The second port on our eleven-day cruise along the Mississippi River was at Vicksburg, the scene of one of the most decisive battles of the American Civil War. The Union army laid siege to this city from May to July, 1863. We toured the battlefield by bus, which made thoughtful photography virtually impossible for most of our visit. However, the bus made two stops, including a precious few moments at the Illinois State Memorial. This marble and granite building is modeled after the Pantheon in Rome, and the names of all 36,325 Illinois soldiers who participated in the Vicksburg campaign are inscribed on bronze tablets along its interior walls. I was drawn to the huge golden eagle perching high over the entrance pediment. I used my long telephoto lens to contrast the color and texture of the eagle to the stone façade of the pediment and dome of the building. Its gilded wings stand in contrast to the deep blue-sky overhead – they appear to be already in flight.