Vicksburg Park Terrain and War Cemetery

The land was open, (so enemy must have been easily visible) with grass covered rolling hills and natural mounds (not the result of explosions or earthworks). You drive a ring road through the areas where the troops were based and fought. It's remarkable how close each unit was based to that of their enemy, just goes to show how ineffective their weapons must have been. The blue markers denote union (northern) bases, while red the confederate (southern) forces.
I was incredibly lucky to be driven around the park by one of the ranger's, Chuck, who is there as the park's biologist/geologist (though actually a paleontologist by profession). Though not a history buff (he said) he was able to provide insights to a visiting Kiwi trying to remember who was who in the American Civil War! For me, definitely a highlight of the whole trip.Read more