Vicksburg: Where to find Cemeteries, Camels, Civil War and Cuisine

The city of Vicksburg rests on a high bluff overlooking the Mississippi River, a strategic location that played an important role during the Civil War.

Looking down on the Mississippi River. 

Controlling the river was necessary for supplies and reinforcements, but prior attempts to capture Vicksburg proved unsuccessful, that is until Ulysses Grant marched south of the city. With the help of the Navy, he crossed the river, bypassing the natural defenses, and caught the Confederates by surprise. The Rebels held off the Union forces from May 18 to July 4, 1863, before finally surrendering. The Union victory called the “Key to the South” by Lincoln, severed communications for the Confederacy.

The Good Girls Natchez Trace trip continued as they left Jackson and the Civil Rights Trail behind, and headed for some Civil War history. Vicksburg lies about an hour off the Parkway, a city surely worth exploring. Arriving early, Judy and I went directly to the Vicksburg National Military Park and used our senior National Park passes to gain admittance to the grounds. We watched the introductory film about the siege, an easy way to learn background information about the war. We highly recommend the movie, along with a brief browse through the exhibits in the Visitor Center. We would tour the battlefield after lunch so drove over to the historic port district of Vicksburg and found  Walnut Hills Restaurant.  The eatery rests upon a hill, tables filling the first floor of the house built in 1880. The exterior of the southern-style home looks inviting, and features a wide porch with rocking chairs, tall shuttered windows, and pierced columns.

Welcome to Vicksburg sign

Most enter through the rear, a method that provides a fortuitous chance to eye the famous desserts. Don't rush past, instead linger over these scrumptious pies and cakes. I might not have ordered coconut cake had I missed seeing it before my meal, and believe me, that would have been a mistake.

Walnut Hills offers regular menu service or round table meals, meaning the food is served family-style. Guests wishing to join the table are welcomed until all the places are full. At lunch, sweet tea is the drink choice throughout the Magnolia State. Still, I passed and ordered mine unsweet, saving calories where ever possible.

The bountiful array of dishes at Walnut Hills Restaurant.

My server began bringing bowl after bowl of Southern specialties: green beans, turnip greens, macaroni & cheese, coleslaw, creamed corn, cheese broccoli, fried okra, cheese grits, black-eyed peas, rice, and gravy plus a basket of cornbread and biscuits. What a bountiful spread!

Then, came the fried chicken, honestly the best I have ever tasted anywhere. The cayenne-laced coating, prepared by Miss Herdcine Williams, had a hint of heat. The fried chicken breast was crispy on the outside, yet without an oily taste or residue. On the inside, the fleshy meat burst with juices, almost enough to make me drool. I'd love to know the secret recipe, and could go on and on, but honestly if you like fried chicken, and who doesn't, you must go to Walnut Hills.

Decadent coconut cream cake at Walnut Hills. 

All that food was enough to burst my belly, but I simply had to try the cake for dessert. Plan to share it with others, as the slices are enormous. I can only speak to coconut cream cake, but here I go raving again. The coconut-infused frosting was rich and creamy, loaded with flaked coconut. I suspect the texture of the cake came from divine inspiration. Even now, the memory lingers.

Cedar Hill Cemetery and Battlefield Park

Visit Vicksburg generously arranged a Vicksburg guide for us. He would give us a deeper understanding of the battles within the Military Park. But, first, we drove to Cedar Hill Cemetery, to see the grave of “Old Douglas”, a camel (yes a camel), who served in the Civil War.

Mississippi Marker in Cedar Hill Cemetery 

The story of Old Douglas is one of my favorites ( please read the full story here). To recap, the camel, part of the US Camel Corps, traveled from Texas to Mississippi with a soldier sent home at the start of the Civil War. William Hargrove enlisted in the 47th Regiment and brought along Douglas. The camel carried the musical instruments between battles and became the beloved mascot of the Regiment. Sadly, Old Douglas was killed by a Yankee sharpshooter during the siege of Vicksburg. He is remembered with a grave marker, a most unusual sight but one I find endearing.

Grave marker for Old Douglas, the camel in Cedar Hill Cemetery.

The Vicksburg National Military Park ranks as the most visited site in Mississippi. To save time and confusion driving around the immense grounds, hire a guide (at the visitor center) to join you in your car. Ours was a walking encyclopedia with knowledge about the battles, the importance of topography, and what happened to those in the town. 

Open battleground in front of the Illinois Monument, Vicksburg National Military Park. 

Canon on Vicksburg National Military Park.

The Illinois Monument in Vicksburg is a one-quarter sized copy of the Parthenon in Rome.

We stopped at the most iconic statues and monuments, the largest is he Illinois Monument,  a one-fourth sized copy of the Parthenon in Rome. The view from the top of the sites’ 47 steps, one for each day of the siege, stirs many emotions. The interior displays sixty bronze tablets naming all 36,325 Illinois soldiers who participated in the Vicksburg campaign.

The Shirley House lies within Vicksburg National Military Park.

