Vicksburg
Vicksburg National Military Park
Mississippi and Louisiana
During the Civil War, the Mississippi River was critical to the economic survival of the United States. When the South seceded, they blocked the North from using the river for commercial transportation. To regain control of the lower Mississippi, re-establish trade routes, and sever a vital Confederate supply line, it was essential for the North to control Vicksburg.
The campaign for Vicksburg took place during the spring of 1863. The ensuing battles involved Confederate troops from Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia; and Union troops from Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. Learn more about the troops involved in the Vicksburg battles.
The Vicksburg National Military Park straddles west-central Mississippi and northeast Louisiana and was established as the fifth military park in the United States on February 21, 1899.
Click here for an interactive map of the park.
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