TUESDAY
– SUNDAY March 31–April 5, 2015
WEATHER:
TRAVEL: Home
for Easter
MONDAY
April 6, 2015
WEATHER:
TRAVEL: MKE-DTW-SAT
Leave 0600 Arrive 1100; travel to Fort Sam Houston, Leave Fort Sam at
1400; drive 253 miles (5 hours) to Onalaska, TX Northshore RV Park Resort and Marina on Lake Livingston.
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| Northshore RV |
A nice park, concrete pads, WIFI works, nice view of the lake. Showers and laundry clean. Did not hook up the cable – but could receive 6 Christian stations and 2 Spanish channels. Unable to find the Badger-Duke game. Duke favored to win by most sportswriters. No luck on the radio either. Drove to a cantina – no bar no TV – I was not going to drive either 14 or 9 miles to the adjoining towns - - - so I stopped at a Sonic for something to eat - my second visit to a Sonic – stay away - I wasn’t sure how to order – unable to read the menu without glasses – food was OK finally ------ stay away from Onalaska TX in general – this isn’t close to Onalaska, WI
DUKE 68 – BADGERS 63 FINAL
TUESDAY
April 7, 2015
WEATHER: 69 and cloudy,
high of 82
TRAVEL: Onalaska, TX to King River Creole NHP- Oakland and Magnolia Plantations to
River Town Campground Vicksburg TN – 7 hours driving – 2 ½ hours touring . .
. but saved a day in the schedule.
I love the names of these towns – got to
be Creole influence . . . . Negadoches TX Spanish; Natchitoches
LA Spanish-French.
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| Entrance Gate from inside Cane River across road in the background |
185 Cane River Creole National Historic Park, Texas
This site has two units, Oakland (Bermuda) and Magnolia each a plantation - - - not
the plantations that are on display of visitation (for a look at these visit
Magnolia or Cypress) but a “real” plantation, with most of the house and
outbuildings in their original condition – a collection of artifacts from
almost three centuries of occupants.
The focus of Cane River Creole is culture. Creole took root in the rich soil along the Cane River in Louisiana. It was a culture nurtured in Spanish and French colonial ways. It had elements of Africanism and American Indian culture added. It was a resilient community founded on deep attachments to Catholicism.
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| Originally called Bermuda now Oakland Plantation - Main House The picket fence was put up by Hollywood for filming of "The Horse Soldiers" starring John Wayne & Bill Holden the film is loosely based on Grierson's Mississippi Cavalry Raid of 1863 - the family decided to keep the fence |
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| Oakland General Store front |
In 1725 Catherine Picard, daughter of a New Orleans trader marriedJean Pierre Philippe PrudHomme, a former marine and trader from Natchitoches. They settled along the Red River – which in this area is called the Cane River. As indigo and tobacco farming supplanted other livelihoods, colonists relied more heavily on the enslaved African labor to help build the colony.
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| Oakland Outbuildings - A Plantation was self-sufficient |
In 1753, Jean Baptiste LeComte obtained a land grant on the Cane River. Magnolia Plantation was founded. In 1789 Prud Homme’s grandson Jean Pierre Emmanual also received a land grant on the Cane, the core of Bermuda Plantation – later renamed Oakland.
It is important to
understand that the family descendents lived in these homes and properties
until the 1990’s when they were turned over the National Park Service.
In the early 19th
century the cotton culture reached the south.
Built on slavery it was underpinned by an agrarian ethic of self
sufficiency and land stewardship. Yet,
in the face of change the Creole
planters clung fiercely culture while embracing new technology such as steam
operated cotton presses..
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| Magnolia Plantation Site |
During the Civil War the
Union blockade and later occupation of New
Orleans cut off cotton markets.
Union troops left burning plantations in their wake, including Magnolia’s main house and Oakland’s gin barn. Well run plantations such as Magnolia and Oakland survived the war but low prices and boll weevils brought
lean times until WWI.
The end of the Civil War
also brought change for the African Americans.
Some artisans such as
blacksmiths negotiated a contract with a plantation owner for pay and
hours. Without a skill the only
alternative was to accept sharecropper
arrangements and an almost endless debt to the plantation store.
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| Magnolia Slave - later Sharecropper Quarters |
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| Magnolia - General Store |
The old plantation world
was fading – by the 1960’s workers on the plantation were replaced by
mechanical pickers. Still the old ways
persisted – workers and planters enjoyed baseball games and horse racing on the
plantations. The Creole tradition that had sustained planter and worker for nearly
three centuries endure – they still remain an evolving and vibrant culture.
BATTLE
OF MONETT’S FERRY Red /Cane River
Date: April 23, 1864
Principal
Commanders: MG Nathaniel
P. Banks [US]; BG Hamilton P. Bee [CS]
Forces
Engaged: Red
River Expeditionary Force (Banks’s Department of the Gulf) [US]; Bee’s Cavalry
Division [CS]
Estimated
Casualties: 600
total (US 200; CS 400)
I didn't visit this but it was close.
Near the end of the Red River Expedition, MG. Nathaniel P. Banks’s army evacuated
Grand Ecore and retreated to
Alexandria, pursued by Confederate forces. Banks’s
advance party, commanded by BG William
H. Emory, encountered BG Hamilton P.
Bee’s cavalry division near Monett’s Ferry (Cane River Crossing) on the morning of April 23. Bee had been ordered to dispute Emory’s crossing, and he placed his men
so that natural features covered both his flanks. Reluctant to assault the
Rebels in their strong position, Emory demonstrated
in front of the Confederate lines, while two brigades went in search of another
crossing. One brigade found a ford, crossed, and attacked the Rebels in their
flank. Bee had to retreat. Banks’s men laid pontoon bridges and,
by the next day, had all crossed the river. The Confederates at Monett’s
Ferry missed an opportunity to destroy or
capture Banks’s army’
Rivertown
Campground Vicksburg, MS is about a 7
on a scale of 1-10. Full hookups,
gravel/stone roads and pads. WIFI works
– no cable. Clean restrooms and
showers. In the open – it could get hot
during the day.
WEDNESDAY
April 8, 2015
WEATHER: 69 and cloudy
– humid highs today again 10-15 above normal in the mid 80’s
TRAVEL: Recon
of Vicksburg – washed the truck in anticipation of the rain to come . . .
Jon arrived around 11 am. We had lunch and went on a guided tour of Vicksburg
National Military Park.
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| Map -Vicksburg National Military Park |
The park is only part of
the story . . . . . I’ve visited here
before and it was a hard to understand placement of troops and lines due to all
the trees that have been allowed to grow.
It’s a park and understanding the siege is difficult when you can’t see
the enemy’s lines – perhaps only several hundred yards away. The Vicksburg Campaign is long and
complicated. I’ll attempt to provide a
brief timeline and identify in detail sites I visit later in the
week.
28
December 1862 Battle of Chickasaw Bluffs
A Federal army-navy expedition under General William T. Sherman and Admiral
David D. Porter moved south in
an effort to capture Vicksburg by surprise. However, a secret telegraph
line in the city warned the Confederate defenders of the Federal approach.
Sherman’s forces landed on the south bank
of the Yazoo River near Steele’s Bayou, seven miles north of
its confluence with the Mississippi
River and four miles northwest of Chickasaw
Bluffs. The Federals moved slowly through the swamps and marshes, arriving
at the bluffs protecting Vicksburg on December 28, 1862.
With the Federal secret exposed, Sherman’s forces were repulsed by heavy fire from General John C. Pemberton’s Confederate defenders on the foot of the bluffs
near Chickasaw Bayou. The Federals suffered 1,776 casualties out of about
31,000 effectives, while the Confederates lost only 207 from roughly 14,000.
Fog disrupted a second attack, and Sherman
admitted failure as he withdrew across the Mississippi to Milliken’s Bend.
To many northerners, this battle seemed painfully similar to
Fredericksburg. The disruption of Tennessee supply lines, the destruction of
the Holly Springs supply depot, and
Sherman’s repulse at Chickasaw Bluffs
marked a discouraging beginning to Ulysses
S. Grant’s campaign to capture Vicksburg.
March 29-30 McClernand’s
XIII Corps begins moving down the west side of the river, to New Carthage.
April 16 First
set of gunboats and transports runs past the Vicksburg batteries.
April 17 Grierson sets out from LaGrange, TN.
April 22 Second
set of transports runs past the Vicksburg
batteries.
April 24 Grierson breaks railroad between Jackson and Meridian at Newton Station.
April
29 Naval battle federal fleet
fails to reduce Grand Gulf.
Sherman demonstrates north of Vicksburg.
April
29 – May 1 Battle of Synder’s Bluff - To insure that troops were not
withdrawn to Grand Gulf to assist Confederates there, a combined Union Army
Navy force feigned an attack on Snyder's Bluff, Mississippi. After noon, on April 29th, Lieutenant Cdr.
K. Randolph Breese, with his eight gunboats and ten transports carrying Major
General Francis Blair's division, inched up the Yazoo River to the
mouth of Chickasaw Bayou where they spent the night. At 9:00 am, the next morning, the force, minus one gunboat, continued upriver to Drumgould's Bluff
and engaged the enemy batteries. During the fighting, Choctaw suffered more than fifty hits, but no casualties occurred.
Around 6:00 pm, the troops disembarked and marched along Blake's Levee toward
the guns. As they neared Drumgould's Bluff, a battery opened on them,
creating havoc and casualties. The Union advance halted and, after dark, the
men re-embarked on the transports.
April 30 Sherman continues his demonstration.
McClernand’s XIII Corps and McPherson’s XVII Corps begin crossing
the Mississippi at Bruinsburg.
Sherman ordered to join Grant.
May
1 Battle
of Port Gibson, McClernand and McPherson defeat Bowen.
May 2 Grierson reaches the safety of Baton Rouge
May 5-7 McPherson feints north at Vicksburg
from Hankinson’s Ferry on the Big Black River.
May 8 Shermans’s XV Corps joins Grant.
May 9 Johnston ordered to go from Tullahoma to Mississippi and take command in the field.
May
12 Battle
of Raymond, McPherson defeats Gregg.
May 13 Johnston
arrives at Jackson to take command, wires Richmond, “I amd too late.”
May
14 Battle of Jackson, Sherman
and McPherson defeat Johnston.
