Vicksburg in Warren County, Mississippi — The American South (East South Central)
Dedication of the Illinois Monument
Vicksburg National Military Park
Photographed by Mark Hilton, May 25, 2017
1. Dedication of the Illinois Monument Marker
Inscription.
Dedication of the Illinois Monument. Vicksburg National Military Park. The Vicksburg National Military Park, established by Congress on February 21, 1899, commemorates the campaign, siege, and defense of Vicksburg during the Civil War. The 1,800 acres of the park are dotted with over 1,300 monuments, making it the "art park of the world." The most impressive of the memorials is the Illinois Monument, which was dedicated on October 26, 1906 and modeled after the Roman Pantheon. On its walls are 60 bronze tablets which record the names of the 36,325 Illinois soldiers who participated in the Vicksburg campaign. The memorial was designed by William L. B. Jenney, who served as Gen. Sherman's chief engineer during the Vicksburg operations, and cost $194,423.92. The Shirley House, to the right of the monument, is the only building in the park that survived the siege. Built in the 1830s as Wexford Lodge by attorney Nicholas Gray, the house remains a part of the battlefield's landscape today. The idea for the park can be credited to Civil War veterans of the Blue and Gray Association who, in 1895, formed the Vicksburg National Military Park Association. Veterans helped to mark the park, resulting in its recognition as one of the world's most accurately marked battlefields. , Sponsored by the City of Vicksburg and The Mississippi Arts Commission
The Vicksburg National Military Park, established by Congress on February 21, 1899, commemorates the campaign, siege, and defense of Vicksburg during the Civil War. The 1,800 acres of the park are dotted with over 1,300 monuments, making it the "art park of the world."
The most impressive of the memorials is the Illinois Monument, which was dedicated on October 26, 1906 and modeled after the Roman Pantheon. On its walls are 60 bronze tablets which record the names of the 36,325 Illinois soldiers who participated in the Vicksburg campaign.
The memorial was designed by William L. B. Jenney, who served as Gen. Sherman's chief engineer during the Vicksburg operations, and cost $194,423.92.
The Shirley House, to the right of the monument, is the only building in the park that survived the siege. Built in the 1830s as Wexford Lodge by attorney Nicholas Gray, the house remains a part of the battlefield's landscape today.
The idea for the park can be credited to Civil War veterans of the Blue and Gray Association who, in 1895, formed the Vicksburg National Military Park Association. Veterans helped to mark the park, resulting in its recognition as one of the world's most accurately marked battlefields.
Sponsored by the City of Vicksburg and The Mississippi Arts Commission
Erected 2005 by the City of Vicksburg Riverfront Mural Committee.
Topics. This historical marker and monument is listed in this topic list: War, US Civil. A significant historical date for this entry is February 21, 1899.
Location. 32° 21.062′ N, 90° 53.034′ W. Marker is in Vicksburg
Click or scan to see this page online
, Mississippi, in Warren County. It is on Levee Street north of Clay Street, on the left when traveling north. The Vicksburg Riverfront Murals are located on the Yazoo Diversion Canal levee wall. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: Levee Street, Vicksburg MS 39183, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker and monument is in Natchez Trace Corridor and in Greater Jackson. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Deep South, in the Mississippi Delta, and in the Great River Road Region. Globally, it is in North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Carl S. Smith Collection; Courtesy of Northwestern University Libraries
4. William Le Baron Jenney (1832-1907)
William Le Baron Jenney, who designed the Illinois monument at Vicksburg and served under Sherman during the siege, is called the "Father of the Skyscraper." He designed the 1885 Home Insurance building in Chicago, which is considered one of the world's first skyscrapers, as well as several other landmark buildings in the Chicago area.
Credits. This page was last revised on January 6, 2025. It was originally submitted on June 1, 2017, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 1,565 times since then and 68 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3. submitted on June 1, 2017, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. 4. submitted on January 6, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.
