The Filson's Civil War Field Institute
The Campaign and Siege of Vicksburg
By Andrew Danner
Special Events and Education Coordinator
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The Filson’s Civil War Field Institute made its grand return the
weekend of April 12-14, as men and women from all over the nation
converged on Vicksburg, MS to spend three days following in the
footsteps of the men who took part in the Campaign and Siege of
Vicksburg. Led by Kent Masterson Brown, these men and women
spent the weekend viewing the sites and battlefields that shaped the
campaign.
The weekend started off on Thursday evening with a reception and lecture by Kent at the Old Court House Museum in downtown Vicksburg, one of the structures that withstood the siege. As the sun set over the historic structure, everyone was treated to a beautiful view overlooking the city and the Mississippi River. This picturesque evening was just a preview of things to come. The group left that evening, ready to meet up the next morning to explore the surrounding areas.
On Friday morning, the group woke up to another perfect day
and boarded the buses to begin their tour of the Vicksburg Campaign.
The first stop was at Fort Cobun where Grant began his assault of
the defenses in the outlying areas. Overlooking the Mississippi
River, Kent described the naval operations that led to the transport
of troops and landing of Union forces at Bruinsburg. The group then
went on to view the eerie, yet scenic ruins of the Windsor Plantation,
a structure that survived the Civil War but was inadvertently burned
down a few years later.
The next stop was in Port Gibson where the tour stopped to relax and enjoy lunch at the Bernheimer House. After taking this opportunity to rest up and recharge with a delicious lunch, everyone was ready to move on to the next set of battles in the campaign.
As the day began to heat up, the bus made stops near the Battle- fields at Raymond and Champion Hill. A new, four-legged member was almost added to the group at Champion Hill. Instead, the same number set off for the next adventure: a search for the site of the Battle of the Big Black River. After an eventful day, the tour ended at the Big Black River with a discussion of its impact on the campaign. An evening reception and viewing of Kent’s KET documentary on the 1862 Confederate Invasion of Kentucky was next on the agenda, after which the group was ready to spend the evening in Vicksburg and meet back up Saturday morning to spend the day at the Vicksburg Military Park, just across the street from the hotel.
The thunderstorms that were supposed to come Saturday instead
came overnight and by the time the bus took off it was warm, if not
somewhat overcast. The day began at the USS Cairo museum, a city class
gunboat that was the first ship to ever be sunk by an electrically
detonated mine.
The rest of the day was spent viewing trenches and sites of the Union Army’s attempts to advance on the Confederate defenses of Vicksburg. Stops were made at the sites of Fort Hill, the Stockade Redan, Great Redoubt and the Second Texas Lunette. After a busy morning, lunch was served inside the park, courtesy of the famous Walnut Hills Restaurant. Relieved and refreshed, the tour continued on to the sites of the Railroad Redoubt, Fort Garrott, the Shirley House and the Third Louisiana Redan. As the temperature continued to drop in the afternoon, the final stop was made at the site of the Kentucky monument within the park. As the sun set on the day and on the Institute, each of the participants was given the chance to re- flect on what they had learned over the past three days. The Institute ended with plans to meet up once again in September for the fall Civil War Field Institute.
The Filson Historical Society
1310 South Third Street - Louisville, KY 40208
Phone: (502) 635-5083 Fax: (502) 635-5086
Hours
The Ferguson Mansion and Office
Monday - Friday: 9 am. - 5 pm.
Saturday and Sunday closed
Library
Monday - Friday: 9 am. - 5 pm.
Saturday: 9 am. - 12 noon