Vicksburg National Military Park

    From the start of the civil war, control of the southern Mississippi River was of vital importance to the federal government.  Control of the Mississippi would not only allow unrestricted transport of troops and supplies by water, but would effectively cut the Confederacy in half.  To protect this lifeline, the Confederate Army fortified positions along the Mississippi.  One of the most heavily fortified passages was at Vicksburg, Mississippi.  Sitting high atop hills and bluffs overlooking the River, Vicksburg was protected by artillery batteries along the river on the West, by swamps and bayous on the North and South, and by a ring of forts manning 172 cannon to the east, the only land approach. 

     In October, 1862, General Ulysses S. Grant was ordered to clear the Mississippi River of all Confederate resistance.  After several unsuccessful attempts to overrun the Confederate defenses at Vicksburg, General Grant began formal siege operations on May 22, 1863.  On July 3, 1863, after 46 days of siege and bombardments, Confederate Lt. General John C. Pemberton met with Grant to discuss terms of surrender.  On July 4, 1863, Vicksburg officially surrendered to Union forces..

    The terms of surrender at Vicksburg were far different from those at other battles.  Legend has it that General Grant greatly desired to accept the formal surrender of Confederate Vicksburg on July 4, in accordance with Independence Day.  Because of this desire, he agreed to very generous terms of surrender.  We can only speculate about Grant's motives.  But one thing is for certain:  the lenient terms to which he agreed were not extended at any other Confederate surrender during the Civil war, either before or after the surrender of Vicksburg.  After the formal surrender, any Confederate soldier who would sign a loyalty oath to the Union, agreeing not to bear arms against the United States, was given $25.00 in United States cash and allowed to return to home.

    While there, The Ticketmeister took the opportunity to check on his great-great-great-grandfather and great-great-great-granduncle who fought together at Vicksburg for the 34th Georgia Infantry.  Both brothers signed their loyalty oaths and returned home that same year for the duration of the war.  From maps supplied at the park we determined where they had fought, and even visited the very ridge where they were dug in against the advance of the Union Army.  As we stood there in the morning silence, you could almost sense the presence of those brave men.  I found a large tree branch about the size of an old rifle with a bayonet.  The Ticketmeister got down where his great-great-great-grandfather had fought and posed for a photo op.  You can see the results below in a pictorial tour of the park.

Vicksburg Military Park 001 - Memorial Arch at Entrance.jpg (341545 bytes) Vicksburg Military Park 002 - Minnesota Memorial.jpg (328861 bytes) Vicksburg Military Park 004 - Iowa Monument.jpg (602197 bytes) Vicksburg Military Park 006 - The Ticketmeister & Mrs. Ticketmeister with cannon.jpg (586750 bytes) Vicksburg Military Park 007 - Looking across to Battery De Golyer.jpg (617010 bytes) Vicksburg Military Park 008 - Looking across at Michigan Memorial.jpg (224988 bytes)

Vicksburg Military Park 009 - Michigan Memorial.jpg (271826 bytes) Vicksburg Military Park 011 - Yost's Battery.jpg (605587 bytes) Vicksburg Military Park 012 - Battery De Golyer.jpg (561352 bytes) Vicksburg Military Park 014 - Great Redoubt from Battery De Golyer closeup.jpg (585394 bytes) Vicksburg Military Park 016 - Battery De Golyer.jpg (601077 bytes) Vicksburg Military Park 018 - The Mayor & First Lady at Battery De Golyer.jpg (536276 bytes)

Vicksburg Military Park 019 - The Ticketmeister & Mrs. Ticketmeister at Battery De Golyer.jpg (611040 bytes) Vicksburg Military Park 022 - Shirley House.jpg (584969 bytes) Vicksburg Military Park 026 - Illinois Memorial.jpg (618865 bytes) Vicksburg Military Park 029 - The Ticketmeister in the Illinois Memorial.jpg (581819 bytes) Vicksburg Military Park 030 - The Ticketmeister, First Lady & Mrs. Ticketmeister in the Illinois Memorial.jpg (536115 bytes) Vicksburg Military Park 031 - The Mayor on the steps of the Illinois Memorial.jpg (460953 bytes)

Vicksburg Military Park 033B - 3rd Louisian Redan.jpg (612313 bytes) Vicksburg Military Park 034 - Andrew Hickenlooper.jpg (584954 bytes) Vicksburg Military Park 036 - The First Lady & Mrs. Ticketmeister on the 3rd Louisiana Redan.jpg (560427 bytes) Vicksburg Military Park 037 - atop the 3rd Louisiana Redan looking west.jpg (581162 bytes) Vicksburg Military Park 038 - Navy Memorial.jpg (556127 bytes) Vicksburg Military Park 040 - Wisconsin Memorial.jpg (567999 bytes)

Vicksburg Military Park 043 - Sherman Circle.jpg (604212 bytes) Vicksburg Military Park 042 - Sherman Circle.jpg (631724 bytes) Vicksburg Military Park 044 - Kansas Memorial.jpg (478702 bytes) Vicksburg Military Park 045 - Rhode Island Memorial.jpg (462969 bytes) Vicksburg Military Park 046 - New York Memorial.jpg (314569 bytes) Vicksburg Military Park 047 - Pennsylvania Memorial.jpg (584744 bytes)

Vicksburg Military Park 049 - General Ulysses S Grant.jpg (564268 bytes) Vicksburg Military Park 051 - New Hampshire Memorial.jpg (271128 bytes) Vicksburg Military Park 053 - Thayer's Approach.jpg (601865 bytes) Vicksburg Military Park 054 - Navy Memorial.jpg (281227 bytes) Vicksburg Military Park 057 - Navy Memorial.jpg (597756 bytes) Vicksburg Military Park 058 - Navy Memorial.jpg (108676 bytes)

