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Vicksburg National Cemetery |
Description:
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.
Designations:
Vicksburg National Cemetery (December 1866)
Vicksburg National Military Park (February 21, 1899)
Accessibility:
The main park Visitor Center and Cairo Museum are wheelchair accessible, with a least one wheelchair available upon request.
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.
Activites:
Auto_Touring | Biking | Wildlife Viewing | Backpacking | Bird Watching | And more.
Facilities:
Picnic Areas | Museum Exhibits | Tours & Guided Activities | And more.
Directions to Vicksburg National Cemetery
Plane:
Closest commercial airport is Jackson, MS, 50 miles to the east.
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.
Public Transportation
Taxi Cabs, Charter Buses (see your travel agent).
Attractions:
Southern Cultural Heritage Complex
Phone:(601) 631-2997
U.S. Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station (WES)
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Vicksburg District
Phone:(601) 631-5053
Grand Gulf State Military Park (MS)
Phone:601) 437-5911
Nearby Parks:
Natchez Trace Parkway in Mississippi (30 miles)
Natchez National Historical Park in Mississippi (30 miles)
Jean Lafitte National Historic Park & Preserve in Louisiana (30 miles)
Tupelo National Battlefield in Mississippi (30 miles)
Brices Cross Roads National Battlefield Site in Mississippi (30 miles)
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Contact Information for Vicksburg National Cemetery
Vicksburg National Military Park
3201 Clay Street
Vicksburg, MS
39183
Phone: 601-636-0583
Fax: 601-636-9497
Located in Vicksburg, MS
For more information on Vicksburg National Cemetery
Information on this page provided by the NPS.
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