May
16 Battle of Champion Hill; Loring’s
Division separated from Pemberton.
May
17 Battle of the Big Black River Bridge; Pemberton loses 1700 prisoners.
May 18 Vicksburg invested. Four
Confederate Divisions (Stevenson’s, Bowen’s, Forney’s and Smith’s)
are trapped inside the lines.
May
19 First
Assault
May 22 Second Assault
June 3 Kimball’s Provisional Division arrives.
June 6-7 Grant’s Satartia trip.
June
7 Battle
of Milliken’s Bend;
Confederates under Richard Taylor
attacks Grant’s base on the west
bank of the Mississippi, are repulsed.
June 11 F.J. Herron’s Division arrives from
Arkansas.
June 12 W.S. Smith’s 1 Division XVI Corps
arrives.
June 14 Two
Divisions of IX Corps begin to arrive from Kentucky.
June 18 McClernand relieved.
June 22 Sherman’s expeditionary force formed.
June 25-28 Mine exploded under 3rd Louisiana Redan; active combat rages for three days
before Federals withdraw.
June 28 Anonymous
soldiers warn Pemberton the garrison
is close to mutiny over rations.
July 1 Another
mine exploded under 3rd
Louisiana Redan, but no follow-up attack is made.
July 2 Capt.
Comstock issues guidelines for proposed July 6 assault.
July 3 Flag
of truce appears between the lines, and discussions begin between Grant and Pemberton as to the surrender of the city and its garrison.
July 4 Pemberton surrenders the city and its
garrison.
THURSDAY
April 9, 2015
WEATHER: mid 60’s for a
low – high of 85 – partly sunny
TRAVEL: Vicksburg
– Raymond – Vicksburg
Jon and I again visited Vicksburg National Military Park. Stopped several time and saw more in detail. I’ll let the pictures tell the story. After lunch I drove to Raymond, MS –
pleasantly surprised = spent 1 ½ hours here.
The is a one mile trail in the park and a long line of guns on McPherson
(Artillery Ridge).
Vicksburg
Campaign Trail 12 May 1863
19
Raymond Battlefield – Confederate BG
John Gregg’s Brigade of 3,000 men attacked MG James McPherson’s 11,500 man XVII
Corps lat on the morning of May 12, 1863.
After an all day battle Gregg’s Brigade was forced to withdraw toward Jackson. A monument honoring the 7th Texas Infantry
is on the site at Fourteenmile Creek.
The Union victory at the Battle of Raymond caused Grant to change his offensive
plan and attack Jackson, MS on May 14, 1863.
12 MAY 1863 Battle of Raymond – Hwy 18 & Old Port
Gibson Rd, Raymond MS
The Battle of Raymond
changed Grant’s operational situation and scheme of maneuver. He boldly changed his decisive point from the
Southern Railroad near Edwards to the railroad at Clinton,
and turned his army to attack and capture the city of Jackson. He made an audacious decision to attack one
force at Jackson while turning his back on another at Edwards. As soon as Jackson fell, Grant resumed
the offensive by attacking and defeating Pemberton at Champion Hill,
Big Black River and Vicksburg. The Battle of Raymond is another
pivotal point in the Vicksburg
Campaign.
On the morning of May 12,
1863 MG McPherson’s XVII Corps marched along the road from Utica
toward Raymond. Shortly before 10
am the Union skirmish line crested a ridge and moved cautiously through open
fields into the valley of Fourteen Mile Creek, southwest of Raymond. Suddenly, a deadly volley ripped into their
ranks from the woods lining the nearly dry stream.
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| McPherson's (Artillery) Ridge - Union Gun Line Each gun is a reproduction with an sponsor's plaque ont the gun trail |
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| View of McPherson's (Artillery) Ridge from Fourteen Mile Creek It' not as far as it looks |
Thick clouds of smoke and dust obscured the field and neither commander accurately assessed the size of the force in his front. Gregg enjoyed initial success, but as successive Confederate regiments attacked across the creek, resistance stiffened and it became clear that a much larger Federal force was on the field. By early afternoon, the Confederate assault was checked and Union forces counterattacked.
Union brigades continued to arrive on the field and deploy in line of battle on either side of the Utica Road. In piecemeal fashion McPherson’s men pushed forward at 1:30 pm driving the Confederates across Fourteen Mile Creek. The fight continued in a confused nature – neither commander knew what his units were doing.
Union numbers prevailed and the Confederate right flank along the Utica Road broke under renewed pressure and Gregg had no alternative but to retire from the field. His regiments retreated through Raymond along the Jackson Road, bivouacking for the night near Snake Creek. There was no Federal pursuit as McPherson’s troops bedded down for the night in and around the town.
The fight at Raymond cost
Gregg 73 KIA, 252 WIA and 190 MIA – most from the 3rd
Tennessee and 7th Texas.
McPherson’s losses totaled 446 - 68 KIA, 341 WIA, 37 MIA.
FRIDAY
April 10, 2015
WEATHER: mid 60’s for a
low – rained on and off until around 10am – never above 68
TRAVEL: River
Town CG – Grand Gulf Military Park –
Port Gibson – Mississippi Blues Trail Stop-Port Gibson – Natchez NHP – Natchez Trace
Parkway
Vicksburg
Campaign Trail 29 APR 1863
2
Grand Gulf Military Park – Seven miles
west of Port Gibson Grand Gulf was once an important port
on the Mississippi River. By 1862 the river had washed away much of the
town. Union Flag Officer David D. Porter attacked the newly
constructed batteries on April 29, 1863 hoping to silence them in preparation
for a landing by Grant’s army. Defeated in his attempt, Porter then regrouped at Hard Times Plantation, 4 miles
upriver. Grand Gulf State Park features a Civil War Mueum, an antebellum
Catholic church, a section of the original parapet of Fort Cobun, and one of
the 13” mortars used to bombard Vicksburg.
I purchased a small pamphlet entitled The Battle of Grand Gulf by Ed Bearss (1965) for $1. Below are excerpts from the pamphlet.
.jpg) |
| BG may have said a prayer to St. Barbara |
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| The Mississippi has moved View from a tower in the park and remember in 1863 few trees |
. . . . It was the intention of
the Union leaders in the assaults on Grand
Gulf to have the navy silence the Confederate batteries, after which the
army in their transports and barges, under the cover of the ironclads, would carry
the stronghold by storm.
. . . .
For three hours the forts and the ironclads fought without apparent
damage . . .Porter ordered his boats
to withdraw, and himself passed up river to consult with Grant.
Throughout, the five hour and 35
minutes engagement McClernand’s soldiers
had remained aboard the crowded transports and barges ready to attempt a
landing if a signal were given. Grant who had watched the action, realized, as
did Porter . . . the batteries were
capable of resisting an assault.
. . . . Grant determined to execute an alternate plan which he had in mind
from the first – to disembark McClernand’s
troops and march them across Coffee
Point, opposite Grand Gulf,
striking the Mississippi again at Disharoon’s
Plantation.” MISSISSIPPI BLUES TRAIL – Port Gibson, MS
187 NATCHEZ NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, Natchez, MS
MELROSE - A COTTON KINGDOM
ESTATE
The fortunes of
Pennsylvania born John McMurran
bagan rising soon after his arrival in Natchez
around the mid-1820’s. McMurran established a profitable law
practice, won election to the state legislature, married into a respected local
family, and acquired the first of five plantations and slaves. In 1842, John
MuMurrin purchased 132 acres of land just outside Natchez. Over the next eight
years, a combination of free and slave labor constructed the estate’s mansion
and outbuildings. Finally, sometime
before February 1849, McMurrin’s and
their two children moved into their new house. The home was furnished with “all that a fine taste and a full purse” could provide.
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| Melrose - front view |
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| Melrose - piano |
I took a tour of the home given
by a very friendly and knowledgeable ranger. More than 90% of the furnishings
are original. Much was done by NPS to restore the home to its
antebellum look.
The Melrose landscape evolved as a mixture of ornamental grounds,
natural settings and work areas defined by fences and native cherry laurel
hedges.
Melrose is one of two
units of the Natchez NHP open to the public.
The William Johnson House
site in downtown Natchez features a visitor center, and first floor exhibit
room
188 NATCHEZ TRACE PARKWAY, Natchez, MSs
The Natchez Trace Parkway leads you through 444 miles through three
states and 10,000 years of history.
Established as a unit of the National
Park System in 1938 and officially completed in 2005, the Parkway commemorates the most significant highway in the Old Southwest.
Today the Natchez Trace Parkway creates a
greenway from the southern Appalachian foothills of Tennessee to the bluffs of
the lower Mississippi Valley. Mileposts are on the Parkway’s east
side. The numbering system begins in
Natchez, MS - the northern terminus MP 444 is near Nashville, TN. The Natchez
Scenic Trail also follows the route.There are no gas stations or motels on the parkway. All campgrounds are first come first served. Significant MP sites are identified on the road and on a NPS brochure. Speed limit is 50 mph – no commercial vehicles are allowed. It was like driving on a private drive – during the week late in the day – no one is on the road.
MP 8.7 Old Trace Exhibit Shelter
MP 10.3 Emerald Mound
MP 12.4 Loess Bluff - deposits of top soil were blown here during the last Ice Age. The bluff shows what erosion does to the loese soil pronounced LOW-ess.
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| Mount Locust |
I travelled Natchez Trace to the Port Gibson
turnoff and got back on Highway 61 to Vicksburg. Perhaps, on Sunday, I’ll travel from Port
Gibson to Jackson.
SATURDAY
April 11, 2015
WEATHER: mid 60’s for a
low – started to rain around 7:20 am
TRAVEL: River
Town Campground to Vicksburg to Vicksburg Campaign Stops 1-3 in LA to Poverty
Point and back to River Town.
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| Mississippi Blues Trail – VicksburgThe Red Tops |
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| Mississippi Blues Trail – Vicksburg 61 Highway this is the back of the sign |
Mississippi Blues Trail –
Vicksburg - Blue Room
The sites I visited today
are along the Mississippi River of
1863 and today. These are small,
detached sites south of the main park, along Washington Street and just north
of I-20. You can spend about 10 minutes
at each site.
