Vicksburg

On our recent vacation trip to Florida we paused a night at Vicksburg, Mississippi.  My great great grandfather, Edward McLeod, fought on the Union side during the siege of that city during the Civil War.  The military park is well-maintained and impressive.  Besides a visitor center and museum there is a 16 mile driving tour and a second museum containing the salvaged remains of the Union ironclad the USS Cairo.  The visitor center includes an interactive display of the battle, which took place from March to July of 1863, an 18 minute film, various life size exhibits, and, of course, a gift shop.   The driving tour takes you first along the Union lines, and then along the Confederate line.  The terrain is hilly and the vistas beautiful. 


The USS Cairo is displayed under a very large open roof covering.  I was stunned by its size – it is huge!  Platforms and walkways allow you to explore the ship inside and out.  The adjacent museum explains the significance of gunboats to the war and of the USS Cairo, in particular.  A stop there is well worth the time.


The most moving part of our visit was our stop, near the end of the driving tour, at the markers indicating where Edward McLeod and his fellows camped and fought.  It is one thing to read about his unit’s actions (the 47th  Indiana Volunteer Infantry); it is quite another thing to be where they were, to experience the environment (bugs and all), and to walk where he walked nearly 147 years to the day earlier.

Here are  links to the park website and to the Wikipedia article about the Siege of Vickburg.


http://www.nps.gov/vick/index.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Vicksburg