Vicksburg National Cemetery

Vicksburg National Cemetery was established by Congress in 1865 and opened a year later, to provide a burial place for "soldiers who shall die in the service of the country." It lies on ground once manned by Major-General William T. Sherman's XV Army Corps. Embracing 116 acres it is the final resting place of 17,000 Union Soldiers, a number unmatched by any other national cemetery. Many soldiers had been interred originally in scattered locations in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi during the campaign for control of the Mississippi River.

Following the Spanish-American War veterans of later wars became qualified for burial in national cemeteries. Approximately 1,300 veterans of conflicts subsequent to the Civil War are interred at Vicksburg. A scattering of other burials include wives and children of veterans and government workers of the past century.

Upright headstones mark the graves of known soldiers. Small, square blocks, incised with a grave number only, designate the unknown veterans. No one of national fame is buried in Vicksburg National Cemetery. Brevet Brigadier-General Embury D. Osband qualifies as the highest ranking veteran interred, Grave #16648, Section O. The Vicksburg National Cemetery has been closed for burials since 1963, except for a few individuals whose applications for interment had been validated prior to that time. Opposite the cemetery, on the high ground to the South, is Fort Hill, the extreme left flank of the Confederate defenses.

Vicksburg National Military Park
3201 Clay Street
Vicksburg, MS 39183
601-636-0583 - Headquarters

By Plane
Closest commercial airport is Jackson, MS, 50 miles to the east.

By Car
Location, Directions to Vicksburg

From the East, Take Interstate 20 west to Vicksburg, Mississippi. Use
exit ramp 4B. Follow Clay Street (US-80) west 1/4 mile to the park entrance.

From the North,
Take Interstate 55 south to Jackson, Mississippi. (To save
time you can use the Interstate
220 bypass on the west side of
Jackson). Take Interstate 20
west to Vicksburg, approximately 40 miles. Use exit ramp 4B. Follow Clay Street (US-80) west 1/4 mile to the park entrance.

From the South,
Take Interstate 55 or US Highway 49 to Jackson, Mississippi. Take Interstate 20 west to Vicksburg, Mississippi, approximately 42 miles. Use exit ramp 4B. Follow Clay Street (US-80) west 1/4 mile to the park entrance.

From the West,
Take Interstate 20 east to Vicksburg, Mississippi. Use exit ramp 4B. Follow Clay Street (US-80)
west 1/4 mile to the park entrance.

By Plane
Taxi Cabs, Charter Buses (see your travel agent).

Getting Around

Private Automobile, Taxi Cab, Tour Bus, Bicycle, or Walking.

Orientation to the park begins at the park visitor center with an 18 minute film. Visitors can then
drive the historic 16 mile tour road through Union and Confederate siege lines.

Halfway through the park, visitors get a close-up view of the Union gunboat, the USS Cairo. The 175 foot long ironclad was sunk on December 12, 1862, by underwater Confederate mines just North of Vicksburg in the Yazoo River. Raised in 1964, the restored city class gunboat offers visitors a unique opportunity to view original cannons, cannon carriages, engines, boilers and pilot house, via a reconstructed gundeck. The nearby USS Cairo Museum houses a variety of military and personal artifacts, which were recovered with the Cairo during its salvage operation.

Adjacent to the USS Cairo is the Vicksburg National Cemetery. Established in 1866, it contains
in excess of 18,000 graves, of which over 12,000 are unknown. Soldiers from the Civil War, the
Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II and the Korean War are interred here.

Sunny, with humid rainy periods throughout the year. Sudden and severe thunderstorms are common. Mild winters. Summers hot and humid. Wear comfortable sportswear in season, with walking or hiking shoes recommended.

Here are some of the activities that are offered at Mount Rainier National Park.

• Auto Touring
• Biking
• Wildlife Viewing
• Backpacking
• Bird Watching

Recommended Activities
The VISITOR CENTER offers general and historical information services, orientation film, exhibits on the various topics of the Civil War period, bookstore, pay telephone, rest room facilities and regional (city/county) information.

The USS CAIRO MUSEUM AND GUNBOAT offers general
and historical information services, exhibits on naval operations of the Civil War, bookstore, pay telephone, restroom facilities and picnic area. Artifacts on display are a time capsule of life aboard a ironclad gunboat. Sailors' personal possessions, cookware, medical supplies, and
weaponry are featured. A 6 minute video explains the sinking, discovery and salvage operations.

Three EXTERNAL UNITS include the riverfront batteries at Navy Circle, South Fort and Louisiana Circle.

Across the Mississippi River is the last remaining section of GRANT'S CANAL, where Union forces attempted to bypass Vicksburg by digging a channel through Desoto Point. Facilities include an historic state highway marker, bronze tablet and wayside exhibits on Williams Canal, Grant's Canal
and Black Troops at Milliken's Bend.

A sixteen mile TOUR ROAD parallels Union and Confederate siege lines, with three interconnecting roadways, fifteen TOUR STOPS, waysite markers and exhibits, short SPUR TRAILS to points of interest, one primitive TWELVE MILE SCOUT COMPASS TRAIL, and 7 and 14 mile HIKES that
follow the park tour road.