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| Louisiana Circle looking toward Mississippi River |
LOUISIANA CIRCLE – Confederate cannon here guarded the river approaches to the city and engaged Union gunboats during the siege.
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| Confederate Guns South Fort |
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| Navy Circle - Union Guns facing South Fort Mississippi River in background |
NAVY CIRCLE - was the southern anchor of the Union siege lines. Rifled cannon mounted here prevented Confederates from escaping the city via the Warrenton Road (Wahsington St.).
The Vicksburg Campaign Trail is a series of 29 sites with stops at battlefields, antebellum homes, court houses and churches that played pivotal roles in the Campaign. This trail is sponsored by Friends of Vicksburg Campaign and Historic Trail, 501C3 organization created to mange, restore, interpret and market the significant Vickburg Campaing sites. Some of these sites are really ‘out there.’ I stopped at three sites today.
1 Grant’s Canal – this site
across the Mississippi in Madison Parish, Louisiana is also considered part of
the Vicksburg NMP. Federal troops
attempted to cut a canal across the base of DeSoto Point to enable gunboats and
transports to bypass the Confederate batteries in Vicksburg. The canal was started by BG Thomas Williams
and Rear Admiral David Farragut in late June 1862. The effort was abandoned by late July,
1862. Grant resumed work on the project
in the winter of 1863, but abandoned it when a dam broke and floods upstream
forced evacuation of the area.
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| The high grass is what remains of Grant's Canal |
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| Credit is given to BG Williams for the first Canal try in 1862 - Grant didn't come along until 1863 |
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| This may be the Duckworth Canal or a bayou |
.jpg)
Vicksburg Campaign Trail
2
Duckport Canal – On the Thomastown Road, a very rough road ‘way out
there,’ about 3 miles north of US 80 in Louisiana. This is the site of a Union attempt to create
a water route for supplies from the Mississippi River to New Carthage via
Walnut and Roundway Bayous. An unusual
drop in the river in early May 1863 forced abandonment of the canal.
3
Milliken’s Bend – at the end of Thomastown Road. I missed the signs and continued down a dirt
road to a plantation – found the river over the levee or bluff – of course it’s
a dead end - came back and the signs were there on what I believe to be the
west side of the road. This was the
camp of MG John McClernand’s XIII Corps before April 1, 1863. MG
Richard Taylor attacked the post with BG
H.E. McCulloch’s Texas Brigade. The defense of the post was the first major
action involving African-American soldiers. They suffered the highest casualty rate of
any Union garrison that successfully defended a post during the Civil War.
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| This Interpretive Marker is at Grants Canal |
7 June 1863 – Battle of Milliken’s Bend – 10 miles northwest of Vicksburg
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| This plaque is at Grants Canal |
The Union forces at the battle of Milliken’s Bend would be composed of
the 9th Louisiana Infantry, African
Descent; the 11th Louisiana
Infantry, A.D.; the 13th Louisiana,
A.D.; the 1st Mississippi Infantry,
A.D.; and a small fragment of about 120 men from the all-white 23rd Iowa Infantry who were called in
as reinforcements.
Attacking
the Federal outpost that morning would be Brig.
Gen. Henry E. McCulloch’s Brigade of Walker’s
Texas Division. The 16th Texas Infantry,
the 16th Texas Cavalry (Dismounted),
the 17th Texas Infantry, and the 19th Texas Infantry charged the Union
works at dawn. Many of the black Union troops had only had their weapons for a
week or less; none more than a month. Some men could only get off one shot
before the two lines crashed together atop a fortified levee. Fierce
hand-to-hand combat ensued, but in moments, the Union line was overpowered. The
Yankees fell back pell-mell to a second levee to try to recover, but they were
again overwhelmed by the Confederate forces, and tumbled back to the riverbank
– their absolute last line of defense. Even the Confederates admitted the black
men fought with tenacity, despite being overwhelmed. The Union garrison was
saved by heavy artillery from two gunboats, the Choctaw and Lexington, which halted the
Confederate onslaught. The battle petered out sometime late in the morning.
Both sides were exhausted, and the thermometer registered 95 degrees. McCulloch withdrew, rested his men, and
tended to his casualties.
Both sides
were stunned at the violence of the battle. Numerous reports from companies on
both sides had losses of nearly 50% in killed and wounded. Although both sides
brought about the same number of men to the fight, the casualties were
extraordinary. Union forces lost over 100 men killed, and nearly 250 wounded. McCulloch lost almost 200 killed,
wounded, and missing.
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| Fileds - flood plain in the vicinity of Millikens Bend |
Milliken’s Bend, at first glance, seems but a mere footnote in the Civil War. A
minute speck of a fight in a vast ocean of suffering. But upon closer
examination, one discovers it is quite significant. It was one of the earliest battles where African-American troops fought.
More significantly, the majority of the Union forces were composed of black
troops, and these, former slaves. Scarcely trained and just weeks from the
cotton fields, these men fought with courage and tenacity. Their example would
be invoked to encourage recruiting among African- Americans, both free and
former-slave, and among white veterans to serve as officers. The rumored
executions of both black and white Yankee prisoners in Confederate hands played
an instrumental role in halting prisoner exchanges between the two powers.
Overshadowed
almost immediately by the greater events transpiring at Vicksburg and Gettysburg,
Milliken’s Bend vanished from the
history books almost as soon as it occurred. The site of the battlefield too, vanished – washed away into the
Mississippi River early in the twentieth century.
This site is a World Heritage Site and run by the State of Louisiana with some assistance
by the National Park Service. Bottom Line: no NPS rangers here but I’m sure NPS
contributes in other ways. There is a 17
minute video, a small museum and you can walk, drive or take a tram tour. I chose the tram.
This is a site of a mound builder
hunter-gatherer culture that occupied this site in 1500 BC – by 1100 BC they
had moved on.
Poverty Point was named by the owner of Poverty
Point Plantation in the early 19th century. The owner most likely had no idea that the mound
culture existed here 3000 years before.
The area was extensively plowed and farmed. It wasn’t until an archeologist looking at an
aerial photograph in the early 1950’s believed that this was the site of a
mound building culture.
The people who lived here
moved earth basketful by basketful. The
original site plan included four earthen mounds as well as six enormous nested,
C-shaped ridges and a large (45 acre), flat , interior plaza that contained big
circles of wood posts. Another culture
added a 5th mound 2,000 years later.
No other site has a similar design.
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| Note C shaped Mound and Large Bird Mound background left |
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| Bird Mound |
These people were hunter-gatherers not famers. Their extensive trade network provided the stone necessary for tools.
Research indicates that a
climatic change may have caused severe flooding in the area at its cultural
height around 1400-1200 BC. The Poverty Point area appears to have been
abandoned around 1100 BC. Mound building
cultures came to a halt for almost a 1000 years when natives began building
again in the 2nd century.
SUNDAY
April 12, 2015
WEATHER: low 60’s for a
low – mostly cloudy all day rained at
5pm for about 15 minutes.
TRAVEL: River Town to
Port Gibson and following the Vicksburg Campaign Trail to include the Natchez
Trace Parkway to Richmond – ran out of time did not go to Jackson. Most of the sites I visited today do not have
addresses – ONSTAR was mostly useless – even when I knew where I was they
couldn’t confirm – useless – a good number of dirt roads muddy – rutty –
sometimes a little scary and a bridge adventure. Hadn’t had that much fun since driving a
HUMMV on the tank trails at Fort McCoy.
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| St. Joseph exterior Port Gibson, MS |
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| St. Joseph interior Port Gibson, MS |
9 o’clock Mass at St. Joseph’s in Port Gibson, MS. A small (holds about 100) beautiful church – very impressed with the cobalt blue glass windows – the altar and window frames were painted a brilliant white. The priest was African – I tried hard to understand his homily – I couldn’t even follow his gospel reading – good thing I knew this was the story of Thomas. There were 12 people plus the priest.
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| Windsor Plantation Ruins This had to be beautiful when the 3 story wooden structure was there |
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| Bethel Presbyterian Church |
Vicksburg Campaign Trail 30 APR 1863
8
Bethel Presbyterian Church – This is
located 3 miles south of Windsor on MS-552. After marching from Windsor on the afternoon of April 30, 1863 the Union soldiers
reached the road junction at Bethel
Church. At the junction a union
officer directed the column into the historic Rodney Road leading east toward Port Gibson. Heavily damaged
by a tornado in 1943, the present structure is a restoration of the 1863
building.
Vicksburg Campaign Trail 9 Historic Rodney Road –30 APR 1863
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| Russum-Westside Road sign |
 |
| Russum-Westside Road this is a great road - wait until Shaifer Road Which was still the Old Rodney Rd |
The rood served as the main axis of
advance for the Union Army to Port
Gibson. A Union soldier described
his experience: “The moon is shining
above us and the road is romantic in the extreme. The artillery wagons rattle forward wand the
heavy tramp of many men gives a dull but impressive sound.” He must have written this before the
artillery had to go up the ridges.
10
Shaifer House – Supposedly four miles
west of Port Gibson on Shaifer Road (the historic Rodney Road – follow new Rodney Road from Port Gibson to Bessie
Weather Road to Shaifer Road – this is the Confederate Route
from Port Gibson). The house was used by MG
John McClernand as headquarters during the battle of Port Gibson. It was later used as a hospital by both Union
and Confederate troops. The Battle of Port Gibson began at this
site, when near midnight on April 30, 1863 Confederate pickets fired on the
advance guard as it marched eastward toward Port Gibson. Much of the
battle was fought on the ridges immediately to the east as well along the road
2 miles to the north. The site is now
owned by the State of Mississippi.
This is most likely a site not visited
by many but the effort is worth it. A rare find. The
state has more interpretive signs than I expected. This Shaifer
House is open and probably rebuilt.
