Vicksburg Virtual Field Trip

Vicksburg goes by many names. It's the Key City, the Gibraltar of the West, the Key to the South, the Red Carpet City of the South. The city was the link between the Eastern and Western Confederacy during the American Civil War. 

In the spring and summer of 1863, the city became the focal point for Union General Ulysses S. Grant and his Army of the Tennessee. For months, the Federals attempted to take the bastion on the banks of the Mississippi River. Still, it took a combined Army and Navy effort to land troops south of the city, and march north, east, and eventually west in a masterful campaign of battles and maneuvers. 

For 47 days, Confederates commanded by General John C. Pemberton held out, besieged by the United States Army. On July 4, 1863, Southern forces surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant and his army. 

Join host Chris Mackowski as he explores Vicksburg National Military Park and the USS Cairo. He'll head into the city, visit the Old Depot Museum, the Old Court House Museum, Catfish Row, Coca-Cola's first bottling plant, enjoy lunch at Walnut Hills, and head out on the Mississippi River. 

Access our teacher resource guide.