Military

Vicksburg National Military Park was established by Congress to "commemorate the campaign, siege and defense of Vicksburg," which many consider the most decisive campaign of the Civil War. The battlefield at Vicksburg is one of the largest and most heavily visited of the nation's historic sites. Beginning with the efforts of Union and Confederate veterans to gain Congressional action to establish the park, and continuing through veterans' work in land acquisition, road and bridge construction, and the dedication of the magnificent memorials and monuments that dot the landscape, Images of America: Vicksburg National Military Park features stunning photographs of the efforts and events that have made Vicksburg the "art park of the world." Also included are images of veterans' reunions and the work of the Civilian Conservation Corps, as well as a history of Vicksburg National Cemetery, where the remains of 17,000 Union soldiers and sailors are enshrined.

In April 1782, Gen. George Washington rode into Newburgh and found a sprawling town. At the end of what is now Liberty Street was the fieldstone house of the late Col. Jonathan Hasbrouck. From April 1782 to August 1783, Hasbrouck's house became Washington's home and his longest-occupied military headquarters. At the end of the American Revolution, Washington left "headquarters," as it came to be known, and the Hasbrouck family reclaimed the house. A period of extended decline followed, until the Hasbrouck family could no longer maintain the property, and it was ultimately purchased by the State of New York. On July 4, 1850, Washington's Headquarters was named a state historic site and became the first of its kind in the nation.