I continued west along what I hoped was still Shaifer Road – a bit scary a few times – deep ruts – cuts – deep
puddles and a bridge over a creek that I had to test by walking – I made it and
eventually came to Russum-Westside Road. Following this route, the Union route, from the west to east is 4 wheel only. However, I say again, if I had entered off of
Russum Westside Road I probably would have turned back – yes it is that bad.
 |
| Battle of Port Gibson - Shaifer House |
 |
| Shaifer House |
 |
| Battle of Port Gibson CS 1st Short MArker Shaiefer House |
 |
| Shaifer Road This is a good part |
 |
| Old Country Store Restaurant |
 |
| Owner Arther Davis sings to his customers |
After reaching the Russum Westside Road I turned left and
drove again to Highway 61 and turned
left to The Old Country Store Restaurant,
18801 Highway 61, Lorman, MS. This was
recommending by the lady I met at Grand
Gulf Military Park on Friday. She
said it had the
“best
fried chicken in the world.” Well,
if not recommended, I certainly never would have stopped here – it’s for locals
and word of mouth. Arthur Davis is the owner and the recipe for this chicken is
his. It’s a buffet (cost
15.95+beverage+tax) – plenty to eat but the food was a little cool – I got
there around 2 pm – it may have been warmer around noon. The chicken . . . .
Sentry’s broasted just as good. The 130
year old structure was once a popular stop as a general store. Definitely unique – an experience - Arthur sings to the ladies at the
tables.
Vicksburg Campaign Trail
11
Wintergreen Cemetery – A mile
southwest of the Claiborne County Courthouse in Port Gibson, Wintergreen
Cemetery began in 1807 as the family burial plot of Samuel Gibson. The cemetery is noted for its enormous
Eastern Red Cedar trees and cast iron ornament fences. It is the final resting place of BG Benjamin
G. Humphreys, first post-war governor of Mississippi, MG Earl Van Dorn (killed
by a civilian at his HQ near Springhill, KY April 1863) and many other soldiers
killed in the Battle of Port Gibson.
Vicksburg Campaign Trail 2 MAY 1863 NATCHEZ TRACE PARKWAY
12 Grindstone Ford – This historic river crossing is accessible only from the Natchez Trace Parkway. On the evening of May 2, 1863 Confederate troops retreating after the Battle of Port Gibson set fire to the wooden decking of the suspension bridge. Union troops extinguished the blaze and repaired the damage. They crossed early the following morning and flanked Gran Gulf. Ruins of the stone foundation supposedly can be seen by walking the Old Natchez Trace. I either walked the wrong way on the old trace or walked the wrong way – I didn’t find the ruins.
Vicksburg Campaign Trail 6 MAY 1863 NATCHEZ TRACE PARKWAY
 |
| Safe & Cistern |
 |
| Rocky Springs |
 |
| State Sign Rocky Springs |
13 Rocky Springs – On the Natchez Trace, MG John McClernand arrived here on May 6, 1863 from Willow Springs. One of the soldiers wrote, “came to . . . Rocky Springs, several stores and fair buildings. I called at one, where a crowd was gathering p the articles and got a couple of books.” Grant arrived here with MG McPherson on May 7, 1863 from Hankinson’s Ferry. Another soldier noted “here we have good, cold spring water, fresh from the bosom of the hills.” The only remnant of the 1863 town is an old cistern, an abandoned bank safe, and the old red-brick Methodist church and its cemetery.
Vicksburg Campaign Trail 10 May 1863
14
Utica Cemetery – Located near the
town center, the cemetery is the final resting place of many of the town’s
founding citizens. MG James McPherson’s XVII Corps passed through Utica on May 10,
1863 and encamped at the A.B. Weeks and
later the Roach Plantations north of
town.
 |
| Hinds County Court House Raymond, MS |
Vicksburg Campaign Trail 12 May 1863
16
Hinds County Courthouse – Located in Raymond, the Courthouse was constructed by the famous Weldon Brothers of Natchez between 1857-1859 using skilled slave
labor. One of the most elegant examples
of Classic Revival architecture in Mississippi, it served as a Confederate
hospital following the Battle of Raymond,
May 12, 1863
 |
| Vicksburg Campaign Map located near Hinds Country Courthouse - Raymond, MS |
 |
| St. Mark's Epsicopal Chruch Raymond, MS |
Vicksburg Campaign Trail 12 May 1863
17
St. Mark’s Episcopal Church – next to
the Raymond Courthouse, the church was built in 1854.
St. Mark’s is the only antebellum church in Raymond and is still in use. The church was used as a hospital to treat Union soldiers following the Battle of Raymond. I did not gain entyr but bloodstains are said to be visible on the old wooden floors.
St. Mark’s is the only antebellum church in Raymond and is still in use. The church was used as a hospital to treat Union soldiers following the Battle of Raymond. I did not gain entyr but bloodstains are said to be visible on the old wooden floors.
Vicksburg Campaign Trail 12 May 1863
18
Raymond Confederate Cemetery – The confederate
cemetery is the final resting place for 140 men who were killed during the
Battle of Raymond. Most of the dead are
from the 3rd Tennessee and
the 7th Texas Infantry
Regiments.
Vicksburg
Campaign Trail
Vicksburg Campaign Trail
22
Manship House – Located at 420 E.
Fortification St and built in1857 this restored house is a rare example of
Gothic Revival residential style architecture.
The house survived the destruction of Jackson during the Union occupations of May 14-15 and July 17-23,
1863. There is an entrance fee.
Vicksburg Campaign Trail23 Greenwood Cemetery – Located at 324 George St it was established in 1823. Greenwood’s burials include seven of Mississippi’s governor’s. A Confederate Cemetery is located within the oldest public cemetery in the city of Jackson.
Vicksburg Campaign Trail
Vicksburg Campaign Trail 16 May 1863 Battle of Champion Hill
Vicksburg
Campaign Trail 16 May 1863 Battle of
Champion Hill
16 MAY 1863 – BATTLE OF CHAMPION HILL
Reeling from their defeat at Champion Hill, the Confederates reached Big Black River Bridge, the night of May 16-17. LTG John C. Pemberton ordered BG John S. Bowen, with three brigades,
to man the fortifications on the east bank of the river and impede any Union
pursuit. Three divisions of MG John A.
McClernand’s XIII Army Corps moved out from Edwards Station on the morning of the 17th. The corps encountered
the Confederates behind breastworks and took cover as enemy artillery began
firing. Union BG Michael K. Lawler
formed his 2nd Brigade, Carr’s Division,
which surged out of a meander scar, across the front of the Confederate forces,
and into the enemy’s breastworks, held by Vaughn’s
East Tennessee Brigade. Confused and panicked, the Rebels began to withdraw
across the Big Black on two bridges:
the railroad bridge and the steamboat dock moored athwart the river. As soon as
they had crossed, the Confederates set fire to the bridges, preventing close
Union pursuit. The fleeing Confederates who arrived in Vicksburg later that day were disorganized. The Union forces
captured approximately 1,800 troops at Big
Black, a loss that the Confederates could ill-afford. This battle sealed Vicksburg’s fate: the Confederate force
was bottled up at Vicksburg.
Vicksburg Campaign Trail
 |
| Confederate Cemetery - Raymond, MS |
There was a battle at Jackson, MS on May 14, 1863. It resulted in the capture of Jackson the capitol of
Mississippi. I was unable to find any
markers identifying the battle. It is
best described in the words sent to Richmond by Gen Joseph E. Johnston from Jackson
– “I am too late” - - - - -let it be.
MONDAY
April 13, 2015
WEATHER: low 60’s for a
low – mostly cloudy all day rained at
7:30-10:30 am, then mostly cloudy, hard rain 5-5:45 pm – high of 73.
TRAVEL: River Town to
Vicksburg
NMP to Big Black River Bridge – Champion Hill battle sites near
Edwards, MS to Jackson via the Natchez Trace Parkway and back to Vicksburg.
I stopped by the Vicksburg NMP Visitor Center. The lady at the desk, that I met twice,
remembered me and was very helpful in providing directions and information
about the action at Black River Bridge
and the Battle of Champion’s Hill. I did not visit the museums or homes on the
Vicksburg Campaign Trail in Jackson..
 |
| Old Capitol |
20
Old Capital Museum – Located near the
center of Jackson, MS at 100 S. State St.
One of three public buildings in the city not destroyed by MG William T. Sherman’s army when it
occupied the city July 17-23, 1863. The
historic building built in 1836 by William
Nichols, architect from England and a resident of Raymond, is now a
museum. Free Admission.
 |
| Governor's Mansion |
Vicksburg Campaign Trail
21
Governor’s Mansion – Located in the center
of Jackson, MS at 300 E. Capitol St, it was designed in 1842 by William Nichols. It is an excellent example of Greek Revival
architecture. It is the oldest occupied
governor’s mansion in the US. Tours are
available.
Vicksburg
Campaign Trail
 |
| Manship House |
 |
| Greenwood Cemetery - Jackson, MS |
Vicksburg Campaign Trail23 Greenwood Cemetery – Located at 324 George St it was established in 1823. Greenwood’s burials include seven of Mississippi’s governor’s. A Confederate Cemetery is located within the oldest public cemetery in the city of Jackson.
 |
| The Oaks - Jackson, MS |
 |
| The Oaks House Museum |
Vicksburg Campaign Trail
24
The Oaks House Museum – Located at
823 N. Jefferson St. the museum interprets the life of the Boyd family form the
1840’s to the 1860’s. It is one of the
few houses to survive the burning of Jackson during the Union occupation of
July 17-23, 1863. There is a fee charged.
Vicksburg
Campaign Trail 16 May 1863 Battle of
Champion Hill
25
Historic Middle and Jackson Roads – Now
known as the Billy Fields Road this
road joins the Champion Hill Road 4
miles east of Edwards, MS. The Crossroads,
a strategic junction of the Jackson and
Middle Roads was a focal point of heavy fighting during the Battle of Champion Hill. It is located 1.5
miles east of the junction of Billy
Fields and Champion Hill Roads. In
1977 Champion Hill was designated a
National Historic Landmark.
 |
| Plaque at the "Crossoroad" Current Billy Fields Road & Old Johnson Roads |
 |
| National Historic Landmark |
 |
| Champion Hill Road This is the site of the Champion House |
 |
| This is a "T" intersection Old Johnson Road and no sign for Billy Fields Rd |
 |
| Coker House |
Vicksburg Campaign Trail 16 May 1863 Battle of Champion Hill
26
Coker House – Four miles southeast of
Edwards, MS on MS-447 the Coker House
was used as a hospital following the decisive Union victory at Champion Hill. This house fronts modern MS-447 which very
closely follows the alignment of the historic Raymond Road, one of three axis of advance for the Union army.
 |
| Battle of Champion Hill "Crossroads" (Jackson & Middle Road) is site of markers on Billy Fields Road - Champion House is site of church |
 |
| Tilghman Monument |
 |
| Tilghman Statue in Vicksburg NMP |
27
General Lloyd Tilghman Monument – Located
on MS-447 about a half mile east of the Coker House. Confederate BG Lloyd Tilghman was killed at this spot by Union artillery near
the close of the Battle of Champion Hill
as his men were delaying the Union advance along the Raymond Road. The Tilghman
Monument north of the road was palced by his sons in 1907. A statue depicting the death of Tilghman is in Vicksburg National Military Park.
