Vicksburg Museum is now OPEN - Grand Opening Today

I was thinking the same thing. He has a lot of money tied up in that museum. Not every relic in the museum has ties to Vicksburg. But he wanted to at least have representative examples from the war period.
It sounds like it could be a worthwhile investment as popular as Civil War research now is. If you don't mind me asking, is ther a fixed charge upon entry or just a donation point?
Lubliner.
 
I'm wondering if some of the items might have come from Joe Gerache's collection that he had displayed at Corner Drug Store. He had many old time bottles and bullets and such. The museum looks wonderful, and I'm sure it's a great addition to the downtown area. As an aside, do you know if Abraham's is still open? Sadly, Miss Frances died earlier this year.
 
I'm wondering if some of the items might have come from Joe Gerache's collection that he had displayed at Corner Drug Store. He had many old time bottles and bullets and such. The museum looks wonderful, and I'm sure it's a great addition to the downtown area. As an aside, do you know if Abraham's is still open? Sadly, Miss Frances died earlier this year.
I bet some of Joe’s relics are in the collection. I’d be surprised if they weren’t
 
I bet some of Joe’s relics are in the collection. I’d be surprised if they weren’t
That is good. So often, people have extensive collections of items that their family has to figure out what to do with after they pass. To find a useful, educational, city-benefitting place for them to land is the best.
 
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The new Civil War Museum had its Grand Opening today in Vicksburg. The museum has a wide variety of military and civilian artifacts, in fact, the emphasis on the civilian and African-American experience in Vicksburg is what makes this museum unique in this historic city.
One of the impressive displays is that of the many type of artillery shells that rained down on the city during the siege in the summer of 1863.

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Me and museum owner, Charles Pendleton, share a photo

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This bugle was dug by a relic hunter in Corinth, MS. Charles told me that it took 9 years for the relic hunter to find all the pieces, but he did, and he meticulously pieced it together.

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As I mentioned earlier, the black experience was an important aspect to interpret in this museum. Here, a display shows a slave plowing in a cotton field.

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A recreation of a slave cabin shows the everyday life of slaves in the deep south.

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Battlefield pickups are displayed all over the museum walls.

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A model of the CSS Mississippi proudly sits in a display case. A nod to the Confederate navy contribution to the Southern war effort.

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One of several display cases of swords. Next to this case are several displays of rifles and pistols.

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Impressive collection of period bottles. The large green bottle on the top shelf is a rare Cathedral pickle bottle.

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Don't forget the buckles and plates worn by soldiers from both sides. This particular shelf shows some of the Confederate buckles in the collection.

The museum has a little bit of everything from entrenching tools, photos, hats and clothing, lots of bullets, slave tags, slave information, a restored jail cell, and so much more.
If you are coming to Vicksburg or even passing through you need to check out this museum. It's on Washington Street, just down from the Biedenharn Candy Company where Coke was first bottled.
I remember seeing Charles at Brandon, Chattanooga and Franklin (pre covid) on his buying spree. At Chattanooga I tried to sell him a 100lb Parrott but he already had one.
 
Well as promised, when in Vicksburg this past weekend I found and toured the new museum. FANTASTIC place, and the mission statement is a very admirable one that inspired some deep thought. The owner is a very kind gentleman.

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When we got there early in the morning, we were asked to wait while the owner went and changed a tire for an elderly gentleman I assume was trying to get to church when he got a flat. Instead we went out there and pitched in, I'm sure someone could make jokes about a Mississippian, a Texan, and Virginian changing a tire.

I found it to be a great place and dang if he didn't push me over the brink with me debating on getting and framing a CW print or two for my shop with all he on display there. I really liked the slave cabin, but again my brain picking out details I noticed on the bunk in there just straw which I think possibly incorrect. When folks mentioned "straw beds" back then they didn't usually mean straw on boards, but a sack stuffed with straw to make a mattress, which I think was more common than anything else really.

