Up to this point we haven't mentioned that our visit to Mississippi was specifically to visit Vicksburg, MS, and the Vicksburg National Battlefield, site of the Siege of Vicksburg on May 18 - July 4, 1863. We decided to commute to Vicksburg via the historic Natchez Trace Parkway, about an hour away from Natchez.
Our blog is being published on Mother's Day, May 9, 2010, to pay tribute to mothers and families who have lost fathers, sons, and loved ones in wars in our country as well as all over the world. In our visits to hallowed battlefields throughout our country you see so many innocent lives forever changed and to remind us of the tragedy and sadness associated with war.
My great-great-grandfather, Private Daniel D. Lockwood, Company I, Alabama 31st Infantry, was killed at the age of 49, in the Siege Of Vicksburg on June 18, 1863 (At his muster it was noted his hair was grey and his eyes were blue). Daniel D. Lockwood was born in Connecticut around 1814, and through whatever his fortune was to be, relocated his family to Montgomery, AL, according to the U.S. Census of 1860. His final burial place was unknown to our family, and we were hoping to locate his grave, should one exist. RV and I were somewhat prepared for the sadness you encounter at a National Battlefield site from having visited Gettysburg, Shiloh, Olustee, Manassas and Chicamauga; however, there was a slight possibility that we might find a grave with a marker, as well as a state designation regarding his service.
The Siege of Vicksburg was a 47 day siege, which in the end gave control of the Mississippi River to the Union. The Confederate surrender following the Siege of Vicksburg is sometimes considered, combined with General Robert E. Lee's defeat at Gettysburg the previous day, the turning point in the war.
Private D. D. Lockwood found himself in a hopeless situation into about 2 weeks of the Confederate occupation of Vicksburg, MS. The Union troops, under the direction of General Ulysses Grant, had cut off all supply lines to Vicksburg. Nothing coming in.....nothing going out. Scurvy, malaria, dysentery, diarrhea and other diseases were destroying the army. His life would end 31 days after the Siege began. He would never know about the CSA surrender on July 4 - he never knew that most of his infantry perished in the Siege, and he never knew that at the surrender most of the Confederate soldiers were parolled as Grant had no provisions to feed 30,000 men. The parolled soldiers were exchanged and received back into the Confederate Army on August 4, 1863, and then went on to Chattanooga, TN to fight again. Most likely his wife and family sadly wondered what had happened to him, and whether he was dead or alive. Any Confederate soldier who was killed during the Siege was probably buried in a mass grave (which was usually the case). I read somewhere that wars "tell of the movement of armies and the acts of generals".
Dead Confederate soldiers were given space at the Soldier's Rest Public City Cemetery - at Cedar Hill - not the Vicksburg National Cemetery. We visited the very old City Cemetery - Cedar Hill, and the CSA area was divided into the states who were represented in the Siege and the majority of the graves were "unknown" soldiers. Of the 17,077 graves of Civil War soldiers, there were 12,909 "unknown". We went to the Alabama section - all known dead alphabetized...no sign of Private D. D. Lockwood, 31st Alabama Infantry. His sacrifice and the sacrifice that thousands of "unknown" soldiers have made is such a sad but true commentary.
After driving through the Vicksburg National Battlefield, a 16 mile driving tour of the Battlefield, it was clear where the 31st Alabama Infantry was positioned during their occupation, and most likely where my great-great grandfather perished.
There are over 1,340 monuments throughout the Battlefield - not enough time to read them all - it would have required days!
We should pause and thank our forefathers, whichever side their allegiance was, and thank them for their ultimate sacrifice. We should also pray for our present day soldiers' families, and that the day may soon come when their loved ones will return safely. The cost of war can never be measured in just dollars and cents. There's so much more to consider. Some unknown author once said "Freedom is not free"! ......and it never will be.
Showing posts with label Vidalia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Vidalia. Show all posts
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
NATCHEZ, MS AND THE NATCHEZ TRACE
Natchez, MS and Vidalia, LA, was to be our home for a little longer than we originally planned. Upon our arrival, bad weather surrounded us. We stayed 3 additional days and the bad weather and deadly tornadoes were north of us and forever affected the lives of thousands of others throughout the southeast.
