Vicksburg National Military Park

There are some historic features in the National Park System we just can't walk through in person, such as the remains of the Civil War gunboat USS Cairo at Vicksburg National Military Park. Now, thanks to some high-tech wizardry, anyone can take an animated "fly-through" and explore the interior of the ship—or five other historic locations around the country.

One-hundred-and-fifty years ago, the USS Cairo was sunk by Confederate forces on December 12. To mark that event, Vicksburg National Military Park will have a special commemoration on Saturday.

Which of the Civil War battlefields preserved by the National Park Service appeals to you most, and why?

Recording artist Bobby Horton will bring Civil War history to life as he performs "Songs and Stories of the Civil War" on May 8 in an event sponsored by Vicksburg National Military Park and the Southern Cultural Heritage Foundation.

Officials at the Vicksburg National Cemetery, located on the edge of Vicksburg National Military Park, have released the results of an extensive study of a group of unmarked graves discovered in the cemetery in 2010.

The National Park Service is using modern technology to share holiday greetings from parks across the country. Short videos filmed in 15 parks are airing on the National Park Service's YouTube channel through the end of the month.

Here's something you don't see every day: Camels in a national park. But there's some historical accuracy involved in the "return" of the camel corps to Vicksburg National Military Park in April.

Long before Ken Burns' PBS series on the national parks, the filmmaker produced another multi-program epic that features several NPS areas. THE CIVIL WAR, which first aired in 1990, remains the highest-rated series in the history of American public television. The series is being rebroadcast in early April to mark the 150th anniversary of the beginning of America's Civil War.

Kids who visit a handful of Civil War-era units of the National Park System will be able to earn a special Junior Ranger patch, one that recognizes them as Junior Civil War Historians.

During 2011-2015, the Civil War will be commemorated with special events in dozens of Civil War-related national parks. This month's schedule includes highlighted events in four parks in four different states.

For 25 cents you'll soon be able to put Glacier National Park in your pocket. Or Olympic National Park, Gettysburg National Military Park, Vicksburg National Military Park, or Chickasaw National Recreation Area, for that matter.

Abraham Lincoln said, "Vicksburg is the key. The war can never be brought to a close until that key is in our pocket." A new virtual exhibit on the siege of Vicksburg is now available on-line for the enjoyment of history buffs, and its also a useful tool for teachers.

At Vicksburg National Military Park, a Centennial Challenge project has replaced many of the monuments that honor the brave men who fought there. Unfortunately, inadequate funding and staffing continue to hamper the park’s ability to adequately care for its historic resources while telling the story of the Vicksburg Campaign, the siege of the city, and the Reconstruction period.

As with the southern Pennsylvania countryside surrounding the town of Gettysburg, the struggles between the United States and Confederate armies from 1861 to 1865 often brought war to beautiful places, with many battles fought in the pastoral landscapes of eastern, southern, and middle America— in rolling fields and woods, along rivers and streams, among farmsteads, and often in or near villages, towns, or cities.

The first major land engagement of the Civil War was fought 147 years ago this month. The ensuing four-year struggle entailed more than 2,000 battles or skirmishes and cost more than 600,000 American lives. This quiz tests your knowledge of Civil War national parks and the battles they commemorate. Answers are at the end. No peeking.