Amercian Civil War Monuments

1^st and 3^rd Mississippi Infantry, African Descent Monument

Vicksburg National Military Park, Vicksburg, Mississippi

Dedicated February, 14, 2004

Photos and text courtesy of LCWRT Member Charlie Moore

The newest monument at the Vicksburg National Military Park honors former slaves from both Mississippi who served as soldiers in the Union Army.  The monument depicts two black men, one a soldier and the other a slave helping a wounded black soldier.  The monument depicts the slave looking back on the institution of slavery.  The wounded soldier represents the sacrifice for freedom, and the soldier with the rifle depicts the slaves’ fight for freedom.  More than 180,000 blacks served in the Union army while many others served in the Union navy.   Over one-third of the African –Americans who served in the army lost their lives during the Civil War, most from disease.