Vicksburg National Cemetery Stabilization Project

Affected area of Section T in Vicksburg National Cemetery

NPS Photo

Project Overview

A multi-year, multi-phase project to stabilize portions of Vicksburg National Cemetery in Vicksburg National Military Park to address grave disturbances and erosion caused by severe weather events in 2020 and 2021.  Beginning in January 2020, unprecedented rainfall caused extreme erosion, road loss, sinkholes and severe landslides at Vicksburg National Military Park and the National Cemetery. This weather event impacted historically significant landscapes, including burial sites in the national cemetery. Additional storm activity in 2021 contributed to further impacts. 

The park began the stabilization project by temporarily relocating approximately 50-80 endangered burials starting in Spring 2023 and will construct a soldier pile and lagging wall in early 2025 to prevent further erosion. Once stabilization is complete, the park will conduct a respectful reinterment process and complete other mitigation measures. The NPS has committed approximately $4.686 million for the first two phases of this project.

The National Cemetery is open to pedestrians, however closed to vehicles. The project area within the National Cemetery is closed to the public.

 

Current Status

Updated 2/01/2024

Burial Recovery Phase

Field work is underway. Archeological team is onsite - In Progress 

Overall Summary

• Work is complete on the upper terrace (Section T) where approximately 60 burials have been removed and are now securely stored at the park and are in the process of being cataloged and analyzed.
• As of Jan 25^th, 14 burials have been excavated from the lower terrace (Section J)
• The archeological contractor is now focusing on the lower terrace (Section J)
• Total number of cemetery burials already removed:  83 (as of Jan 25, 2024)
• Number of cemetery burials that were first thought to have been empty graves but were re-investigated and the burial shafts found to be significantly deeper than first thought:  4
• Approximate number of archeological units that have been completely excavated:  80.  
  (Note: Archeological units are not the same as burials to be removed.)

Administrative Summary

• Projected completion date for the archeological excavations:  Spring 2024.
• Fieldwork Schedule:  Mon-Fri 7 am – 5:30 pm (weather permitting)
• Up until the start of January 2024, weather conditions were generally cold but relatively dry. Since mid-January, temperatures have been steadily improving, but periods of rain have required shifts in the fieldwork schedule on a few occasions.
• Hand & mechanical excavations of the lower terrace (Section J) began in November 2023 and have recovered additional human remains and burial objects such as clothing buttons, ,  scattered coffin hardware, as well as  a few unassociated artifacts, almost all of which were covered over by significant amounts of landslide overburden over the past four years. 
• Most of this recent landslide overburden covering cemetery burials on the lower terrace (Section J), does not appear to contain human remains or evidence of any intact archeological features within it and is being mechanically excavated under the direct supervision of the archeological contractor in full accordance with the approved research design.
• Mechanical removal of the landslide overburden in the affected portion of the lower terrace (Section J) should be completed within the next few weeks.
• While an estimated 66 cemetery burials remain within the total proposed excavation area for the lower terrace (Section J), most of these burials are thought to still be intact, and as many as possible will be left in place if it can be confirmed that they will not be at risk of loss or damage due proposed construction for this project or from future landslides in the immediate area.
• The total number of cemetery burials on the lower terrace (Section J) that still need to be temporarily removed may be as low as 15 and will be determined in the next few weeks at the conclusion of ongoing discussions between the National Park Service’s Denver Service Center-Design and Construction Office and Vicksburg National Military Park in consultation with the archeological contractor. Excavation of burials from the affected portion of  the lower terrace (Section J) in the cemetery is ongoing,     and many of them are thought to still be intact since they are buried underneath overburden from the original  landslide and are being excavated because they are considered to be susceptible to loss or damage from further erosion.

