The "Coonskin" Tower served as a lookout and sniping platform during the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Vicksburg" class="extiw" title="en:Siege of Vicksburg">Siege of Vicksburg</a> for sharpshooters from the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/23rd_Indiana_Volunteer_Infantry_Regiment" class="extiw" title="en:23rd Indiana Volunteer Infantry Regiment">23rd Indiana Infantry</a>
Unknown author<span style="display: none;">Unknown author</span>
<ul><li><i><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/stream/photographichist05mill#page/209/mode/1up">The Photographic History of The Civil War in Ten Volumes: Volume Five, Forts and Artillery</a></i>. The Review of Reviews Co., New York. 1911. p. 209.</li></ul>