16 MAY 1863 – BATTLE OF CHAMPION HILL
Estimated Casualties: 6,757 total (US
2,457; CS 4,300)
Following the Union occupation of Jackson, Mississippi, both Confederate and Federal forces made
plans for future operations. Gen. Joseph
E. Johnston retreated, with most of his army, up the Canton Road, but he
ordered LTG. John C. Pemberton,
commanding about 23,000 men, to leave Edwards
Station and attack the Federals at Clinton. Pemberton and his generals felt that Johnston’s plan was dangerous and decided instead to attack the
Union supply trains moving from Grand
Gulf to Raymond. On May 16, though, Pemberton
received another order from Johnston
repeating his former directions. Pemberton
had already started after the supply trains and was on the Raymond-Edwards Road with his rear at the crossroads one-third mile
south of the crest of Champion Hill.
Thus, when he ordered a countermarch, his rear, including his many supply
wagons, became the advance of his force. On May 16, 1863, about 7:00 am, the
Union forces engaged the Confederates and the Battle of Champion Hill began. Pemberton’s
force drew up into a defensive line along a crest of a ridge overlooking Jackson Creek. Pemberton was unaware that one Union column was moving along the Jackson Road against his unprotected
left flank. For protection, Pemberton
posted BG. Stephen D. Lee's men atop
Champion Hill where they could watch
for the reported Union column moving to the crossroads. Lee spotted the Union troops and they soon saw him. If this force
was not stopped, it would cut the Rebels off from their Vicksburg base. Pemberton
received warning of the Union movement and sent troops to his left flank. Union
forces at the Champion House moved
into action and emplaced artillery to begin firing. When Grant arrived at Champion
Hill, around 10:00 am, he ordered the attack to begin. By 11:30 am, Union
forces had reached the Confederate main line and about 1:00 pm, they took the
crest while the Rebels retired in disorder. The Federals swept forward,
capturing the crossroads and closing the Jackson
Road escape route. One of Pemberton's
divisions (Bowen’s) then counterattacked,
pushing the Federals back beyond the Champion
Hill crest before their surge came to a halt. Grant then counterattacked, committing forces that had just
arrived from Clinton by way of Bolton. Pemberton’s men could not stand up to this assault, so he ordered
his men from the field to the one escape route still open: the Raymond Road crossing of Bakers Creek. BG Lloyd Tilghman’s brigade formed the rearguard, and they held at
all costs, including the loss of Tilghman.
In the late afternoon, Union troops seized the Bakers Creek Bridge,
and by midnight, they occupied Edwards.
The Confederates were in full retreat towards Vicksburg. If the Union forces caught these Rebels, they would
destroy them.
15-17 MAY 1863 BATTLE OF BIG BLACK RIVER BRIDGE
Estimated Casualties: 2,273 total (US 273;
CS 2,000)
 |
| Confederate Withdrawal - Union Adavance to Big Black River Bridge through Edwards Station |
.jpg) |
| Current Big Black River RR Bridgen |
.jpg) |
| Plawue on US 80 |
Vicksburg Campaign Trail
28
Pemberton’s Headquarters – Located at
1018 Crawford St in Vicksburg. Built in
1835 LTG John Pemberton used the Wills-Cowan House as his
headquarters. Here on the night of July
2, 1863, Pemberton met with his
commanders to discuss surrender and on the following day, sent a message to Grant “to arrange terms of capitulation of Vicksburg.” Vicksburg
and the Confederate Army surrendered on July 4, 1863.
TUESDAY April 14, 2015
WEATHER: low 60’s cloudy - rain noon-12:45 - stopped -
heavier rain 3-6:30 pm "red sky at night, sailor's delight"
TRAVEL: Campground to Black Bear Golf Club in Delhi,
La about 52 miles one way - I-20 most of the way
 |
| Club House |
 |
| #2 Tee |
BLACK BEAR GOLF CLUB - Delhi, LA This GC is very close to Poverty Point which I visited on Sunday. The rain stopped about 15 minutes before I arrived. The is is highly rated course owned by the state of Louisiana. However, the rain must be keeping people away - I was the only player on t he front nine. There was a twosome that finished 18 about the time I finished 9. Not easy - I shot s 54, with 20 putts and one lost ball - an 8 on holes 8 and 9 didn't help. Only one par. Mostly double bogies – just can’t get to the greens in 2 storkes - it took me three/four strokes to get the green and two putts. The par was due to one putt. Reasonable - $24 for 9 with a cart.
WEDNESDAY April 15, 2015
WEATHER: mid 60’s cloudy – partly sunny by afternoon – up to 80
TRAVEL: River Town Campground
to Clear Creek Golf Course to Vicksburg NMP.
Glad
I finished my taxes when I was home for Easter. Read some today . . . .
did laundry, prepared for golf in Tennessee and leaving tomorrow, washed
the truck and updated the blog. Finished
reading a small NPS book (pamphlet) entitled “Vicksburg.” Started to
read another book entitled “The
Mexican War.”
Bought the Vicksburg Driving Tour CD – and drove
through the park again. This was my 4th
trip but my first trip alone – took more time to read the terrain. It’s still hard to understand with all the
trees that have grown between the Federal and Confederate lines . . . . it’s a
park. Finally, almost understand the
battle. I’m glad I spent the 3 days
taking the Vicksburg Campaign Trail –
now Vicksburg
National Military Park may rank as my favorite park for 2015.
WEATHER: mid 60’s humid and cloudy –
looks like rain – cleared up and got to
81 no rain in Arkansas
TRAVEL: River Town CG to Camp Robinson RV North Little Rock, AR about 234 miles - about a 3 ½ hours drive – Little Rock Central High School
Interesting . . . I think I was here once for a Commander’s Conference, just after 9/11, spring – Shinseki was still Chief of Staff . . . . I was impressed with his presentation and became a fan - - - almost two hours without notes to a power point – I listened to his every word
25
Sep African American students enter Central High School
This
was an interesting visit - - - a lesson in courage. . . a small visitor
center museum, friendly rangers, the exhibits tell the story – spend about an
hour.
THURSDAY April 16, 2015
WEATHER: mid 60’s humid and cloudy –
looks like rain – cleared up and got to
81 no rain in ArkansasTRAVEL: River Town CG to Camp Robinson RV North Little Rock, AR about 234 miles - about a 3 ½ hours drive – Little Rock Central High School
Interesting . . . I think I was here once for a Commander’s Conference, just after 9/11, spring – Shinseki was still Chief of Staff . . . . I was impressed with his presentation and became a fan - - - almost two hours without notes to a power point – I listened to his every word
Camp Robinson
RV - this is a nice park – despite reviews – concrete pads, full hookup, more
than enough space between sites - there are shortcomings - - - - no WIFI – no showers – but for $13 a night
not bad ----- I’m going to leave the trailer here while I go to Paris Landing
State Park, TN for golf on Saturday.
 |
| Little Rock High School Visitor Center |
191 Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site, Little Rock, Arkansas
September 1957 – I had started 4th
grade – I really have no memories of Little
Rock – this was an event I learned about later – we kids didn’t talk about Little Rock – if our parents did it was
over a case of beer in somebody’s kitchen - some Saturday night when we
visited . . . .
 |
| Litttle Rock Central High School |
I’m
sure that in 1957 I was quite unaware that the school desegregation crisis at
Little Rock High Central High put Ameirca’s commitment ot its founding
principles. After all, I had attend
Pierce Street School for kindergarten and there were Negro kids in the school –
in my class. What was the
difference? I didn’t live in the South . . . .
I grew up with and accepted the neighborhood school concept . . .
but this was different
 |
| "We the people" did not include everyone Supreme Court in 1898 says 'Separate but equal' |
 |
| JFK quote |
 |
| NAACP says "Separate can never be equal" |
Little
Rock was the first significant test of the 1954 Supreme Court Ruling in Brown
v. Board of Education that “separate educational facilities are inherently
unequal.”
“If parents would
just go home and let us alone, we’ll be alright . . . We can do it.”
White female
Central High Student
2
Sep Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus orders the Arkansas National Guard to bar African Americans from school for their safety.
3
Sep On the first day of school a mob
gathers. Little Rock Nine do not appear.
4
Sep Guardsmen bar black students from
entering school. Soon after Elizabeth Eckford is turned away, she
is harassed by the mob.
 |
| Elizabeth Eckford |
20
Sep Federal Judge rules against use of the
National Guard to block students. Little Rock police are given the responsibility for protecting students.
23
Sep Little
Rock Nine enter the school; police cannot maintain order. Riot ensues and the students leave from a
side entrance in a police car.
24
Sep President
Eisenhower federalizes the Arkansas National Guard and sends 1,200 soldiers
from the 101st Airborne
Division to Little Rock.
25
Sep African American students enter Central High School
escorted by
soldiers.
26
Sep Governor Faubus appears on television, saying “We are
now an occupied territory.” 101st AB Div leaves in November.
The Little
Rock Nine endure physical and verbal
abuse
throughout the year.
May 25, 1958 Ernest Green is the first African American student
to graduate from Central High School. Green says: “It’s been an interesting year. I’ve had course in human relations first hand.”
1958
Faubus
temporarily closes schools, giving voters a choice: accept integration or
reject it (they reject integration, thereby closing schools for the 1958-59
year)
1959 Federal Court declares closings
unconstitutional. Schools reopen in
August. Three African Americans attend Central High School, including Jefferson Thomas and Carlotta Walls.
FRIDAY
April 17, 2015
WEATHER: cloudy in the
60’s – cleared up to 81 – rain for 20 minutes around 3 pm
TRAVEL: Camp
Robinson – Burns
Park Golf Course - Hot Springs NP – Camp Robinson – a trip of
about 60 miles one way.
