127. Illinois Memorial, Vicksburg
- Rainey Knudson
- 1 day ago
- 2 min read
Every Fourth of July we celebrate the Declaration. But it was another Fourth of July, far bloodier, that ensured the country’s continued existence.
1863 had started badly for the Union. Many northerners agitated to let the Confederacy go and end the awful bloodshed. Early that July, southern forces pushed into Pennsylvania, their first invasion of northern territory. We remember Gettysburg, but hundreds of miles away, the Confederacy's last stronghold on the Mississippi River was under siege. Ulysses S. Grant’s army pounded Vicksburg with shells for 47 days straight. Civilians dug caves, eating horses and dogs.
They finally surrendered on July 4, the same day the Confederates began their retreat from Gettysburg. The Confederacy was cut in two; “The father of waters again goes unvexed to the sea,” said Lincoln. It was the beginning of the end of the Confederacy.
Visiting Vicksburg today is powerful, the park beautifully laid out with statues and monuments. The most spectacular is the Illinois Memorial, a smaller-scaled Pantheon, with 47 steps, one for each day of the siege. In 1904, Illinois appropriated $190,000—20% of its state budget—to honor the 36,325 Illinois soldiers who fought in the Vicksburg campaign. Reliefs of Illinois sons Lincoln and Grant flank the entrance; the building wrapped with Lincoln's words, "With malice toward none, with charity for all," followed by Grant's own, five years later: "Let us have peace." Locals call it Echo Hall. It is a solemn, profoundly moving testament to the sacrifice required for a more perfect union.
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This post is part of The American 250, a series featuring 250 objects made by Americans, located in America, in honor of the country's 250th anniversary. 250 words on 250 works, from January 1 to December 31, 2026.
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