Vicksburg

Question

I didn't want to interfere with Sleepy's trip so....

He reminded me of my trip to Vicksburg 3 years ago. 2 things floored me about that Memorial. (The term Park never seems to do a place like that justice).

1- The picture is fairly representative of the Union (blue markers) and the Confederate (red markers) trench lines. 10-20 feet away from the guys trying to kill you. I can't imagine that. Granted I learned warfare skills in the days of M-16s and M-60s but still....

2- Many of the fields, which while fairly common in Civil War locales, where they charged into the face of rifles and cannons were open and uphill. Devastating. Both sides. God Bless Them All. Pictures of these areas did not do them justice either.

I highly recommend visiting Vicksburg. Of the Battlefields I have visited, Gettysburg and Vicksburg both gave me the willies. Like you could sit there and see, hear, and smell them.

fla-gypsy · Answer

I was particularly moved by the efforts of the desperate defenders of Kennesaw Mountain (Atlanta Campaign) when I saw where they had placed the little artillery left and realized no animal other than men themselves could have pulled the cannons up those hills. The complete desperation and determination of a starving/exhausted army (defending their homeland against staggering odds) that caused those men to endeavor to perform those superhuman feats is impressive.

sleepy · Answer

Thank you kjenckesI am looking forward to your thread.... The cemetary with 1600 graves... 1200 unidentified.... all Union soldiers.... As you know... all of the confederates were buried in town (the town folks wouldn't let them be buried with yankees.)I agree with you... it chokes you up... almost as much as Andersonville...post away... I'll be reading.Sleepy

dick_b · Answer

I'm pretty sure it was during a tour of Vicksburg that our southern guide blamed the Civil War on Lincoln's not compromising on the issues that created the war in the first place. I listened politely and changed the subject.

kjenckes · Answer

Andersonville is definitely on my to-do list.  Having read a lot about it and knowing how I react to some places I haven't rushed there yet.  Many stories abound about people seeing and hearing things in that area.  Not a big surprise considering the suffering.  To sit in the middle of some of these places and just picture the events in your mind, recalling some of the photos is pretty intense.  I think/wonder if the fact that the Civil War was the first photographed is why I connect so much to some of those battles.  I have a pretty good imagination but when I can mix in the photos I've seen it's almost like I can picture it happening.

sleepy · Answer

kjenckes wrote:Andersonville is definitely on my to-do list.  Having read a lot about it and knowing how I react to some places I haven't rushed there yet.  Many stories abound about people seeing and hearing things in that area.  Not a big surprise considering the suffering.  To sit in the middle of some of these places and just picture the events in your mind, recalling some of the photos is pretty intense.  I think/wonder if the fact that the Civil War was the first photographed is why I connect so much to some of those battles.  I have a pretty good imagination but when I can mix in the photos I've seen it's almost like I can picture it happening.If you'd like a look at Andersonville. Prisoner of War Camp click here.

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Vicksburg

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