Vicksburg, MS

A canon overlooking the Mississippi river in Vicksburg and one looking down the rifled barrel.

Vicksburg National Cemetery

The Vicksburg National Cemetery is a part of the National Military Park in Vicksburg.  I spent some time walking through the thousands laid to rest there.  Really a humbling experience to get up close to so many that gave so much in making us what we are today.  In a part of the cemetery there's a little building set on top of a very steep hill.  It made for some interesting photos - enjoy.

National Military Park - Vicksburg

The dome also contained the names of important figures in the war including Abraham Lincoln and Ulysses S Grant.

The walls of the interior were wrapped with a bronze sculpture listing the names of every person from Illinois that had participated in the battle.  The number of names is staggering.

As we drove through the National Military Park it was obvious the scope of the fighting was enormous and the resources used in the battles and actions that took place here where significant.  There were monuments and statues everywhere.  The monuments and etc served to point out where forces where positioned and etc.  Most of the states had some kind on monument this is Illinois'.  Rather grandiose I thought until I got inside and was reminded that a couple of the key figures in the war were from Illinois including Abraham Lincoln and Ulysses S. Grant.

Railroad Station

My buddy Jonathan was with me in Vicksburg and in the evening we would do photo safaris.  He snapped a picture of me taking this picture.  I had no idea until I saw it on Facebook.  Here's the station.

More of Vicksburg, MS

 I think you can see the damage done by the "torpedo" that sank her.  Not really a torpedo as you might think today, but an explosive device triggered by solders from the shore.  They got pretty lucky here when the Cairo floated over where they had positioned there torpedo.

Turns out Vicksburg is fairly photogenic.  It's just a little town, but it's got a lot of history and charm.  Not to mention some pretty decent food, but that's another subject.  My first picture of Vicksburg was a cannon over looking a tent structure.  I thought I'd show you what was under the tent.  A boat called the Cairo.  The only surviving boat of it's kind.  It laid at the bottom of the Mississippi for about a hundred years - here it is today.