Remembering History: To escape relentless shelling from Federal artillery, many citizens of Vicksburg took refuge underground. They dug caves into the hillsides of loess soil, a fine-grained clay deposit indigenous to this area. Single family caves had only one or two rooms, others were huge and said to have accommodated as many as 200 people. To avoid entrapment and induce air circulation, caves often had several entrances. Cooking took place outside the entrances.

To escape relentless shelling from Federal artillery, many citizens of Vicksburg took refuge underground. They dug caves into the hillsides of loess soil, a fine-grained clay deposit indigenous to this area. Single family caves had only one or two rooms, others were huge and said to have accommodated as many as 200 people. To avoid entrapment and induce air circulation, caves often had several entrances. Cooking took place outside the entrances.

To escape relentless shelling from Federal artillery, many citizens of Vicksburg took refuge underground. They dug caves into the hillsides of loess soil, a fine-grained clay deposit indigenous to this area. Single family caves had only one or two rooms, others were huge and said to have accommodated as many as 200 people. To avoid entrapment and induce air circulation, caves often had several entrances. Cooking took place outside the entrances.