The men of an Illinois regiment of the Union army camped around the Oxford, Mississippi courthouse in December 1862. This is the only known photograph of Oxford's original courthouse and is authenticated for The Local Voice by President Grant's Library.
December 5, 1862.
If you were on the Square in Oxford, Mississippi, this is what you would have seen: the men of an Illinois regiment of the Union army camped around the courthouse. In fact, there would be about 40,000 troops now in the Oxford area under the command of Union General Ulysses S. Grant, who first walked on the Square on this date.
The raging “Battle of Coffeeville” was taking place south of Oxford with Confederate General John Pemberton’s troops ambushing and whipping the Union army by the end of the day.
This is the only known photograph of the original Oxford courthouse and the photo was shot in the approximate location of what is now Old Venice Pizza Company.
Oxford’s original courthouse was burned in 1864 by Union General A.J. “Whiskey” Smith. 