I
decided to play nine holes at Burns Park Golf
Course, North Little Rock, Arkansas. A municipal course with 36 holes – I played
the front nine of the Tournament Course – “cart path only” - shot 50 with 18
putts and 2 lost balls. The course
looked better than it was . . . . way too much casual water – the fairways were
mostly mud and a lot of water – ok – only cost $16.60 with cart . . . . and, by
the way no logo balls.
192 HOT SPRINGS, National Park,
Hot Springs, Arkansas
 |
| I found 3 of these in town There was always someone Filling jugs with water |
Water
– that’s what attracts people to Hot
Springs. It was believed that the
average temperature of 143 F and traces of minerals gave the water a
therapeutic value. Whatever - - -
scientists have determined that the water emerging from these springs is about
4,000 years old i.e. it took 4,000 years for rain water to sink into the ground
and return as the hot water in the springs.
The park collects 700,000 gallons a day for use in the public fountains
and bathhouses.
Hot Springs
National Park
is a unique blend of a park is a small city surrounded by mountains. It is a park with a history.
The
first bathhouses were crude canvas and lumber structures. Later wooden structures were built but burned
– By 1884 the Federal government had covered the springs and Hot Springs
Creek. It still runs under the pavement
today.
The
government took active control of the springs in 1877. It approved plans for bathhouses and even ran
a free bathhouse and public health facility for those unable to pay for baths
recommended by their physician. By 1921
the Hot Springs Reservation had
become a popular for vacationers and health remedy seekers. It was declared by Congress our 18th
National Park. The bathhouses which were
run privately ran from simple to luxurious.
By
the 1950’s changes in medicine led to a rapid decline in the use of hot spring
water for treatment. The bathhouses
began to close – only the Buckstaff
Bathhouse remains in operation to provide the traditional therapeutic
bathing experience.
Despite
the decline bathing continues to be a popular pastime. The Quapaw
Bathhouse offers a modern day sap with coed pools and spa services. I suppose – if you visit it would make sense
to relax and enjoy the hot spring water - - - - unfortunately I did not.
 |
| Fordyce Entrance |
 |
| Fordyce Steam Baths |
 |
| Fordyce Mens Bath Hall DeSoto Statue/Fountain |
The
Fordyce Bathhouse is the Visitor Center – you can walk through
the bathhouse’s first, second
floors and basement. A self guided tour – an interesting walk
through the past. |
| Fordyce Bathhouse - Mens Bath Hall - DeSoto Fountain |
The
Ozark Bathhouse is the Museum of Contemporary Art of Hot Springs
or the Hot Springs National Park Cultural Center – it had an
exhibition of Linda Williams Palmer
art.
 |
| Hot Spirngs Mt. Tower |
You can walk but I drove up to the observation
tower. A tower has been here since the
late 1800’s.
18
April Saturday travel
to Kentucky Dam Village State Park
18 holes – this is a nice park – nice rooms – they have a buffet in the evening
– affiliated with Mineral Mounds State Park – where we played
golf. Total cost for room, golf, and a
$30 gift card that can be used in the dining room, gift shop or pro shop was
$136.76 each – sharing a room. I bought
a golf shirt.
19
April Sunday travel
to Paris Landing State Park 18 holes
followed by 18 hole scramble – rained most of the day – but it was around 70 –
a warm rain – occasional downpour.
4 pm Mass at St. Anne’s Church – the priest here was elderly – probably retired – a Monsignor and actually seems like an interesting character – he plays the age card well – i.e. after the homily – he read from revelations - uses hand actions and inflections in his voice – kind of a read/act – a storyteller ----- he asked ‘What do we do now?’ – of course someone said ‘the Creed’ – probably because he had never been here before . . . . . . after communion he asked again ‘What do we do now? Birthdays? Announcements?’ However, he did forget the Agnus Dei . . . . . . . .
SATURDAY
April 18 – Friday 24, 2015
WEATHER: - boring
TRAVEL: Camp
Robinson to Kentucky Dam Village State Park
(a 330 mile 5 hour drive) then to Paris
Landing State Park
GOLF
–
16 guys – mostly from where I used to work – I’ve been part of this group for
at least 8 years but some have been coming here for over 20 years – the group
changes – we have a lot of fun – you have to like golf to play 36/day
 |
| Kentucky Dam Village Lodge |
 |
| Mineral Mounds this hole was impossible only 1 of 16 made it across - it's a long way |
 |
| Mineral Mounds |
Located on Lake
Barkley Mineral Mounds is
historically linked to author F. Scott
Fitzgerald. The property was once the
farm of Willis B. Machen,
grandfather of Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald. It is easy to imagine the serene,
Gatsby-style era from this park with idyllic days of playing golf and cruising
the lake.
The park now had a challenging 18 hole golf
course. The front nine is isturated in a
wooded area and many of the back 9 holes are flanked by lake view. It reminded many of us of the Tennessean.
19
April Sunday travel
to Paris Landing State Park 18 holes
followed by 18 hole scramble – rained most of the day – but it was around 70 –
a warm rain – occasional downpour.
Paris
Landing State Park
is located on the western shore of Kentucky Lake. Paris
Landing is named for a steamboat and freight landing dating back to the
mid-1800’s. Today there is a 130 room
inn, good dining room (beautiful views) and complete convention
facilities. Fishing, boating, camping
and a 18 hole championship golf course – bent grass greens and a pro shop.
 |
| Paris Landing Lodge |
The
entire course is tree-lined. Several
holes skirt Kentucky Lake, producing
a natural balance of rolling land, trees, and water.
The course opened in 1971. In 1994 Hole #12 was redesigned lengthening the hole by approximately 75 to 100 yards and relocating the green to include the vistas of the lake, while greens on Hole #7 and Hole #13 were rebuilt in 1996-1997. Hole #12 is a 586-yard, par 5 with an elevated green again overlooking the Kentucky Lake. The signature hole #4 is a downhill 186-yard par 3 with the Kentucky Lake providing a scenic backdrop.
The course opened in 1971. In 1994 Hole #12 was redesigned lengthening the hole by approximately 75 to 100 yards and relocating the green to include the vistas of the lake, while greens on Hole #7 and Hole #13 were rebuilt in 1996-1997. Hole #12 is a 586-yard, par 5 with an elevated green again overlooking the Kentucky Lake. The signature hole #4 is a downhill 186-yard par 3 with the Kentucky Lake providing a scenic backdrop.
 |
| Paris Landing #4 |
 |
| Paris Landing #4 |
They offer great pre-season golf deals – each of us
shared a room and with unlimited golf and a cart we played up to 36 holes a day
for 5 days and nights at a cost of $392.05 each. This included playing golf on Tuesday and
Wednesday at a neighboring course called The
Tennessean which is about 6 miles down the road.
20
April Monday Paris Landing State Park 18 holes team
followed by 18 hole scramble
 |
| The Tennessean Club House above #18 green |
 |
| Tennesean #7 |
 |
| Tennessean #3 |
21
April
Tuesday Tennessean 18
holes team followed by 18 hole scramble
The Tennessean
is a world class - challenging golf course.
The rugged terrain makes the course truly extraordinary. There are dramatic elevation changes and
untouched woodlands that bring exhilaration, some may call it frustration, to
any golf game; it’s also a lot of fun to play.
The Tennessean
is crafted to feel it is part of the landscape. A mental and physical challenge
- you have to take a cart.
 |
| Paris Landing Golf Course parking lot After finishing the last day |
22
April Wednesday Tennessean 18 holes team
followed by 18 hole scramble
23
April Thursday Paris Landing State Park 18 holes team
followed by 18 hole scramble
24 April After a short visit to Fort Donelson
National Battlefield (I’ve been here about 10 times and will visit
again next week with the Chicago Civil War Roudntable), travel back to Camp
Robinson in North Little Rock, AR – a303 mile, 4 hour drive
SATURDAY
April 25, 2015
WEATHER: the rain
stopped, cloudy in the morning – cleared
and got up to 80
TRAVEL: Camp
Roberts to Hope, AR – I had to go past Hot Springs – I should have included
Clinton together with Hot Springs – a 2 ¼ hour one way drive.
193 PRESIDENT WILLIAM JEFFERSON CLINTON BIRTHPLACE HOME,
National Historic Site, Hope, Arkansas
 |
| Clinton Boyhood Home |
On
August 19, 1946 Virginia Cassidy Blythe William
Jefferson Blythe III named for his father who was killed in an automobile
accident three months before he was born.
He and his mother lived in this house in Hope, Arkansas where he spent
the first four years of his life.
 |
| Clinton Boyhood Home Living Room This was actually the home of Clinton's grandparents on his mother's side of the family |
When
his mother married Roger Clinton in 1950, they moved to another house in Hope, AR and in 1953 they moved to Hot Springs, AR. Although his step
father never formally adopted him, he went by the name of Clinton from the time
his mother remarried. He legally
changed his name when his younger brother started school.
1946 William Jefferson Blythe III born August 19
1950 Virginia Blythe marries Roger Clinton and
the family moves to 13th St in Hope, AR
1953 The Clinton family moves to Hot Springs, AR
1956 Clinton’s brother Roger Cassidy Clinton is
born
1964 Clinton graduates from Hot Springs High
Schools, enters Georgetown University
 |
| Clinton's favorite cowboy was Hopalong Cassidy |
1968 Clinton attends Oxford on a Rhodes
Scholarship (so did Kris Kristoferson, after he graduated from West Point and
served in Vietnam, attained the rank of MAJ and I’m pretty sure he’d admit he
inhaled)
1970 Clinton attends Yale Law School
1973 Clinton teaches law, University of Arkansas
School of Law
1974 Clinton has an unsuccessful run for Congress
1975 Marries Hillary Rodham
1977 Attorney General of Arkansas
1979 Clinton elected Governor of Arkansas
1980 Chelsea is born
1981 Clinton loses bid for re-election as
Governor of Arkansas
1983 Clinton is re-elected Governor of Arkansas
1991 Clinton announces candidacy for President of
the US
1992 Clinton is elected President
1996 Clinton is re-elected President – somewhere
in 1998 words were redefined
2004 Clinton Presidential Center opens. It houses the William J. Clinton Foundation,
the Clinton Presidential Library & Museum.and the University of Arkansas
Clinton School of Public Service.
