The Civil War in Mississippi

During the Civil War, some 78,000 Mississippians fought for the Confederacy. In 1863, Union soldiers occupied Jackson, destroyed Confederate resources, and burned much of the city. Seventeen thousand Black Mississippians would join the Union ranks, some of whom fought in Grant’s campaign to capture Vicksburg or were stationed at Ship Island.

Pictured: A drawing of the Battle of Jackson. Troops form a semi-circle in the center of the image. Thin trees line the left side. A home on a small property is in the background.

Credit: Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, LC-DIG-pga-02196