It was 150 years ago when Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman and his troops swept down on Meridian, Mississippi, to capture a Confederate supply center. That "Meridian Campaign" will be revisited next week at Vicksburg National Military Park.
On Friday, January 31, and Saturday and Sunday, February 1 and 2, the park will hold programs marking that campaign. On Friday evening, Park Ranger Will Wilson will present a program on this often overlooked campaign that was the precursor to Sherman's "Total War" strategy. The program will be held at 7 p.m. in the Vicksburg National Military Park Visitor Center Auditorium, and will last roughly one hour with time afterwards for questions. Doors will open at 6:30 pm. This event is open to the public and will be free of charge.
On Saturday and Sunday, inside the Shirley House located at Stop #2 on the Park Tour Road, park staff and volunteers will be providing "first person" interpretive programs that highlight the role of the U.S. Army Quartermaster Corps in preparing for the Meridian Campaign. Visitors will be able to see and talk with Civil War soldiers, civilians, and a representative from the Western Freedman's Bureau. The Saturday programs will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and from 9 a.m. until noon on Sunday. Regular park admission is $8 per vehicle, and all Vicksburg and NPS passes will be honored during the event.
Park hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, with the U.S.S. Cairo Museum opening at 8:30 a.m.