This
National Historic Site was
established in 2010.
An
attempt to visit the Clinton Presidential Library ran into an arts festival –
parking was atrocious – you couldn’t get within 6 blocks of the place – I’ll go
when there isn’t a festival during the week.
I did a load of laundry.
4 pm Mass at St. Anne’s Church – the priest here was elderly – probably retired – a Monsignor and actually seems like an interesting character – he plays the age card well – i.e. after the homily – he read from revelations - uses hand actions and inflections in his voice – kind of a read/act – a storyteller ----- he asked ‘What do we do now?’ – of course someone said ‘the Creed’ – probably because he had never been here before . . . . . . after communion he asked again ‘What do we do now? Birthdays? Announcements?’ However, he did forget the Agnus Dei . . . . . . . .
SUNDAY
April 26, 2015
WEATHER: cloudy and in
the 50’s most of the day, 80 around 5 then down to the low 60’s by 7
TRAVEL: Camp
Robinson to Buffalo National River Tyler Bend Visitor Center
to Pea Ridge
National
Military Park to Fort Smith National Historic Site. A lot of driving - but I saw a lot of Arkansas
and even a brief excursion into Oklahoma.
I left early and came back late.
The Ozarks are beautiful - - - easier to
drive in than the steep grades in Pennsylvania and New York. I saw more than one cattle ranch. Rolling hills/mountains with wide valleys.
Congress
designated the Buffalo River as
America’s first national river in 1972. It
is located on the Arkansas Ozark Plateau,
which is bounded on the north, east and south by the Missouri, Mississippi and Arkansas Rivers.
The
Buffalo River was slated to damned
by the US government. A local doctor,
who had canoed the river with his family in the 50’s and early 60’s and a friend named Sam Walton, led the fight
to save the river. One look at the river
valley and it is easy for you to support the cause; you are glad that this
river valley wasn’t flooded and lost to mud and brown water.
Early maps call this the “Buffaloe Fork of the White River,” most likely named after the bison that used to graze here. Nestled in the Arkansas Ozarks, the Buffalo River originates in the Boston Mountains and drops steadily to its confluence with the White River 151 miles to the east.
 |
| Buffalo River - Bluffs Tylers Bend |
Traveling the Buffalo River by canoe can offer a near wilderness experience between Carver and Woolum and downstream of Rush Landing. You can chose a half-day float or a 10 day float 120 mile expedition. A number of concessioners offer packages.
 |
| Putting in at Tyler's Bend |
 |
| Tyler's Bend What strukc me was the color of the water. It's clear. |
There
is a short film at the Visitor Center and a small museum and gift shop. The river is clear and fast flowing. The geology is limestone with shale and
sandstone. Quiet, remote – not many
people live but I think the place is full, especially on weekends, during the
summer. Reminded me of the ‘shootin’ the hooch’ (Chattahoochee River in Atlanta) or the Kickapoo River in Tyler's Wisconsin. The land is beautiful.
195 PEA RIDGE National Military Park, Garfield, Arkansas
I
had not planned to visit Pea Ridge
today but it was within 2 hours of Buffalo
– on the Pea Ridge Plateau in the
Ozarks. There is a 40 minute film and a
museum that you can easily spend an hour in; then there is the 7 mile driving
tour of the battlefield. This is like Perryville . . . . . better . . . . . there is even less development – no
overhead power lines to distract you. I
believe I will return in May and walk the trail.
On
the Confederate side MG Sterling Price’s
Missouri State Guard joined forces with BG Ben McCulloch. In the
Boston Mountains, south of Fayetteville, MG
Earl Van Dorn took command of the 16,000 man army and led it north with the
intention of entering Missouri and capturing St. Louis. However, Curtis’s
10,500 Federals were dug in across his path on the bluffs above Little Sugar Creek, not far from the Elkhorn Tavern and nearby Elkhorn Mountain (part of the Pea Ridge Plateau).
Van Dorn decided to go around Curtis and attack his rear. The plan called for the attack to begin at
dawn on March 7. But the difficult three
day march through the cold and snow delayed the attack. McCulloch’s
troops fell behind and Van Dorn
decided to temporarily divide his army.
He ordered McCulloch around
the west end of Elkhorn Mountain,
and then turn east along the Ford Road
to rejoin Price’s troops near Elkhorn
Tavern. The delays allowed Curtis to turn around and face an
attack from the rear.
As
McCulloch’s troops, including two
regiments of Cherokee Indians under BG
Albert Pike, began
the maneuver they ran into federals near Leetown (Van Dorn was not impressed with the Indians fighting and never mentioned Pike in his official report). BG McCulloch was KIA, as was BG James McIntosh and that led to the capture of their ranking colonel. With the command leaderless the initial success faltered as soldiers awaited orders that never came.
the maneuver they ran into federals near Leetown (Van Dorn was not impressed with the Indians fighting and never mentioned Pike in his official report). BG McCulloch was KIA, as was BG James McIntosh and that led to the capture of their ranking colonel. With the command leaderless the initial success faltered as soldiers awaited orders that never came.
Attacking
east of Elkhorn Mountain, Van Dorn and Price steadily pushed the federals back until nightfall. The Confederates held the Elkhorn Tavern and the Telegraph and Huntsville Roads. During the
night, survivors of the McCulloch’s
Leetown fight joined them.
On
the morning of March 8, Curtis counterattacked
in the Elkhorn Tavern area. A two hour artillery barrage crippled the
Confederate line. A concentrated Union
infantry attack broke the Confederate defenses.
Van Dorn had not brought his
supply train along; banking on speed and surprise to hasten his attack. As a consequence, running low on ammunition, Van Dorn ordered a withdrawal. The largest Confederate army ever assembled
west of the Mississippi would never again have such strength. Missouri remained in the Union although it
provided men and supplies to both sides.
There
are eleven stops on the seven mile driving tour.
1
Trail of Tears
– During the winter of 1838-39 the Cherokee and other Indian tribes were forced
to leave the homelands and move the Indian Territory – present day Oklahoma. The shallow depression beyond the sign is a
remnant of the Wire Road. Both armies used the road. During 1857-61 it was the route of the Butterfield Stage Line.
2
General Curtis HQ Site
– Curtis believed that any
Confederate attack would come two miles south of here against his fortified
line along the bluffs overlooking Little
Sugar Creek.
3
Leetown – a small village
stood here, during the battle the wounded of both sides were brought here, where
buildings served as hospitals.
4
Leetown Battlefield
– the Confederates attacked to defeat the Federals positioned along a fence line.
However, Confederate generals
McCulloch and McIntosh were
killed here.
5 Armies Collide – Pea Ridge was the only major Civil War battle where organized regiments of Indian troops participated. Two regiments of Cherokees, (about 1000 men) initially beat back two companies of Federal infantry. Federal cannon eventually forced them to take cover in the woods. The Cherokee regiments were held in reserve and not committed for the rest of the battle.
6
West Overlook
7
East Overlook
 |
| Elkhorn Tavern |
8 Elkhorn Tavern – served travelers along the Telegraph Road before the war came to Arkansas. The confederates captured the tavern and turned it into a field hospital. It served as a Federal telegraph station until Confederate guerillas burned it in 1863. The present building is a reconstruction.
9 Confederate Sunset – At dusk on March 7 the Confederates charged across the field here to smash the regrouped Federals. The guns on the field represent the battle lines of the morning of March 8.
 |
| Confederate Sunsetn |
 |
| Union Gun Line Elkhorn Mountain in the background |
10 Federal Line – Union artillery deployed here on the morning of March 8. Their fire assisted in the forcing the Confederates to withdraw from the Elkhorn Tavern area.
 |
| BG Franz Sigel gets revenge for his defeat at Wilson's Creek |
11 Little Sugar Creek Trenches – time eroded trenches
196 FORT SMITH, National Historic Site, Fort Smith, Arkansas
Fort
Smith National Historic Site is located
in downtown Fort, Smith. It features some initial history and the Barracks Courthouse Jail and a gallows. You can spend about 3-4 hours here. The
Barracks Courthouse Jail is the Visitor Center. It houses a museum the Judge Parker’s Courtroom and the infamous Jail.
 |
| Barracks Courtroom, Jail |
Fort
Smith was the frontier – it was the
border. Just across the Arkansas River
was Indian Territory, now the state
of Oklahoma. . . . the Wild West. Clint Eastwood’s “Hang Em High” although never mentioned is supposedly based in Fort Smith. The same goes for John Wayne’s “True Grit,” U.S. Marshall Rooster Cogburn goes into Indian Territory to find the despicable Tom Chaney who murdered
Mattie Ross’ father , played by Kim Darby. The Cogburn character is probably based on Deputy
U.S. Marshall, Heck Thomas, who brought in some of the
toughest outlaws.  |
| The Dalton's Layed out on a porch |
 |
| Hang 'Em High |
 |
| Jail Wagon |
 |
| Fort Smith Judge Parker's Courtroom |
 |
| The Gallows A fenced enclosure |
Judge Isaac Parker was judge of the Federal Court from 1875-1896. He was a lawyer and had a sense of fair play toward the Indians. With the help of some dedicated lawmen Parker and the citizens began to bring order to the Indian Territory. He died in 1896.
 |
| Major Long's Surveys |
 |
| Fort Smith 1822 - Diorama |
In 1824 the army abandoned Fort Smith. Citizens wanted protection and in 1838 the second Fort Smith was constructed.
The federal government
abandoned Fort Smith in the spring
of 1861, the Confederate States held the fort for over two years. By the summer of 1863, the Confederacy had
lost control of Northwest Arkansas. The
Union victories at Pea Ridge and Prairie Grove, combined with the
Confederate defeat at Honey Springs
in Indian Territory made any chance
of holding Fort Smith unlikely.
September 1 1863 The Battle at Devil’s Backbone: The Confederate field commander, General William Cabell withdrew all military supplies from Fort Smith to a location further south. Union Colonel William Cloud was sent into the area to determine the strength of Confederate forces at Fort Smith. Colonel Cloud found the fort abandoned and encountered Cabell a short distance south along the Poteau River. Chasing Cabell’s forces, Cloud’s cavalry encountered an ambush at the base of a ridge called Devil’s Backbone. A three hour battle ensued . . . the Confederates were not dedicated to the fight – many had been forced into service so many deserted. Although Cabell succeeded in protecting his supplies, the Union forces prevailed. After Devil’s Backbone, Federal forces would retain control of Fort Smith until the end of the war.
