ports of the world
The tumultuous history of the port of Vicksburg in Mississippi
Audio 03:33
The conquest of Vicksburg, a key battle in the Civil War.
© Marie Normand / RFI
By: Marie Normand Follow
5 mins
Our summer series on Ports of the World takes us today to Vicksburg, Mississippi.
Located on the banks of the river of the same name, in the south of the United States, the city played a key role during the Civil War and had to rise from its ashes several times to become today one of the main ports interiors of the country.
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It's 8 a.m. on the eve of Memorial Day*.
Like dozens of other volunteers, Janice Britton came to place a small American flag in front of each of the 17,000 graves at Vicksburg National Military Cemetery - the largest Civil War (1861-1865) cemetery in the United States.
“
The tallest headstones are those of identified soldiers
,”
she explains.
“
The smallest are those of the unknown soldiers.
There's just one number
."
For the first time, Janice comes with her grandchildren.
The opportunity for a history lesson that begins in May 1863. Vicksburg is then one of the last bastions of Southerners, supporters of the independence of the Southern States and slavery.
The city looks like an impregnable fortress overlooking the Mississippi.
"
Every ship that passed the Mississippi River in 1862-1863 was exposed to the cannons positioned at the top of this rocky escarpment and along the banks
," said Ranger Brendan Wilson, educational manager of the Military National Park.
Brendan Wilson, head of education and communications at Vicksburg National Military Park, the largest Civil War cemetery.
© Marie Normand / RFI
Two successive disasters in the 19th century
This prosperous city – and its bustling harbor – find themselves at the center of the lusts of the forces of the Union, the Northerners.
“
One of the strategies of the federal forces was to regain control of the Mississippi
,” adds Brendan Wilson.
“
It was important to control the movement of people, troops, ammunition and also for trade.
Confederate States President Jefferson Davis referred to Vicksburg as the fulcrum that held the Confederacy together.
And for Union President Abraham Lincoln, Vicksburg was key
.
For 47 days, Vicksburg suffered
a terrible siege
, attacked from river and land.
Starving, the civilian population took refuge in caves dug by hand in the rock.
Without hope of reinforcement, the Confederate troops finally surrendered on July 4, 1863, National Day.
This episode is considered by historians as a turning point in the civil war.
After losing the war, Vicksburg also loses…Mississippi
At the end of the Civil War, trade gradually resumed on the shores of Vicksburg.
But ten years later, a new catastrophe: the Mississippi River suddenly changed its course!
“
Rivers change course all the time, they try to find the easiest route
,” explains Brendan Wilson.
“
Vicksburg was located just ahead of a hairpin bend.
So Mississippi finally found a shortcut
.”
The city is left dry.
It will take 25 years for a diversion channel to be built from a neighboring river, the Yazoo river.
Vicksburg lost the Mississippi, but at least the boats can dock again.
The city would not have a proper port until 1955. “
Most cargo was loaded directly onto ships at the end of Main Street
,” says Pablo Diaz, president and executive director of the Vicksburg Warren Economic Development Partnership.
Today, the Port of Vicksburg, thanks to its strategic position, is the largest river port in the Mississippi and the fifteenth largest inland port in the United States.
“
Cargoers come from all over the world, from Japan to the United Kingdom
,” explains Pablo Diaz.
“
Loads from South Africa or Mexico also arrive by train at the port of Vicksburg, to be transported on the Mississippi.
From here, you can reach 22 states through the river network
".
The port is directly connected to a rail line and to the deep water port of New Orleans, to access the Gulf of Mexico.
The 19 companies that have set up in the port support some 4,000 people.
The port has a 150-tonne crane: it carries metal, steel, aluminium, phosphates, fertilizers, but also wood, a booming industry.
"
The Covid-19 finally led to the opposite of what we thought: a significant increase in construction and housing projects in the United States
", enthuses Pablo Diaz.
Today, the port of some 170 hectares is reaching saturation point.
"
With the war in Ukraine, it is expected that the ports of the United States will increase their activity
", assures Pablo Diaz.
To grow, he adds, the Port of Vicksburg needs a second address, further south.
The municipality has already injected a million dollars into this project, which should see the light of day by 2025. The port would thus regain direct access to the Mississippi River, 150 years later.
The Port of Vicksburg, the largest river port in the Mississippi.
© Vicksburg Chamber
*Memorial Day is a public holiday in the United States. It pays tribute to members of the Armed Forces who died in combat, all wars combined.
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