Burial & Human Remains Summary

• Civil War era Burials: 
  • All appear to be “unknowns” reburied sometime between ca. 1866 – 1875. 
  • Skeletal preservation is generally good and is surprisingly complete in most cases.
  • Preliminary skeletal studies show that most sets of human remains will be able to provide relatively complete biological profiles, including age at death, biological sex, living stature, ancestry, overall physical lifestyle & general health, along with skeletal and dental indicators of certain illnesses or injuries present may all be possible. Thus, a good overall picture of each person’s physical condition, general health, and lifestyle at the time of their death should be able to be reconstructed for most individuals.
  • Ongoing preliminary studies indicate that not all the recovered “unknowns” represent Civil War era soldiers. Some of these unknown individuals appear to be infants, toddlers, and adult females, all of which may be attributed to some of these individuals being recovered from unmarked graves at cemeteries or makeshift places of burial where Civil War soldiers were either knowingly or inadvertently buried next to the graves of civilians, such as at field hospitals and/or plantations which were later visited by burial details sent out from the Vicksburg National Cemetery after the Civil War had ended.
• Post-Civil War Burials: 
  • All 8 of the named individuals buried within the affected portions of Section T and Section J, appear to be Civil War veterans buried between circa 1866 and 1891. 
  • To date, all the post-Civil War burials that have been fully excavated contain individuals still in their original burial positions. 
  • As evidenced by burial items, at least two of these individuals were members of the Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.), an important fraternal organization for Union veterans of the Civil War and were likely men of some influence and social standing within Vicksburg’s late 19th century African American community. Further genealogical and archival research on these Civil War veterans holds the greatest potential for identifying living lineal descendants.

 

Map of location of landslide in Vicksburg National Cemetery

NPS image

Timeline

Emergency burial recovery: Work began in Spring 2023 and is projected to be complete Spring 2024.

Short-Term Stabilization: Construction is to begin after completion of the Burial Recovery. Work projected to begin in 2025.

Mitigation: Preliminary mitigation measures began in November 2022 and are ongoing.

 

 

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the need for the project?

In January 2020, Vicksburg, Mississippi, had several severe weather events back-to-back, yielding more than 23.2 inches of rain in total. As a result, several landslides occurred in Vicksburg National Military Park, including one large landside adversely affecting close to an acre in Vicksburg National Cemetery. Portions of the roads through the cemetery were also damaged extensively. The damage required the removal of nine burials that were displaced or otherwise imperiled as a result of the slide.  

The slide area needs to be stabilized to prevent further damage to graves, repair the damaged road, and to prevent additional slides. An estimated 50 to 100 at-risk burials will need to be temporarily disinterred to protect them before and during construction necessary to repair and stabilize the landform.  

While NPS Management Policy on the Stewardship of Human Remains (5.3.4) directs park superintendents to make every effort to avoid impacting burial areas and graves, it allows for archeological investigations and removal of burials when they are “threatened with destruction.” In this case, the graves will be further disturbed or lost due to ongoing erosion from past landslides and will otherwise continue to be at risk of further damage from future landslides. The temporary removal of imperiled burials is necessary to protect the human remains until they can be safely and respectfully reinterred to their original locations after the affected area has been restored and the landform has been stabilized. 

What does the project include?

Burial Recovery 
The recovery effort involves the excavation and temporary disinterment of up to 50-80 threatened burials, though final number will determine upon site conditions. Excavation of these burials will protect them from further damage prior to and during stabilization efforts and from potential impacts from additional landslides. 

Curatorial Storage of remains 
A secure, onsite location was renovated to serve as a designated archeological and osteological laboratory and short-term burial storage space for disinterred burials. The space will securely house human remains, burial objects, and associated grave markers. The space offers a high level of security, climate-controlled conditions, an appropriate space for the archeological consultant to properly document, analyze and store all recovered materials for the duration of this undertaking. Park staff access is limited.  

Stabilization 
After completing the recovery of the at-risk burials, the second phase of the project will provide for stabilization of the terraces and slopes within the damaged portion of the cemetery. Construction includes construction of a wall along the edge of a former roadbed and berm at the toe of the slope to help support the new wall. Together, the wall and berm will support the landform and shore up the area where the existing road has collapsed. 

