Louisiana Circle -- Vicksburg MS - Scenic Roadside Look-Outs on Waymarking.com

Visitors to the Louisiana Circle overlook of the Mississippi River will get an idea of where the Confederates tried and failed to stop the Union Navy from "running the gauntlet" past Vicksburg, in furtherance of General Grant's plan to take Vicksburg from the east.

The marker reads as follows:

RUNNING THE GAUNTLET

Lookouts spotted Union vessels on the Mississippi River and sounded the alarm. Within minutes, the night sky blazed with the light of burning cotton bales and tar barrels. In forts like the one you are in, the Confederate gunners knew just where to point their guns. One boat sank and all the others were hit – but the Federal fleet would run the gauntlet.

Union transports were on their way to ferry the army across the river. This was a critical piece of General Ulysses Grant’s plan to attack Vicksburg from the east. The problem – Confederate cannon along the city’s bluffs. On April 16, 1863, the Union flotilla successfully floated past this point. After over a year of trying, the Union Army was about to cross the Mississippi River."

Describe - Highway or Road number: US 61 Business Closest town or city: Vicksburb MS Number of parking spots available: 20 Name if a website describes this location.: [Web Link] Winter View: yes Summer View: yes Year around access ?: yes Comfort station on site: no Is a photo of an "Information Sign"included?: Yes

Recent Visits/Logs:

Date Logged Log User Rating   09/24/2022 Don.Morfe visited it 06/10/2016 Dory The Explorer visited it 09/01/2014 Benchmark Blasterz visited it

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