I aim to stop by there from now on whenever I'm in Vicksburg, heck my Virginia companion has already urged me to make a Confederate jacket, rag it out afterwards so it looks worn and donate it to him so he has a Confederate jacket to display with all the Union uniforms. Not a bad idea really, I may do after I finish up the ever expanding list of uniform projects provided he doesn't get an original between now and then which can be the most expensive CW item at times.
 
Well as promised, when in Vicksburg this past weekend I found and toured the new museum. FANTASTIC place, and the mission statement is a very admirable one that inspired some deep thought. The owner is a very kind gentleman.

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When we got there early in the morning, we were asked to wait while the owner went and changed a tire for an elderly gentleman I assume was trying to get to church when he got a flat. Instead we went out there and pitched in, I'm sure someone could make jokes about a Mississippian, a Texan, and Virginian changing a tire.

I found it to be a great place and dang if he didn't push me over the brink with me debating on getting and framing a CW print or two for my shop with all he on display there. I really liked the slave cabin, but again my brain picking out details I noticed on the bunk in there just straw which I think possibly incorrect. When folks mentioned "straw beds" back then they didn't usually mean straw on boards, but a sack stuffed with straw to make a mattress, which I think was more common than anything else really.

I aim to stop by there from now on whenever I'm in Vicksburg, heck my Virginia companion has already urged me to make a Confederate jacket, rag it out afterwards so it looks worn and donate it to him so he has a Confederate jacket to display with all the Union uniforms. Not a bad idea really, I may do after I finish up the ever expanding list of uniform projects provided he doesn't get an original between now and then which can be the most expensive CW item at times.
I met the gentleman who has established this museum, he appears very informed and sincere about telling the complete story. And to back up this statement, he has certainly put his money where his interest lies.
 
Well as promised, when in Vicksburg this past weekend I found and toured the new museum. FANTASTIC place, and the mission statement is a very admirable one that inspired some deep thought. The owner is a very kind gentleman.

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When we got there early in the morning, we were asked to wait while the owner went and changed a tire for an elderly gentleman I assume was trying to get to church when he got a flat. Instead we went out there and pitched in, I'm sure someone could make jokes about a Mississippian, a Texan, and Virginian changing a tire.

I found it to be a great place and dang if he didn't push me over the brink with me debating on getting and framing a CW print or two for my shop with all he on display there. I really liked the slave cabin, but again my brain picking out details I noticed on the bunk in there just straw which I think possibly incorrect. When folks mentioned "straw beds" back then they didn't usually mean straw on boards, but a sack stuffed with straw to make a mattress, which I think was more common than anything else really.

I aim to stop by there from now on whenever I'm in Vicksburg, heck my Virginia companion has already urged me to make a Confederate jacket, rag it out afterwards so it looks worn and donate it to him so he has a Confederate jacket to display with all the Union uniforms. Not a bad idea really, I may do after I finish up the ever expanding list of uniform projects provided he doesn't get an original between now and then which can be the most expensive CW item at times.
Now that is a PROPER mission statement. Hope to visit one day. Thanks for sharing with us 👍🏼
 
Now that is a PROPER mission statement. Hope to visit one day. Thanks for sharing with us 👍🏼
Agreed !

I'll have to visit this new museum in Vicksburg very soon.
To be honest, I really didn't know what to expect when I first heard about it.

However, from that video ... this new museum seems to present a better balanced view of that era than the
United States National Park Service.
 
However, from that video ... this new museum seems to present a better balanced view of that era than the
United States National Park Service.
He's got framed copies of every Southern State's Secession Ordnance, and framed quotes from General and politicians North and South that he encourages folks to read.

Funny story, one Union Captain's coat he has on display has a citizen style roll collar instead of a military stand up one, and I asked my friend with me what was unique about the coat and he finally noticed that and I explained how officers had to go out and buy they're own coats, thus such a different variant. The owner was standing behind me and I didn't notice, he was impressed and said he never noticed in all the years he had the coat and had to update its description.

Says a LOT about the guy, most folks would argue or something else, he listens to people. Always the mark of a smart feller I think.
 
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