Mitigation Measures 
Once the stabilization is complete, the park will implement additional mitigation efforts including a safe and respectful reinterment process, road repaving, and additional long-term mitigation projects, The park is working with a variety of community and descendent groups to research the soldiers and to tell their stories. The park has been awarded a Mellon Post-doctorate Fellow to support this Reaearch and the development of educational and interpretive products. 

When will the project begin and end?

Emergency burial recovery: Work began in Spring 2023 and is projected to be complete by Spring 2024.

Short-Term Stabilization: Construction is to begin after completion of the Burial Recovery. Work projected to begin in 2025.

Mitigation: Preliminary mitigation measures began in November 2022 and are ongoing.

How will this project benefit the American public?

It will ensure that the NPS upholds its commitment to protect and maintain the Vicksburg National Cemetery in perpetuity with the utmost dignity and respect. The park will also work with all interested parties to recognize the cultural components that have been identified in this section of the cemetery including Native American, colonial Spanish, and most significantly the role of the USCTs and the local African American community’s contributions to the significance of the Vicksburg National Cemetery and to the history of our Nation as a whole. 

The affected burials are located in sections designated for USCT. This is an opportunity to bring co-stewardship into the forefront concerning our histories of United States Colored Troops (USCT) at Vicksburg and across the region and to highlight. This effort also brings new attention on Vicksburg’s national significance during the Federal occupation and Reconstruction and to the under-told stories of that pivotal period.  

How will this project benefit park visitors?

The project will stabilize areas in the cemetery to make it safer and will enable disinterred burials to be reinterred to their original locations, preserving this portion of the cemetery for future generations of visitors. This project will help prevent additional damage to other portions of the National Cemetery and will also protect vulnerable graves, which could be damaged if not stabilized. 

This project will bring to the forefront the substantial contributions of the USCT and partially restore personal identities and honor the individuals to be temporarily disinterred. This project will open new avenues and opportunities for community collaboration. The park’s mission includes telling the larger story of Vicksburg from 1862 through Reconstruction. It will build on other related efforts underway at the park and with our partners to tell more complete stories. Focused archival research of Civil War era regimental records and National Cemetery Records, combined with consultation and collaboration with descendant communities and detailed skeletal analyses, will afford an ability to provide identities to previously unknown individuals. 

Will the public still have access to the cemetery during project?

Yes, a portion of the cemetery will remain open to pedestrians through the duration of the project. The portion of the cemetery in the southwest corner where the landslides occurred will be fenced off and be out of view and will continue to be closed to the public until the project is completed. There is no vehicle access to the cemetery at this time.

 

How will this project impact natural and cultural resources?

Burial Recovery, archaeological excavations, and project construction will all impact existing vegetation in the project area. However, no endangered species or species of concern will be affected, and reconstruction and stabilization of the terraces and slopes will significantly reduce the risk of future damage to plant and animal communities in the area. 

The project is also considered an adverse effect to the cultural resources of the national cemetery. Through the Section 106 consultation process, the park has mitigated the adverse effect by identifying several measures to increase knowledge about USCTs at Vicksburg. 

What is the park doing to protect natural and cultural resources during the project?

Following the landslides in 2020 and 2021 the park initiated an extensive compliance process to ensure that natural and cultural resources are protected for the full duration of the project. This federally-mandated process, includes compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), ensures that all appropriate efforts to minimize adverse effects to these resources will be taken into consideration.  Documents pertaining to this compliance is publicly available upon request.  

What if Native American remains are found? What if modern remains are found?

