War is Over: Parole reenactment and more part of Old Courthouse’s July 4th celebration

VICKSBURG, Miss. (VDN) — The Old Court House Museum will host a full day of immersive programming on Saturday, June 28, to mark the 160th anniversary of the end of the struggle for Southern Independence and the surrender of Vicksburg during the Civil War, including a parole reenactment.

The event will feature the museum’s first-ever Parole Reenactment of the Confederate soldiers captured in Vicksburg on July 4, 1863.

“This will be the first Parole Reenactment that has been done here at the Museum, which will feature a Union Provost Marshall signing each of the Confederate Paroles and having them sign the Oath of Allegiance to the United States,” said Jordan Rushing, Director and Curator of the Old Court House Museum.

Gates open at 8:30 a.m. Activities will include drill demonstrations, rifle live-firing, and period reenactments starting at 10 a.m. A break for lunch is scheduled at 11:30 a.m., followed by a special indoor lecture at 2 p.m. by historian Bernadette Cahill titled Mary Loughborough & the Siege of Vicksburg. Cahill will recount the wartime experiences of Loughborough, a Confederate woman who lived in Vicksburg’s caves during the city’s bombardment.

The Deep South Military Vehicles Club will also return for the second year with a display of military trucks ranging from World War II to Desert Storm. The exhibit will be open throughout the day.

“This is the second year that we’ve had the Deep South Military Vehicles Club attending,” Rushing said. “Their displays from WWII to Desert Storm were a big hit last year, and we’re so grateful to have them return.”

Outdoor programming is free to the public, and Cahill’s lecture will also be offered at no cost. The museum itself will operate from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. with regular admission.

Editor’s Note: The date for the event is June 28, not July 4. The article has been corrected to reflect that.