Vicksburg, city, seat of Warren County, western Mississippi, mainly situated on bluffs overlooking the confluence of the Mississippi and Yazoo rivers; incorporated 1825. It is a major river port and serves as a commercial and manufacturing center for the surrounding cotton, timber, and livestock area. Chief products include construction and transportation equipment; wood, paper, and rubber items; electrical equipment; chemicals; and processed food. Tourism and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Waterways Experiment Station are also important to the city's economic base. Vicksburg is the site of a number of restored antebellum houses, such as Anchuca (1830) and The Galleries (1850), and the Old Court House Museum, featuring displays reflecting the city's southern heritage.
Fort Nogales, built by the Spanish on the site of Vicksburg in 1791, was occupied by U.S. troops in 1798. The first permanent settlement was established here about 1812 by Newitt (or Newet) Vick, a Methodist minister for whom the community is named. During the American Civil War, Vicksburg was the scene (1863) of a 47-day siege by Union troops under General Ulysses S. Grant. Grant's capture of Vicksburg marked a turning point in the war. Adjacent to the city is Vicksburg National Military Park, which contains memorials, monuments, and markers and extensive remains of the fortified battle lines of the Union and Confederate armies. Near the park is Vicksburg National Cemetery. Population 25,434 (1980); 20,908 (1990); 27,221 (1998 estimate).