Compliance with NAGPRA and Treatment of Human Remains 

All aspects of this project will comply with state and federal legislation (e.g., Mississippi Antiquities Law and Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) regarding the treatment of Native American and non-Native American human remains. The possibility exists that Native American human remains may be encountered during any phase of this project. If Native American human remains, funerary objects, or items of cultural patrimony as defined by NAGPRA are encountered all personnel shall follow the procedures as outlined in NAGPRA. All excavations in that area must immediately cease and the park superintendent and Southeast Region NAGPRA coordinator will be contacted. The superintendent will contact the appropriate tribes, the Mississippi SHPO and convene consultations and responses with all other appropriate parties. 

The specific courses of action regarding treatment of human remains and any accompanying materials shall follow the procedures regarding the disposition of human remains as outlined in the NPS-28: Cultural Resource Management Guidelines and the Mississippi SHPO Guidelines for Archaeological Investigations and Reports in Mississippi.

Modern Remains
If modern (less than 75 years old) human remains are encountered, the county coroner, NPS and local law enforcement and the park superintendent must be notified immediately. All human remains that are disinterred or at risk of further damage or loss shall be protected and treated with the utmost respect while, exposing, documenting, handling or reburying them. All such human remains determined to be at risk of further damage or destruction shall be securely held in climate-controlled NPS-Park curation facilities pending determination of their final disposition.  

What is the make-up of the burial recovery team and what are their qualifications?

The team consists of a principal investigator, bioarcheologists/osteologists, and multiple qualified field archeologists. The park archeologist monitors and manage all aspects of the burial recovery in conjunction with the principal investigator. The team works together to ensure the safe and respectful disinterment of burials.

Will the project team be working to identify any of the unknown remains using DNA or other methods?

No. Appropriate samples will be taken and will be temporarily held so that they will be available for future analysis, if such studies are approved. However, skeletal analysis as a part of this project in combination with review of historic regimental and burial records may lead to some presumptive personal identifications for individuals who were originally buried in the cemetery as unknowns. 

How many graves will need to be relocated?

The recovery effort involves the excavation and respectful disinterment of an estimated 50 to 80 threatened burials, though the final number will determine upon site conditions. Excavation of these burials will protect them from further disturbance during future stabilization efforts as well as protect them from further impacts from additional landslides. The resumption of systematic recovery and analysis of human remains from the affected portion of the cemetery may also lead to re-unifications of some individual skeletal elements with the burials that they originated from.

How will the human remains be relocated?

Following the complete hand excavation of each burial and its full contents, the remains of each individual will be placed into appropriately labeled bags and boxes which will then be transported by motor vehicle each day to the secured and climate-controlled archeology and osteology laboratory built specifically for this purpose located on the grounds of the national park.

Where will they be stored and under what conditions?

The NPS modified an existing maintenance and restoration shop to establish a secured, climate-controlled archeology and osteology laboratory with a separate curation facility to temporarily house the human remains, burial objects, and associated grave markers that need to be moved as a part of this project. This facility is in a gated and secured area with restricted access under the control [jurisdiction] of NPS law enforcement.  All aspects of how and where these burials are to be temporarily stored is designed to uphold ethical treatment and to ensure preservation of all aspects of the original provenience for all disinterred human remains, burial objects, and grave markers. All such items will remain secured on-site until the time that they are to be reinterred.

How long will they need to be in the curatorial storage facility?

All disinterred human remains, burial objects, and grave markers, taken from the cemetery will remain in secured on-site storage until such time that all aspects of this project have been completed, all approved studies and technical reports have been completed and accepted, and a future Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) has been signed by the park, Federally Recognized Tribes, the SHPO, and all other invited signatories.  This future MOA will outline all responsibilities and responsible parties to be assigned specific tasks and outline will all aspects of the reinterment process.

What will be the reinterment process?

All human remains, burial objects, and grave markers, disinterred as a part of this project will be reinterred to their original locations with solemnity and respect.  The specific details of how this will occur and who will be invited to participate directly in the reinterment process will be outlined in the future MOA to be signed by the park, Federally Recognized Tribes, the SHPO, and all other invited signatories to that forthcoming document.

