The Civil War in Mississippi
Themed Travel
Many of the fiercest battles of the Civil War were fought on Mississippi soil. It was a time considered by many to be the darkest hour in this nation’s
history. The 150th anniversary celebration of the American Civil
War (2011-2015) offers the current generation of Americans a most important opportunity to know,
discuss and commemorate this country’s greatest national crisis, while at the same time exploring its enduring
relevance in the 21st century. Tour countless battlefields, monuments
and historic cemeteries, and capture a glimpse of history relived at exciting
reenactments staged throughout the year. For other Civil War attractions,
visit www.VisitMississippi.org.
For more information on the Civil War in
Mississippi, scan the bar code with your
smartphone or visit VisitMississippi.org/
civil-war.aspx
Aberdeen
• See the Gregg-Hamilton House, a planter’s cottage that once housed captured Union soldiers.
Baldwyn
• Visit Brice’s Cross Roads National Battlefield Site, where Confederate Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest made his famous attack on Gen. Samuel Sturgis’ Union forces in 1864.
• The battlefield has three interpretive trails, several markers, two cemeteries and the expanded, renamed Mississippi’s Final Stands Interpretive Center.
Biloxi
• Rich in history, Beauvoir is the stunning home of Jefferson Davis, president of the Confederate States of America, and the place where he penned his memoirs. Includes a gift shop, a historic cemetery, the Tomb of the Unknown Confederate Soldier and a magnificent view of the Mississippi Sound.
• In 1847, the Biloxi Lighthouse became the first cast-iron tower in the South. It is one of the most photographed sites on the Gulf Coast.
• Visit Fort Massachusetts on Ship Island.
Clinton
• Strategically located between Jackson and Vicksburg, this town was where the railroad track was destroyed by the Union to keep supplies from reaching Vicksburg. It was occupied by both sides during the war, with many homes being looted and burned. There were many small battles. The beautiful Mississippi College Campus (founded 1826) was occupied by Union Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and his troops.
Columbus
• Tour some of this historic town’s antebellum homes and churches.
• Visit Friendship Cemetery, where, in 1866, several ladies decided to decorate the graves of both Confederate and Union soldiers, which led to the creation of Memorial Day.
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VisitMississippi.org » 1.866.SEE MISS (733.6477)
Themed Travel