A few weeks ago, we drove to my hometown of Shreveport, LA for a family member’s 97th birthday. Yes – you read that right – the person honored was born in 1928! Flights were exorbitant, so we decided to drive the 600 miles each way for the weekend. Fortunately, we were able to spend the first night in Vicksburg, MS with a relative to break the trip up a bit.

Vicksburg National Military Park

I think it’s an unwritten requirement for almost everyone growing up in Louisiana to visit the Vicksburg National Military Park. It definitely used to be part of the itinerary for many schools’ 8th-grade Louisiana History Trip. Although Vicksburg lies in Mississippi, it hugs the state line of Louisiana along the Mississippi River.

We weren’t sure if the National Military Park would be open during the government shutdown, but we decided to stop anyway. The good news is that the park is open, including the visitor center. However, it closes at 4:30pm and were arrived at 4:40pm.  

Both Dear Hubby (DH) and I had toured the site about 20 years ago with our girls (see cover photo of the Illinois Memorial from 2008), but it would have been nice to stop and see it again. You can take a virtual tour at the American Battlefield Trust here. You can also view the NPS film shown in the Visitor Center here. It’s a good refresher about the Battle of Vicksburg, which claimed over 32,000 Confederate troops and almost 5,000 Union troops.

From here, we headed to my cousin’s house for a visit. Even driving to her house, just off S. Confederate Avenue (which had formerly been a park road), we passed several memorials, including the North Carolina Memorial.

Anchuca – Restaurant and B&B

We booked dinner reservations at Anchuca, the antebellum house located in the historic district that also serves as a bed and breakfast. The delicious dinner, held in the garden room addition, featured the renowned Asparagus Bisque, as well as Shrimp and Grits, Chicken Piccata, and other Southern specialties. My cousin, a native of Vicksburg, has hosted many wedding showers inside the Main House at Anchuca and gave us lots of inside stories.

She knew these stories because her parents lived at Anchuca after they first got married. Back then, the owners of the house rented rooms to married couples. My cousin’s parents lived in the front room, which is currently the parlor shown in the photo below. Although it is not visible in this picture, a portrait of Joseph Davis (more about him later) hangs above the fireplace, and a grand piano stands on the other side of the room.

The house was originally built as a two-story, Federal-style wooden structure by J.W. Mauldin. It wasn’t until the 1840s that owners Victor and Jane Wilson enlarged the house and added the columns, pediment, and other Greek-Revival style elements seen today.

Anchuca, which means “happy home” in Choctaw, survived the siege of Vicksburg with 17 cannonball hits. Mrs. Wilson sold the house after her husband passed away in 1865. Joseph Davis, the elder brother of Jefferson Davis, lived here from 1867 until he died in 1870. I’m not clear whether he actually purchased Anchuca or just stayed here with the owners. Regardless, his brother Jefferson Davis, who had just been released from prison on Christmas Day 1868, visited in 1869 and gave one of his last public speeches from the second-floor balcony.

As a historic side note, I didn’t realize the Davis family was so prominent in the Vicksburg area. Joseph Davis owned Hurricane Plantation, a 5,000-acre property just outside Vicksburg. He gave the adjacent property, Brierfield Plantation, to his younger brother Jefferson. In 1861, Jefferson Davis became the president of the Confederacy. During the Battle of Vicksburg, Federal troops burned down the main house at Hurricane and set up headquarters at Brierwood. After the Civil War, Joseph Davis sold both plantations to one of his former slaves, Benjamin Thornton Montgomery. Later, the Mississippi River cut a channel across the peninsula, and today, the property is part of Brierwood Hunting Club, which is only accessible by boat.

Back to Anchuca. After Joseph Davis died, the house went through many owners, including Mr. and Mrs. William Vollor, who rented out some of the rooms during WWII. Around the mid-1950s, a new owner opened the house for tours and started using its former name, Anchuca.

Anchuca remained owner-occupied, but the house fell into decline until Tom Pharr, a 6th-generation Mississippian, purchased the property around 2001. He painstakingly restored the property, operated the successful bed and breakfast, and opened the restaurant. Just a few years ago, Pharr sold it to another long-time Mississippi couple. They offer tours every Monday through Saturday from 9:30am-4pm, in addition to running the bed and breakfast, restaurant, and venue space.

Old Courthouse

Before driving to Shreveport the next morning, we went back to downtown Vicksburg to see the city during the daytime. The cupola of the Old Warren County Courthouse, situated high on a bluff, beckoned us to get out of the car. City founder Newitt Vick donated the property, and construction was completed in 1860. It replaced the first courthouse, which burned in 1857. Amazingly, the new building stood throughout the Siege of Vicksburg despite heavy shelling.

Four small octagonal structures flank the four sides of the two-story edifice. These buildings, called cistern rooms, collected water for public use and fire prevention. Later, the buildings served as spare offices, storage, and now public restrooms.

When Warren County built a New Courthouse across the street in 1939, the Old Courthouse sat empty for many years and faced demolition. Eva Whitaker Davis (no relation to Jefferson Davis) spearheaded a preservation campaign and founded the Vicksburg and Warren County Historical Society, as well as the Old Court House Museum. Inside the museum, visitors can view the original courtroom on the second floor, learn about notable legal cases, and explore collections related to the history of Vicksburg. We will have to visit the museum on another trip.

In Conclusion

Vicksburg definitely begs for a return visit, and not just to stop by the Mississippi Visitor Center to pick up maps and use the restrooms. For more information, click here for the Vicksburg National Military Park. Part of the park consists of the USS Cairo Gunboat and Museum.

If you’re staying longer in Vicksburg, plan to tour Anchuca and other historic homes such as McRaven House, Duff Green Mansion (also a B&B), and the McNutt House. For museums, don’t miss the Old Court House Museum. And if you’re into model railroads, visit the Old Depot Museum.