07/03/2026
On this day in 1863, Henrietta Fitzhugh Barr wrote, "Thursday 2nd. Turned excessively warm, real old-fashioned summer weather. I understand the Yanks are lamenting a great “disaster” at Port Hudson. Poor creatures, they will soon have occasion to deplore a similar result at Vicksburg."
Henrietta believed Vicksburg would soon become another Confederate victory. Instead, the city surrendered just two days later, after a 47-day siege. Vicksburg occupied a commanding position on the Mississippi River, making it one of the Confederacy's most strategically important cities. Whoever controlled Vicksburg controlled the river, the South's primary route for transporting soldiers, supplies, and communication. With its capture, the Union gained control of the entire Mississippi River, splitting the Confederacy in two and isolating the western Confederate states from those in the east. Combined with the Union victory at Gettysburg the previous day, the fall of Vicksburg marked a decisive turning point in the Civil War, making Henrietta's confidence in an impending Confederate victory all the more poignant.
Stay tuned for Henrietta's next entry! Barr was the daughter of Henry and Henrietta Fitzhugh, who inherited the property where Ravenswood is from their great-uncle, George Washington. They moved to the area in 1837 and founded Ravenswood in 1852. In 1860, there were 362 residents. 13 known families were Confederate, with the rest of the town siding with the Union. The Fitzhugh family was Confederate, and Henrietta’s diary contains many Confederate beliefs. We share these entries in order to present a comprehensive portrayal of history, but they do not reflect the beliefs and values of the Great Bend Museum. The diary was transcribed and published by Norman Fitzhugh, the College of Marietta, and Sallie Winn in 1963, and we are grateful for their work bringing this valuable historical document to light.
