As you begin the tour, notice the natural strength of the Confederate position on the crest of the ridge. The ground drops away to your right and, several hundred yards across the ravine, rises to a similar and parallel ridge. From this, the Union Army launched its siege operations against the Confederate line. Before the siege began, all the trees between the lines had been cut down by the Confederate engineers to insure a clear field of fire. 3. PEMBERTON STATUE. Lt. Gen. John C. Pemberton, a native Pennsylvanian, elected to fight for the South and commanded the Confederate Army of Vicksburg. When a command in keeping with his rank of three-star general was unavailable after Vicksburg, he voluntarily resigned his commission and served as a lieutenant colonel of artillery for the remainder of the war—a testimonial of his loyalty to the South. [Illustration: _Museum and administration building of Vicksburg National Military Park._] 4. MISSISSIPPI MONUMENT. A State memorial to her 4,600 soldiers in the siege, the bas-relief and sculptures around the base of the shaft depict battle scenes. The 9-inch Dahlgren gun at the rear of the monument was one of the largest used at Vicksburg. 5. TILGHMAN STATUE. This is a monument to Brig. Gen. Lloyd Tilghman who was killed at the battle of Champion’s Hill, 18 miles east of Vicksburg, as he manned an artillery piece in an attempt to hold off a Union charge. A broken gun carriage lies under his horse’s forefeet. 6. LOUISIANA MONUMENT AND GREAT REDOUBT. The largest fort on the Confederate line, its well-preserved walls extend on both sides of the Louisiana memorial. On top is the Eternal Torch. The low marble markers on the slope, below the avenue in front of the fort, mark the farthest advance of Union regiments in the unsuccessful assault of May 22. On the ridge, 200 yards away, is the Union line. 7. SURRENDER SITE. Grant and Pemberton met under an oak tree, midway between the lines, for surrender negotiations. The tree immediately vanished to provide souvenirs of the historic event; notches on this monument erected by Union soldiers after the surrender are the work of latter-day souvenir hunters. The tour now follows Union Avenue, which parallels Confederate Avenue, for a short distance before returning to the Confederate line. [Illustration: _The Illinois Memorial._] 8. MICHIGAN MONUMENT. Symbolic figure of Michigan bringing laurels to her soldiers of the siege. Beyond the monument, left of the avenue, notice the wall which protected the Union artillery. 9. SHIRLEY HOUSE. A siege landmark, and termed the “White House” by the soldiers, it is the lone surviving wartime structure in the park. 10. ILLINOIS MONUMENT.