Vicksburg Military Park 060 - Navy Memorial Cannon.jpg (605758 bytes) Vicksburg Military Park 061 - Admiral Farragut at the Navy Memorial.jpg (365730 bytes) Vicksburg Military Park 062 - Admiral Davis at the Navy Memorial.jpg (322343 bytes) Vicksburg Military Park 063 - Admiral Porter at the Navy Memorial.jpg (320727 bytes) Vicksburg Military Park 064 - Navy Memorial.jpg (193809 bytes) Vicksburg Military Park 065 - Commander Selfridge at Selfridge Battery.jpg (343231 bytes)

Vicksburg Military Park 066 - USS Cairo.jpg (529859 bytes) Vicksburg Military Park 067 - USS Cairo.jpg (579163 bytes) Vicksburg Military Park 068 - USS Cairo & Navy Memorial.jpg (570573 bytes) Vicksburg Military Park 070 - Cemetary.jpg (610032 bytes) Vicksburg Military Park 071 - Cemetary.jpg (601310 bytes) Vicksburg Military Park 073 - Cemetary.jpg (598138 bytes)

Vicksburg Military Park 074 - Cemetary.jpg (924588 bytes) Vicksburg Military Park 075 - Cemetary.jpg (606730 bytes) Vicksburg Military Park 076 - Cemetary.jpg (592456 bytes) Vicksburg Military Park 077 - Cemetary.jpg (618891 bytes) Vicksburg Military Park 078 - Cemetary.jpg (567441 bytes) Vicksburg Military Park 079 - The Ticketmeister at the Cemetary.jpg (596405 bytes)

Vicksburg Military Park 080 - Mrs. Ticketmeister at the Cemetary.jpg (610506 bytes) Vicksburg Military Park 081 - Cemetary.jpg (610324 bytes) Vicksburg Military Park 082 - Cemetary.jpg (608017 bytes) Vicksburg Military Park 083 - Cemetary.jpg (595209 bytes) Vicksburg Military Park 084 - Mississippi River from Cemetary Lookout.jpg (566837 bytes) Vicksburg Military Park 085 - Navy Memorial.jpg (615667 bytes)

Vicksburg Military Park 086 - Tennessee Memorial.jpg (598023 bytes) Vicksburg Military Park 087 - Mississippi Light Artillary.jpg (595295 bytes) Vicksburg Military Park 088 - Louisiana Line atop Thayer's Approach.jpg (612550 bytes) Vicksburg Military Park 089 - Stockade Redan.jpg (593781 bytes) Vicksburg Military Park 091 - atop Stockade Redan.jpg (584768 bytes) Vicksburg Military Park 094 - atop Stockade Redan.jpg (579774 bytes)

Vicksburg Military Park 095 - atop Stockade Redan.jpg (586235 bytes) Vicksburg Military Park 097 - south of Stockade Redan.jpg (598469 bytes) Vicksburg Military Park 098 - looking north towards Stockade Redan.jpg (590784 bytes) Vicksburg Military Park 099 - Missouri Memorial.jpg (477892 bytes) Vicksburg Military Park 100 - Missouri Memorial closeup.jpg (562619 bytes) Vicksburg Military Park 101 - Arkansas Memorial.jpg (581385 bytes)

Vicksburg Military Park 102 - Surrender Interview Site.jpg (620803 bytes) Vicksburg Military Park 104 - atop the Great Redoubt looking towards Battery De Golyer & Michgan Memorial.jpg (594569 bytes) Vicksburg Military Park 105 - Brigadier General Tilghman.jpg (605152 bytes) Vicksburg Military Park 106 - Mississippi Memorial.jpg (269213 bytes) Vicksburg Military Park 107 - Jefferson Davis.jpg (267466 bytes) Vicksburg Military Park 110 - The Ticketmeister & Mrs. Ticketmeister in front of the Texas Memorial.jpg (588264 bytes)

Vicksburg Military Park 113 - The First Lady at the Texas Memorial.jpg (589011 bytes) Vicksburg Military Park 114 - The Ticketmeister at the Texas Memorial.jpg (587584 bytes) Vicksburg Military Park 116 - Alabama Memorial.jpg (598262 bytes) Vicksburg Military Park 117 - atop Fort Garrott looking across Hovey's approach.jpg (591126 bytes) Vicksburg Military Park 122 - atop Fort Garrott overlooking Hovey's Approach.jpg (610598 bytes) Vicksburg Military Park 123 - atop Fort Garrott overlooking Hovey's Approach.jpg (607358 bytes)

Vicksburg Military Park 132 - Fort Garrott.jpg (581172 bytes) Vicksburg Military Park 125 - The Ticketmeister at the 34th Georgia Infantry Line.jpg (577063 bytes) Vicksburg Military Park 128 - The Ticketmeister at the Georgia Memorial closeup.jpg (602697 bytes) Vicksburg Military Park 130 - Penny & John at the Georgia Memorial closeup.jpg (619271 bytes) Vicksburg Military Park 131 - John fighting the yankees at the 34th Georgia Infantry line.jpg (588558 bytes) Vicksburg Military Park 134 - Indiana Artillary.jpg (586013 bytes)

Vicksburg Military Park 135 - Hovey's Approach.jpg (611909 bytes) Vicksburg Military Park 136 - Hovey's Approach.jpg (590167 bytes) Vicksburg Military Park 138 - Kentucky Memorial closeup.jpg (565794 bytes) Vicksburg Military Park 139 - Iowa Memorial.jpg (615941 bytes) Vicksburg Military Park 143 - looking from the Iowa Memorial across the Railroad Redoubt to the Texas Memorial.jpg (589024 bytes) Vicksburg Military Park 145 - Cannon & Visitor's Center.jpg (599664 bytes)

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