African American Monument (Vicksburg, Mississippi)

African American Monument (Vicksburg, Mississippi)

Subject (Topic)
African Americans--History
Mississippi--Vicksburg
United States Colored Troops
United States--Mississippi--Vicksburg National Military Park

Subject (Object Type)
Commemorative sculpture

Located at the Vicksburg National Military Park, the monument depicts three bronze figures, two United States Colored Troops soldiers and a shirtless civilian field hand wearing suspenders, trousers, and a straw hat. The field hand and one of the soldiers support a second soldier, who has been wounded in the Vicksburg Campaign. The USCT soldiers played a key role in the Union victory at Milken's Bend on June 7, 1863. The statue rests on a black granite base inscribed with a text that honors their service.

Sessums, J. Kim, 1958-

Photograph: Historical Marker Database and the National Park Service

February 14, 2004

State of Mississippi; City of Vicksburg

National Parks Service, 1849 C Street, NW, Washington, DC, 20240, United States

JPEG

English

Visual Arts-Sculpture

Vicksburg National Military Park, 3201 Clay St, Vicksburg, Mississippi, 39183, United States

Inscription on base:
Commemorating the service of the 1st and 3rd Mississippi Infantry Regiments, African descent and all Mississippians of African descent who participated in the Vicksburg Campaign.

108 in. (274.32 cm)

Bronze; Black African granite

Alan Skerrett, Jr, ed. "Monuments to the United States Colored Troops (USCT) [African American Civil War Soldiers: The List." Jubilo! The Emancipation Century Blog, May 30, 2011. Accessed February 11, 2026. https://jubiloemancipationcentury.wordpress.com/2011/05/30/monuments-to-the-united-states-colored-troops-usct-the-list/.

National Park Service. "African American Monument." Vicksburg National Military Park. Brochure. Accessed March 2, 2026. https://www.npshistory.com/publications/vick/brochures/african-american-monument.pdf.

Renée Ater

Sculpture

108 in. (274.32 cm)