Natchez, MS is located along the southwestern edge of MS, overlooking the Mississippi River. The city was built on high bluffs overlooking the river at an altitude of 195 feet above sea level.
Our campground, River View, located in Vidalia, LA, was immediately across the Mississippi River Bridge and on the shores of the river. The only thing we could find that set Vidalia, LA apart was the story about Jim Bowie, who became involved in a duel with 2 well-known area residents, Wells and Maddox. Jim Bowie, although seriously injured with a gunshot wound, killed his assailant with a knife that later became known as The Bowie Knife. This area, on the Mississippi River, is known as The Sandbar, and is now the site of a local and popular restaurant.
Since the entire city of Natchez is literally packed with historical markers and places of national historic interest, it is impossible to do everything. You pick and choose - maybe we'll be lucky enough to return one day for one of their well publicised spring and fall pilgrimages.
We chose to attend church at the Washington United Methodist Church on Highway 61 in Washington, MS - just a couple of miles north of Natchez. Washington United Methodist was opened in 1799, and is considered the birthplace of Methodism for the state of MS, it is the first Methodist Church organized in the MS territory. We were not aware of the significance of this area in the history of our country. Mississippi became a state in 1817. The territorial legislature met on the grounds of historic Jefferson College, named in honor of Thomas Jefferson, across the street from the Washington United Methodist Church. In 1830, Jefferson College purchased the Methodist Church building that was the site of the 1817 MS statehood convention.
The members of the church were very hospitable and friendly toward us and invited us to lunch after church. One of the elder members of the congregation told us that back in the days of cotton and sugar plantations there were 7 millionaires in the United States - and 5 of them were from the Natchez area.
Natchez survived the Civil War with little loss to property. The antebellum mansions are what you think of when you think about Natchez. Tours of these properties began in 1932 by the Women's Garden Club. We visited 2 of the plantations - Longwood and Melrose, and enjoyed them thoroughly.
Longwood, the largest octagonal house in America, was started in 1860, by a wealthy cotton planter, Haller Nutt and his wife. Work progressed until 1861 when the Civil War began, and the craftsmen (all from Philadelphia), dropped their tools and fled North for fear of their lives. The owner completed the basement level enough for his family to use as living quarters. He died in 1864, depressed and penniless, but his wife and 8 children lived in the basement until 1897. Many of the family's original furnishings are displayed as well as tools, carriages, and other reminders of the past. This property belongs to the Pilgrimage Garden Club and was presented to them to care for in perpetuity.
We also took an opportunity to visit Melrose, one of the original pilgrimage homes in 1932, and a property of the National Park Service since 1990. The original owner, John McMurran, established a successful law practice, won election to the state legislature, married into a respected local family, and acquired the first of five plantations and slaves. Melrose represents one of the most completely preserved antebellum estates in Natchez with many original furnishings and outbuildings. The estate is under renovation, and while we attended the tour there were many areas throughout the home we were unable to enter.
We visited Stanton Hall which was built in 1857 for a local cotton magnate, Frederick Stanton. The property is magnificent, and it is obvious that no expense was spared in any of the 5 levels of the house which has 3 parlors and 6 bedrooms. The house is a preservation project of the Pilgrimage Garden Club since 1938, and is used for weddings and special events. A restaurant is located on the grounds, the Carriage House, and is known for its Southern cuisine.
The Natchez Trace Parkway, a 450 mile national park, originates in Natchez and winds through Mississippi and eventually ends in Nashville, TN. The parklands along the Trace parallels the old trace, which was recognized in 1995 in the National Scenic Byways Programs, designating it an All American Road, beginning at Natchez, milepost 0, the southern terminus, and continuing to milepost 444, the northern terminus in Nashville, TN.
The Trace was probably a hunters' path from the Mississippi River over the low hills into the valley of the Tennessee River. By 1733 the French knew the area well enough that it appeared on maps; by 1785 Ohio River valley farmers had begun to float their crops down the rivers to Natchez and New Orleans.
There are no trucks - a 45 mph enforced speed limit - hunting is prohibited - it is a designated bike path - there are no gas stations on the parkway and it is a part of the National Park System! We would never tire of this scenic road and all its beauty and hope to return to the Natchez Trace Parkway another day!
