The Battle of Vicksburg

The Battle of Vicksburg was one of the definitive battles of the Civil War. The Federalist victory at Vicksburg gave the Union control of the key Mississippi River ports and divided Confederate states. Lincoln called the taking of Vicksburg a "key" to winning the War. 

Preliminary maneuvers by troops led by General Grant (see picture of the General on horseback) in preparation for the taking of Vicksburg began in January 1863. Serious fighting began in May, continued intermittently until Grant decided he would be unable to take the city by conventional military attack and put Vicksburg under siege.  The siege lasted 47 days and ended with the surrender of Confederate forces on July 4, 1863.

The military cemetery within the Park contains the graves of over 15,000 Union casualties. Over 13,000 of them are unidentified. Confederate casualties were buried in a private cemetery outside of the Park.

The monument is a tribute to Minnesota soldiers who fought in the battle. There are many monuments throughout the Park identifying military units from many states. The Park covers over 1800 acres and includes most of the area on which the Battle of Vicksburg was actually fought. Many cannon emplacements remain in the Park in actual battle positions, like the one pictured.