Spring Camporee: March 2-4

At Fall Camporee, we followed General Grant’s 200 mile land campaign of May 1863, as he crossed the Mississippi River at Bruinsburg and won battles at Port Gibson and Raymond, and captured Jackson. Attempts to stop the Union Army at Champion Hill and Big Black River Bridge failed; and Confederate General Pemberton was forced to retreat to the city of Vicksburg. Here Pemberton had the advantage of the fortified hills and high bluffs that made his defense nearly impregnable. The 6.5 mile Confederate perimeter included gun pits, trenches, lunettes, forts and redoubts; with nicknames such as Fort Hill, Stockade Redan, the Great Redoubt and Square Fort.
Grant was anxious for a quick victory and, after a hasty reconnaissance, ordered an attack – which was repulsed. Two days later, Grant hurled an entire division of 30,000 soldiers – but they were driven back a second time with severe losses. When these direct assaults failed, Grant decided to starve the city into submission, and the Siege of Vicksburg commenced on May 25.
For the next forty-seven days and nights, the citizens and soldiers experience the shock and awe from a constant barrage of 220 infantry artillery pieces and naval gunfire from Admiral Porter’s fleet in the river. Vicksburg was surrounded by 70,000 Union soldiers. Frightened citizens sought shelter from the bombardment in caves dug into the hillsides. The summer heat was unbearable, water supplies dwindled, and mule meat became a delicacy. By the end of June, the soldier’s daily ration was a handful of peas and rice per man per day.
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This brings us to the 2012 Western District Spring Camporee, where Scouts will learn the rest of the story of the Vicksburg Land and Water Campaign – while hiking the Vicksburg National Military Park.
Troops will bivouac Friday and Saturday nights on the outskirts of Vicksburg at historic Camp Wilkerson. Scouts will be served their meals “military style” under a tent commissary. On Saturday morning, Troops will be shuttled to the Military Park where they will hike the 14-Mile Hike Through History.
On Saturday night, back at Camp Wilkerson, there will be a campfire with an Order of the Arrow Callout, followed by a Cobbler Tasting and Coffee Judging. Camporee participants will be awarded the “inner-circle” to the Fall Camporee patch – with the image of the USS Cairo gunboat. There will be a booth set up at Camp Wilkerson where Troops can also purchase the commemorative patch for completing the 14-Mile Hike.