Located about an hour away from the city of Jackson, Mississippi, Vicksburg National Military Park seemed like an appropriate place to visit this Memorial Day weekend. The park, with its 17-miles of roads, a visitor center, the National Cemetery and the USS Cairo, took us about 3 hours to get through it all… and that’s with the cemetery and museum closed right now. One could easily spend all day once it’s fully reopened.

The Siege of Vicksburg, which dragged on over the course of two months before General Pemberton surrendered to General Grant, was one of the most pivotal points of the Civil War. Here’s a little history of the battle, taken from the park’s website:

“Having cut off Vicksburg from Jackson, General Grant had isolated Vicksburg from the rest of the Confederacy. Eager to take Vicksburg and secure the Mississippi River for the Union, General Grant began to plan for massive, traditional assaults on the Confederate defenses.

The Confederate Army under General Pemberton had over a year to prepare for attack. Using picks and shovels, the Confederates constructed a ring of earthen forts and earthworks, focusing around the 3 main roads into the city of Vicksburg. Over 170 cannon were placed throughout the earthworks, and substantial stockpiles of munitions and cannonballs awaited the arriving Union Army.

The Battle for Vicksburg would be unlike any other in American History, and its outcome would not only determine the fate of the Civil War, but propel a relatively unknown Union general into the national spotlight.

Quickly after the siege ended, both Union and Confederate veterans began planning how to remember the sacrifices of the battle. Today, Vicksburg National Military Park is home to over 1,300 monuments, tablets, and markers, earning the title of The largest Outdooor Art Gallery in the World.”