1875 Vicksburg Massacre, Sheriff Peter Crosby

VICKSBURG, Miss. (VDN)— A historical marker honoring Sheriff Peter Crosby, Warren County’s first and only Black sheriff, will be unveiled Thursday, June 19, at 10 a.m. on the grounds of the Warren County Courthouse.

The 1875 Vicksburg Massacre

The Mississippi Department of Archives and History approved the marker to commemorate Crosby’s service and the events surrounding the 1874 Vicksburg Massacre, when violent opposition erupted after, on December 2, 1874, he refused to leave office despite pressure from armed white men with the Taxpayers’ League demanding his resignation.

The conflict led to a deadly uprising where as many as 300 Black residents were killed, and federal troops under Gen. Phillip Sheridan were deployed to restore order on January 5, 1875, by President Ulysses S. Grant. The troops were sent out to enable the sheriff’s safe return to office, but a white deputy shot him in the head. He survived, but never recovered.

It stands as one of the most tragic and significant acts of political violence during the Reconstruction era in Mississippi. His courage and commitment to justice have been recognized in recent years by local advocates who worked to preserve and share this chapter of history.

The “Mississippi Plan”

Following the massacre, white conservatives in Mississippi launched the “Mississippi Plan,” a coordinated campaign of voter intimidation, violence, and election fraud designed to return control of the state to the Democratic Party. The plan proved effective, enabling Democrats to regain a majority in the state legislature that year. In 1876, the Republican governor and lieutenant governor were impeached, and Democrat John M. Stone assumed the governorship.

That same year, white Democrats also seized control of the state’s judicial branch, effectively ending Congressional Reconstruction in Mississippi. The following year, the Compromise of 1877—brokered to resolve a disputed presidential election—removed the remaining federal troops from the South and signaled a national retreat from Reconstruction efforts. During this time, Southern states, including Mississippi, were left to govern without federal oversight and quickly enacted laws and policies to suppress Black political power and civil rights.

In the years that followed, many conservative white leaders promoted false narratives of Reconstruction as a period of corruption and incompetence, particularly targeting Black elected officials. These myths contributed to the long-standing perception of Reconstruction as a failure and were used to justify the rise of oppressive Jim Crow laws. The hard-won rights and progress made by African Americans during Reconstruction were systematically rolled back.

Civil Rights Act of 1964

Though the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and subsequent legislation marked significant steps toward racial equality, the legacy of the Mississippi Plan and the post-Reconstruction era continues to inform the ongoing struggle for civil rights and social justice today.

Organizers encourage the community to attend the dedication ceremony as part of their Juneteenth observance, honoring the resilience and contributions of Black leaders like Crosby in the ongoing pursuit of justice and equity.