the war and how we are on the good side. First of all, Los Angeles sided with the south – second of all – keep your mouth shut about things you know nothing about – these people also hang the Ukraine flag without any clue what is really going on. (I’m not siding with the Russians, just saying, these things are complicate.)

The park as a national war memorial was dedicated in the late 19th century and the states that participated in the battle put up monuments, both big and small. Oh, Don, our guide was great, he knew the battles well, he is thrilled that after a bloody civil war we still managed to become the UNITED STATES, rather than a collection of states under a loose federal government.

I didn’t get a lot of pictures, but the terrain is so hilly, steep and needless to say absolutely full of the kind of vegetation that south is known for.

So some basics, where Vicksburg is situation on the Mississipi – it controls the river. Both sides needed that major water way. The city itself is up on the bluffs, so they could shoot down on any army trying to come down the river. So General Grant did something very smart, he led the army through Louisiana – where he met no opposition and approached the city from the south. But Vicksburg held strong and the Southern army has been building forts on all the hilltops.

Plenty of bloody battles ensued. Needless to say, when it came time to build the monuments, the northern states had more money then the southern ones. Even so, Illinois outdid them all, recreating the Roman Pantheon. It is impressive inside and out.

With the gold eagle on top. btw, both side fought valiantly, and in many cases the leaders of the opposing sides had been classmates at West Point and fought side by side in the Mexican American War. Don shared minute details, war is never pretty, this was no exception.

A perfect replica, with the hole in the dome.

As is typical in these kind of battles, the north would gain the hill, just to be forced back by the south in the forts.

A beautiful mosaic of the seal of the state of Illinois. Btw, had things gone otherwise, Illinois might have joined with the south.

The White House, the only civilian house to remain standing in the massive battlefields. it did become headquarters for the north for a while, it has been refurbished back to what it looked like then.

Another small memorial, this time to Capt John Powell. After the war, with a bum arm, he floated down the Colorado river, through the Grand Canyon. He worked for the federal government for years. He basically claimed most of open western land as Federal land – not something I approve of at all. See, government has always been over reaching and over grabbing.

I didn’t get a picture of the statue to General Ord. This just shows how small the country was then. I know him as Lieutenant Edward Ord. During his stay in CA in 1949 he drew the layout for both Sacramento and Los Angeles. Our lore says he named Spring st in downtown LA for his love interest at the time – he called her Mi primavera – my spring.

Then he fought in different battles in the civil war, was in Vicksburg with Grant, and stayed on to help with the reconstruction. He was also at Appomottax for the signing of the end of the Civil War.

Looking from the battle fields toward the Yazoo river, the Mississippi is on the horizon. But it changed course since the war.

Attacking the forts wasn’t working, so Grant called for a siege , no food, no fresh water could reach the southern army. 3 weeks of that in the summer, and the Southern General surrendered – many felt he did so too soon. This battle and the battle at Gettysburg, which took place at the same time, turned the tide of the war to the northern side. Although it would be two more years of war and battles.

Just a few years ago this monument to the black soldiers from Mississippi was added to the park. It needs to be said that many freed slaves immediately went and fought for the north.

I know, there are still plenty of scars, but I see so much progress in the direction America has taken since this war. No place, no nation is perfect, but America is up there with the great nations.

The Cairo (pronounced Kay-ro) an iron clad shallow boat built by the north to travel the shallow waterways. There were nine such boats, each named for a city in Illinois where they were built. The Cairo was sunk in a shallow river, all sailors got off alive, but everything was left there. It was immediately covered up with debris and vegetation – so as not to fall into enemy hands. In the 1950s’ it was discovered – in very good shape – bogs have a way of preserving things.