Next door sits the Shirley House. The now restored house is the only surviving Civil War-era structure on the battlefield. One of the fascinating but often unknown stories, as told by our guide, featured the owner's son. He enlisted with the Union troops from the front porch of the house. Mining tunnels underneath the Confederate lines was initiated from this area.  

Driving on, you come to the USS Cairo Gunboat Museum and restroom. Be sure to stop and see the Cairo, the only remaining example of a City Class ironclad battleship. The USS Cairo Museum tells the story of its recovery and artifacts show what life on board the Navy vessel was like. Fascinating stuff!!

 

Remains of the USS Cairo, an ironclad battleship. 

After completing our tour, we drove to our Bed & Breakfast, the Mansion at Cedar Grove, a magnificent property including five acres of beautifully manicured gardens. The surroundings immediately put us into a carefree mood. We indulged in the gracious charm of the Antebellum (1852) estate, honestly an attraction on its own.

Judy slept in the General Grant room, where General Grant once slept, and include 90 percent original furnishings. I enjoyed the lovely General Sherman room upstairs. The original owner's wife, Elizabeth Klein, was a niece of General Sherman. While the house was bombarded from the river (you can see some remaining canon balls in the walls), it survived intact. The staff offer tours of the intriguing property. FYI-Cedar Grove is the kind of B&B you want to linger in for a few nights, consider a longer visit.

The General Grant room in Cedar Grove Mansion with original furnishings. 

Period furnishings in a parlor at Cedar Grove Mansion.

Many original gasoliers (gas lights) hang in Cedar Grove Mansion. 

Looking down on the gardens at the front entrance to Cedar Grove mansion.
Photo @Debi Lander

Café Anchuca

For dinner, we drove nearby and found a street-side historical marker standing in front of a grand Greek Revival columned home. The sign explains that the landmark goes by the name Anchuca, a Choctaw Indian word meaning "happy home." Joseph Emory Davis, eldest brother to Confederate President Jefferson Davis, owned a nearby plantation but also lived at Anchuca until he died in 1870. Jefferson Davis was reunited with his brother (and father figure) at this home in January 1869. The town's legend testifies that during this stay, Jefferson Davis spoke to friends and neighbors from Anchuca's front balcony, his last appearance in Vicksburg.

The Anchuca Mansion is also a Bed and Breakfast Inn and includes Café Anchuca, a fine dining restaurant off to the rear. It attracts locals and tourists alike: a proper place to celebrate a birthday or anniversary. Walk around the side of the house to enter the southern-style garden room/restaurant.

Southern Spreads appetizer at Cafe Anchuca in Vicksburg

Judy and I, ready for happy hour, so perused the cocktail menu. I chose a gin and tonic, needing a refreshing drink after a long day. Judy decided on a martini. Our cocktails paired nicely with the appetizer called Southern Spreads: a tray with pimento cheese, butterbean hummus, and house bread. You can never go wrong with pimento cheese, a traditional southern spread, but butterbean hummus became a delightful new surprise. Thick and creamy with a subtle spice.

I ordered the special of the day: scallops with garlic mashed potatoes and creamed spinach for my entree. The scallops came perfectly cooked, not overcooked and rubbery, but very tender. I barely need to chew! Judy ordered the Mississippi farm-raised catfish with creole Hoppin John and creamed spinach. She, too, enjoyed it, but we both devoured our spinach servings! Since we had dessert at lunch, we skipped it in the evening.

Scallops with mashed potatoes and creamed spinach at Cafe Anchuca. 

Mississippi Catfish, a Delta favorite. 

Formal Dining Room at Cafe Anchuca in Vicksburg.

Before leaving Anchuca, we peeked into the formal dining room, bursting with antiques and elegance, the ambiance of old money. We returned to Cedar Grove to call it a night, but I climbed up to the top floor where a balcony provided panoramic views of the garden and river.

The next morning, we enjoyed breakfast at Cedar Grove, but felt sad to leave this enchanted setting. We set off to see the 32 riverside murals down by the waterfront. They tell a pictorial history of the city and nearby locations. We couldn't help but notice a riverboat  docked nearby, a cruise line that brings many visitors to Vicksburg.

A Vicksburg Mural. 

A Mississippi Riverboat docked in Vicksburg. 

We didn’t have time to visit the Old Courthouse Museum or tour Biedenharn Coca-Cola Museum, the first place Coca-Cola was ever bottled. Vicksburg could have kept us busy another day and night, especially if we’d been interested in gambling. Casinos do big business in town.

Windsor Ruins

Instead, we headed toward the Windsor Ruins near Port Gibson, getting a bit lost on backroads in the kudzu covered territory. The ruins are all that remain of what was once a palatial mansion, but they make a haunting sight and are a favorite of photographers.  

The Windsor Ruins are a favorite of photographers. 

Flower growing among the Windsor Ruins.

Close-up of the iron work at the Windsor Ruins.

For more information: https://visitvicksburg.com

Thanks to VisitVicksburg.com for a wonderful visit.