Vicksburg was the location of one of the greatest battles of the Civil War. The Vicksburg National Military Park commemorates this battle which lasted for over 40 days. Throughout the park there are monuments, reconstructed forts, canons and a cemetery. The Ironclad River Gunboat Cairo, was commissioned in the early 1860's and sunk shortly thereafter by mines, sinking to the bottom of the Yazoo river. The Cairo, the only surviving vessel of her class, was raised in 1964 and is currently on display within the Vicksburg National Military Park, next to the Cairo Museum which has on exhibit items recovered from the boat such as sailors' personal possessions, cookware and weaponry. Located nearby is the Vicksburg Battlefield Museum which displays thousands of artifacts from this historic battle.

The Honorable John S. Price, Jr.