Natchez, MS is located along the southwestern edge of MS, overlooking the Mississippi River. The city was built on high bluffs overlooking the river at an altitude of 195 feet above sea level.
Our campground, River View, located in Vidalia, LA, was immediately across the Mississippi River Bridge and on the shores of the river. The only thing we could find that set Vidalia, LA apart was the story about Jim Bowie, who became involved in a duel with 2 well-known area residents, Wells and Maddox. Jim Bowie, although seriously injured with a gunshot wound, killed his assailant with a knife that later became known as The Bowie Knife. This area, on the Mississippi River, is known as The Sandbar, and is now the site of a local and popular restaurant.
Since the entire city of Natchez is literally packed with historical markers and places of national historic interest, it is impossible to do everything. You pick and choose - maybe we'll be lucky enough to return one day for one of their well publicised spring and fall pilgrimages.
We chose to attend church at the Washington United Methodist Church on Highway 61 in Washington, MS - just a couple of miles north of Natchez. Washington United Methodist was opened in 1799, and is considered the birthplace of Methodism for the state of MS, it is the first Methodist Church organized in the MS territory. We were not aware of the significance of this area in the history of our country. Mississippi became a state in 1817. The territorial legislature met on the grounds of historic Jefferson College, named in honor of Thomas Jefferson, across the street from the Washington United Methodist Church. In 1830, Jefferson College purchased the Methodist Church building that was the site of the 1817 MS statehood convention.
The members of the church were very hospitable and friendly toward us and invited us to lunch after church. One of the elder members of the congregation told us that back in the days of cotton and sugar plantations there were 7 millionaires in the United States - and 5 of them were from the Natchez area.
Natchez survived the Civil War with little loss to property. The antebellum mansions are what you think of when you think about Natchez. Tours of these properties began in 1932 by the Women's Garden Club. We visited 2 of the plantations - Longwood and Melrose, and enjoyed them thoroughly.
Longwood, the largest octagonal house in America, was started in 1860, by a wealthy cotton planter, Haller Nutt and his wife. Work progressed until 1861 when the Civil War began, and the craftsmen (all from Philadelphia), dropped their tools and fled North for fear of their lives. The owner completed the basement level enough for his family to use as living quarters. He died in 1864, depressed and penniless, but his wife and 8 children lived in the basement until 1897. Many of the family's original furnishings are displayed as well as tools, carriages, and other reminders of the past. This property belongs to the Pilgrimage Garden Club and was presented to them to care for in perpetuity.
We also took an opportunity to visit Melrose, one of the original pilgrimage homes in 1932, and a property of the National Park Service since 1990. The original owner, John McMurran, established a successful law practice, won election to the state legislature, married into a respected local family, and acquired the first of five plantations and slaves. Melrose represents one of the most completely preserved antebellum estates in Natchez with many original furnishings and outbuildings. The estate is under renovation, and while we attended the tour there were many areas throughout the home we were unable to enter.
We visited Stanton Hall which was built in 1857 for a local cotton magnate, Frederick Stanton. The property is magnificent, and it is obvious that no expense was spared in any of the 5 levels of the house which has 3 parlors and 6 bedrooms. The house is a preservation project of the Pilgrimage Garden Club since 1938, and is used for weddings and special events. A restaurant is located on the grounds, the Carriage House, and is known for its Southern cuisine.
The Natchez Trace Parkway, a 450 mile national park, originates in Natchez and winds through Mississippi and eventually ends in Nashville, TN. The parklands along the Trace parallels the old trace, which was recognized in 1995 in the National Scenic Byways Programs, designating it an All American Road, beginning at Natchez, milepost 0, the southern terminus, and continuing to milepost 444, the northern terminus in Nashville, TN.
The Trace was probably a hunters' path from the Mississippi River over the low hills into the valley of the Tennessee River. By 1733 the French knew the area well enough that it appeared on maps; by 1785 Ohio River valley farmers had begun to float their crops down the rivers to Natchez and New Orleans.
There are no trucks - a 45 mph enforced speed limit - hunting is prohibited - it is a designated bike path - there are no gas stations on the parkway and it is a part of the National Park System! We would never tire of this scenic road and all its beauty and hope to return to the Natchez Trace Parkway another day!
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