What will happen to other artifacts that might be found?

Human remains, associated burial objects (buttons, etc.), and disinterred grave markers coming from cemetery burials will be inventoried separately from other artifacts as they will only be held temporarily in NPS-Park curation facilities until reinterment. However, because ancient Native American artifacts have been previously identified in the area, and because the national cemetery is located within a Civil War battlefield, there may be artifacts that are not associated with cemetery burials but otherwise fit the park’s Scope of Collection Statement. Final disposition of these artifacts shall be determined in consultation with the park’s museum collections advisory committee. 

Previous archeological investigations and other past studies completed within and adjacent to the cemetery have also determined that Native American human remains and associated funerary objects may be located within the project area. The Park will ensure that the treatment of any human remains inadvertently discovered during the project complies with all applicable state and federal laws concerning the treatment of Native American human remains. Should unmarked human remains of any kind be encountered all ground disturbing activity in the immediate area of the discovery will cease immediately, and, at a minimum, a hundred (100) foot buffer will be established to protecting the human remains until the park initiates and completes NAGPRA consultation with the relevant Tribes and State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO). 

Were the burials segregated? Why? Was there different treatment of burials based on race?

From its inception, the cemetery was segregated according to race. White soldiers were reinterred in sections A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, and O, while  initial reinterments of  black soldiers were confined to section M, but later expanded into other sections including Sections J and Section T  Because  Civil War era regiments were racially segregated, and because the Union war dead were systematically exhumed and brought to Vicksburg from places where specific regiments had makeshift burials of their dead, this led to a general pattern of reburial of soldiers by regiment for many sections at Vicksburg National Cemetery; however, there may have also been other factors taken into consideration as to why certain sections were designated for certain regiments and may have been influenced by prevailing attitudes towards racial segregation held by the cemetery administrators at the time.

Is the Cemetery still active?

The cemetery closed for future burials in 1961, with the only exception being a few remaining grave sites that were reserved for veterans and widows who had reserved burial plots prior to the cemetery’s closing in 1961.

How many burials are in the cemetery and how are they marked?

Today the cemetery includes more than18,000 interments, including 17,077 Civil War dead of which 12,909 are of unknown soldiers. Rounded, upright headstones mark the graves of the known soldiers, while small, square blocks, etched with a grave number only, designate the burials of the unknowns. 

How are burials recorded?

The names of the soldiers interred in Vicksburg National Cemetery have been compiled from the original cemetery ledgers. The three-volume set contains only basic information about each known veteran recorded at the time of reinterment. Although the handwritten pencil entries are in remarkable condition, many contain inaccuracies and/or only partial information about the soldiers. The public can search cemetery records via an online database  and two kiosks in the park: one in the Visitor Center and one in the foyer of the USS Cairo Museum, which is adjacent to the national cemetery. The online database has basic information. The ledgers are in the park’s archives and can be viewed by making a research appointment.

Why is this project taking so long?

Following the emergency recovery of burials that were actively eroding out of the landslide in 2020 and 2021, the Park in collaboration with the US Army Corps of Engineers needed to develop the most viable plan for restoring and stabilizing the damaged portion of the cemetery.  Following the development of those plans, additional archeological studies were needed to better evaluate the current conditions and full scope of the total undertaking, and lastly, in compliance with federal law, the Park needed to follow the NHPA Section 106 Consultation Process to ensure that all potentially interested parties and the general public would have the opportunity to share their interests and concerns about how this project is to be carried out. 

Was climate change a factor influencing these slides?

No, the data does not currently support that the landslides that caused the most recent damage to the cemetery resulted from climate change, however occurred due to specific weather-triggered events. As global and regional weather patterns change, the park may see more extreme weather events in the future. These most recent landslides in the National Cemetery are probably connected with the characteristic of the area’s loess soils becoming heavy with excessive precipitation, thus destabilizing the slope.