Another educational day!
This morning, we headed back to Vicksburg
National Military Park to tour the monuments. We arrived just in time to
witness the Union army set off the cannon.
Union Soldiers
Vicksburg National Military Park is northeast
of Vicksburg, Mississippi. A less vulnerable post to an attack from Federal and
military forces, Vicksburg (as well as Port Hudson) was a stronger post,
preventing the Union army from taking control of the Mississippi. Therefore, as
said by President Lincoln, Vicksburg was “the key” to the Union’s success.
Protected by the river, Maj. Gen. Ulysses S.
Grant strategized by ordering the Union to rid the Mississippi of Confederate
opposition. After several failed attempts to take over Pemberton’s army
completely, Grant began a formal siege. Through artillery batteries coming from
landside and Adm. David D. Porter’s gunboats from the river, Pemberton knew a
Confederate surrender was on the horizon. On July 4, 1863 after 46 days of
relentless battle, the Confederate army surrendered.
Texas Memorial
Read more details of the Battle of Vicksburg here.
By touring the 16-mile park (by car,
thankfully - we’re no boy scouts like the younger Jack Neal who walked the park.
twice.), we saw many states’ memorials, the Vicksburg National Cemetery,
Shirley House (the Union army’s “white house”, serving as the HQ for the 45th
Illinois infantry) and the USS Cairo Gunboat
(an instrumental boat used in the Battle of Vicksburg to destroy Confederate
batteries from the Yazoo River to regain the Mississippi and the first ship in history to be sunk by an electrically detonated torpedo).
Vicksburg National Cemetery
Shirley House
USS Cairo Gunboat
After yesterday’s post, I’m sure our readers
are waiting with bated breath. So, we are pleased to share that we had the
privilege of meeting Mr.
Charles Evers, brother of the widely acclaimed Medgar Evers!
Medgar Evers, an African American civil
rights activist who was field secretary of the NAACP was extremely influential
in the civil rights movement. But at 37, Medgar was assassinated by member of the
White Citizens’ Council, Byron De La Beckwith. His brother, ninety-year-old
Charles Evers resembles a dapper 65-year-old man! Friends of Mr. Evers, my
godparents set up an appointment with Mr. Evers in his office for Lucy and me
to meet him. We were honored to hear from Mr. Evers about Medgar, his family,
other life experiences and advice on how to “do unto others as you would have
them do unto you”.
Our meeting with Mr. Evers came to an end, and
Jack and Gloria took us to downtown Jackson – the old capitol, MS Museum of Art
(Impressionist exhibit) and Eudora Welty’s house
(writer of one of my favorite short stories, ‘Why I Live At the P.O’).
Eudora Welty's House
We’ve had a great time in Mississippi! We’re
sad to say bye to our expert tourguides/history buffs, Jack and Gloria.
Tomorrow, we hit it for Savannah, our rest
stop before Charleston. Henry Ford gets some more quality time with the
cousins. Lucky him.
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