Restoration of an important battle site to both Union and Confederate forces during the siege of Vicksburg is under way and promises to reveal key land features and approach routes taken by both sides.

Trees and dense vegetation are being cleared from a 4.5-acre tract of land adjacent to Railroad Redoubt between Union and Confederate avenues, an area that provided eight miles for Confederate defenses and trails for Union advances.

Shrubbery and other vegetation will be cleared straight through to Railroad Redoubt, Tour Stop 13, on the driving tour, the site of Col. Benjamin Grierson’s April 1863 raid to cut off Vicksburg from the Southern Railroad of Mississippi, the main supply line between the city and Jackson.

Because it is the only fort of the nine Confederate forts the Union penetrated at Vicksburg, the tract is considered vital in helping visitors understand how the battles were fought and won, said park historian Terry Winschel.

“Right now, there is a vista between the Iowa and Texas Monuments. After the restoration, people will see and appreciate the terrain in between as it was during the war,” Winschel said.

After the brush is cleared, visitors will be able to view the dips and slopes in the land the soldiers faced during the battle much like the Fort Garrot restoration in the late 1990s.

“The two sides had an unobstructed view of each other’s positions in those areas because of the vast clearing,” Winschel said.

Erosion and thick forest cover have masked the tract since the 1930s, when a Civilian Conservation Corps attempted to combat such natural forces.

The restoration project will be a testing area for gauging environmental impact to the park. This will help in future restoration efforts, Winschel said.

Sanders Excavation of Vicksburg is performing the restoration, and private donations are funding it. If the weather remains dry, the work will be completed in mid-August as per the contract, Winschel said.