The Clarks take Vicksburg

Leaving Florida behind and bound for Texas, we planned a stop in Vicksburg, Mississippi. This made for a good travel distance in the right direction and allowed an important historical enhancement for our previous study of the Civil War. We had some difficulty finding an available RV park due to various events in the area. There was space at Ameristar which is a park associated with a nearby hotel and casino on the Mississippi river. With some reservations about camping amongst the gamblers, we headed for our site. We found the facilities to be good and very reasonably priced, (I suppose it is like rooms in casinos where they keep the price low hoping you will stay there and gamble with them). They even give you two free passes for the breakfast buffet and the casino. The boys were astonished at the scope of this thing, every breakfast item they had ever even heard of was there in bulk quantities. It was fun to watch them with big eyes wanting to try it all, but the stomach only has so much room.

Our main purpose was to explore the Vicksburg National Military Park and try to get a sense of this major battle of the Civil War. The park was amazing. The visitor center provided exhibits and displays that gave great background information. We learned details on the war leading up to the battle, the weapons and strategy of the time as well as insights into what it was like to live through this siege for Union or Confederate troops and the towns people caught in the middle of this struggle.

Armed with the information from the center and a purchased audio cd guide, we ventured out on a 16 mile driving tour of the main battle site. The whole area is well preserved and thoroughly documented with signs and monuments that describe each groups contribution and the many engagements and skirmishes and how these affected the outcome of the battle. Many cannon batteries were perched at locations of the original battle engagements and much of the landscape bore the visible scars that made up the defense trenches and impacts by bombardment attacks.

This battle centered on control of the Mississippi River and part of the fighting was on the water as well. The park includes the Cairo, an "ironsides" union ship that was sunk by a confederate mine detonated by remote from the shore. This salvage, brought up from the muddy river bottom in the 1960's, was a treasure of information. The ship and the museum of artifacts are wonderful windows into elements and activities of the Civil War that are not covered in other studies of this time.

The documentation of this battle extends beyond the park and you are led into the city where more of the story is told. So much of this city seems frozen in time around to the battle and this war. Exploring this event in this place has had a profound impact on our family. It has given us a much richer view of this battle and this war that so much defines what our country is now. The number of lives lost on both sides of the Vicksburg campaign by far exceeds many battles and wars fought since in our nation's history. While sobering to think upon, we look forward to visiting more Civil War battle areas as we cross the country and further expand our understanding of this period of our history.

We left Vicksburg thankful for what we learned and experienced in this whole trip. Our next stop is a return to Texas to rest and reload for a journey west. We thank God for leading us on this wonderful journey and the great plan He has for us.