MONDAY
April 27, 2015
WEATHER: rained last
night; 54 and cloudy at 6 am still a light rain at 9:30
TRAVEL: Camp Robinson
in North Little Rock to Arkansas Post a trip of about 112 miles and 2 hours one
way.
The sound of gunfire on a rifle range
this morning – in the rain – you’ve got to love it.
197 ARKANSAS POST, National Memorial, Gillett, Arkansas
Located on the Arkansas River, Arkansas Post was designated a National
Memorial by Congress in 1960. It
preserves parts of the town from the 1800’s and the approximate site of two
trading and military posts from the 1700’s.
Arkansas Post lies in a region of Arkansas referred to as the Mississippi Delta. It has been formed by natural forces and
human intervention to control flooding, erosion and natural change in the
river’s course. Just like Vicksburg, the course of the
Mississippi is not what it was 150 years ago.
For example, the Confederate Fort
Hindman no longer exists – the site is underwater. The background of this area is French. It was a trading Post.
Here’s a short timeline
history of Arkansas Post.
 |
| French (Bourbon) - Spanish - Napoleanic France - US - CSA |
1682 French explorer La Salle, grants land along the Arkansas River to Henri de Tonti. Tonti established
a trading post.
1699 The post is abandoned but manned by a French
military garrison in 1761.
1763 France cedes west Louisiana and New Orleans
to Spain after the French and Indian War (1756-1763).
1803 France, having regained Louisiana from Spain
in 1800, sells the territory to the U.S.
1805 A trading post is established by 1817 the
hunting and trapping culture gives way to a farming economy.
1819 Arkansas
Post is named the capital of the Arkansas Territory.
1821 Little
Rock becomes the capital – the population of Arkansas Post drops to 114.
1862 Confederates build earthwork forts along the Arkansas River to defend the capital. Fort Hindman is 190’ square, armed with 11 rifled guns and smoothbores. Some 5,000 soldiers are housed at the fort. Rifle pits are dug from the fort to the Post Bayou.
 |
| Federal Attack on Fort Hindman |
1863 MG
John Clernand brings 30,000 infantry upriver, supported by Rear Admiral
David Porter’s gunboats. On January 10, they attack – are initially
repulsed – another attack results in the fort’s surrender.
TUESDAY
April 28, 2015
WEATHER: rained again last
night – stopped around 1030 mid 50’s & cloudy all day
TRAVEL: Camp Robinson
to Toad Suck HD to William J Clinton Presidential Center & Park to Camping
World to the Greens at North Hills to Camp Robinson..
Again, the sound of gunfire on the rifle
range this morning – in the rain – of course they love it.
WILLIAM J.
CLINTON PRESIDENTIAL CENTER & PARK – located in Little Rock, AR, on the
Arkansas River, on the site of a former railroad yard that needed extensive
cleanup. – urban renewal. The site is
home to the William J Clinton
Presidential Library, offices of the Clinton
Foundation, the Clinton Center for
Government and well the name Clinton is everywhere – including its location
on President Clinton Avenue – just the same
- a very nice venue.
 |
| Health Care Reform |
.jpg)
Highlights are the design of the library which houses only about 2% of the papers, remainder are in another building; a reproduction of the Clinton Cabinet Room and Oval Office.
 |
| Outside - none of my pictures inside really turned out - operator error |
Clinton was the youngest governor elected and served
one term, was defeated for a second term; then decided to run again – a good
idea . . . he served for several more terms. Interesting that some of his first signed
legislation was regarding health care - FMLA.
There was an
exhibit of Dinosaurs Around the World that I found interesting – one of
the best I’ve seen. Supposedly, the
exhibit is here because during Clinton’s presidency he signed legislation for Dinosaur
National Monument and Grand Staircase
- Escalante National Monument. Both are fossil beds that could have been put
under water due to dams.
Oh yes, I
bought some ‘stuff’ here - plenty of room for expansion . . . .
Mid-South is the HQ for The US Navy’s Personnel Command. There is also a Naval Air Station here. Much more here than Camp Robinson, a real military base.. Pads are concrete, nicely spaced, full hookup and bath house.
THURSDAY April 30, 2015
Fort Heiman 4-5 FEB 1862 –
is on the west side of the river (Kentucky Lake). It was built to be a supporting work for Fort
Henry on the east side of the river. The
fort was never completed. A shelter is
there and some trenches – this section of the park is a work in progress – there
is little or no mention of Fort Heiman in the park brochure - they have to cut
some trees. There is a private home - just behind some good remains of
trenches. A little interpretation of how
the uncompleted fort was laid out would be helpful. There was no fight here. It was abandoned by the Confederates in 1862
as the Federals came up the Tennessee River.
The Confederates crossed the river at Paris Landing and supported Fort
Henry. This was a long, long, trip and
walk for some in the group - with little or no reward. Time may have been better spent at Fort
Donelson – but this is new – so I’m sure some people just had to see it.
Fort Henry 6 FEB 1862 – now it’s underwater – under Kentucky Lake – it
was all but under water in 1862 - –
other than more than one reference to its being under water – the guides spoke
little of this battle and the surrender of the small battery garrison of 80 by BG
Lloyd Tilghman. Somehow, I think I have
a soft spot for Tilghman . Tilghman knowing the situation was hopeless stayed
to fight but sent the 2,000 man army in the defenses around Fort Henry 10 miles
east to Fort Donelson. Tilghman was a
POW, exchanged, and later KIA at the Battle of Champion Hill on 16 May 1863
just east of Vicksburg, MS. Fort Henry and
its cannoneers actually surrendered to the Navy. The ironclads could all but come right up to
the earthen walls of the fort. The fort
was poorly located and was flooding due to the rising Tennessee River.
We only made four stops here (the River Batteries, the Confederate
Trenches on the right , the Visitor Center and the Forge Road) along with a
drive along some roads bordering undeveloped property bought by the Civil War
Trust - again a little disappointing.
WEDNESDAY
April 29, 2015
WEATHER: clear –
sunny – start at 49 high of 72
TRAVEL: Camp Robinson to Mid-South Naval Facility
near Memphis, TN to the Holiday Inn Airport - Nashville, TN
I made an error and deleted the file holding the
photos for all my visits from April 1 through May 4. This is especially troublesome because this
includes the photos from the Chicago Civil War Roundtable Tour (Thurs April 30
through May 3) as well as, the photos from Parkers Crossroads. Photos for those dates are from previous
visits.
 |
| Trailer at Mid-South Naval Support Activity |
Mid-South is the HQ for The US Navy’s Personnel Command. There is also a Naval Air Station here. Much more here than Camp Robinson, a real military base.. Pads are concrete, nicely spaced, full hookup and bath house.
THURSDAY April 30, 2015
WEATHER: clear and
sunny, high 40’s in the morning warmed up to low 70’s
TRAVEL: Chicago
Civil War Roundtable bus to Fort Heiman (2 ½ hr rive), Stewart County Visitor
Center (20 minutes), Fort Donelson stops only
at the River Batteries #4, the Visitor Center and the Forge Road #9,
Fort Defiance (30 minutes) run by the City of Clarksville and back to the
Holiday Inn – Nashville.
I made an error and deleted the file holding the
photos for all my visits from April 1 through May 4. This is especially troublesome because this
includes the photos from the Chicago Civil War Roundtable Tour (Thurs April 30
through May 3) as well as, the photos from Parkers Crossroads. Photos for those dates are from previous
visits.
This is the 65th Annual Battlefield Tour of the
Chicago Civil War Roundtable. I’ve attended seven. The base hotel is the Holiday Inn
Airport. There are two buses with about
40 people on each. Ed Bearss is
traditionally the tour guide on bus #1; Jim Lewis, a Stones River Park Ranger
is the guide on bus #2.
FORT
DONELSON National Battlefield, Dover, Tennessee
This was counted as NPS site #6 in my travels. I had also
visited here last week Friday after finishing the golf outing at Paris Landing.
Overall this day was disappointing. I’ve been to the Fort Donelson area at least
a dozen times, I’ve walked the entire length of the outer works. I’ve driven the back roads from the Tennessee
River to Fort Donelson tracing the routes of BG U.S. Grant’s Divisions led by BG
C.F. Smith, and BG John McClernand and BG Lew Wallace. I’ve visited and walked
the area of Fort Heiman (an area still under development by the National Park
Service). I’ve walked the inner works
and the area of the Fort and the route of C.F. Smiths Attack on the Confederate
right. I’ve taken the driving tour at
least 9 times. Unfortunately, this day
of the CWRT tour was a disappointment.
The ranger Jim Lewis did not comment much on what Ed Bearss
said. In fact Ed Bearss was sort of flat. The ranger apparently in awe of Bearss, said
little and did not provide much info on the area – we passed by earthworks and
monuments and Lewis - no comment - Bearss
was keenly interested only in the Flag Officer Foote’s iron clad and timber
clad fleet of 7 gunboats and the disorganization of the Confederate command
between BG John Floyd who could not make a decision or lead. BG Gideon Pillow who apparently didn’t have
much common sense, and BG Simon Bolivar
Buckner who being the most junior brigadier was left to surrender the garrison
while Floyd and Pillow escaped.
Confederate BG Bushrod Johnson was not considered part of the
Confederate command structure and LTC Nathan Bedford Forrest led his battalion
of cavalry out of Fort Donelson rather than surrender.
I did get the
feeling from Bearss that McClernand was doomed from the beginning for failure –
he and Grant never did get along. McClernand,
a political general, did not like West Pointers and Grant did not like
political generals – so when C.F. Smith (a West Pointer) does something that
doesn’t work nothing is said; when McClernand does the same thing -he gets his
butt chewed out. Grant eventually fired McClernand
at Vicksburg.
It may be interesting to follow the civil war career of McClernand
and take up his cause. Unlike McClellan ,
he was aggressive; like Sherman he sometimes failed, sometimes succeeded;
yet - politics and he should have known
this . . . . . his disdain for the West Pointers led to his demise. Grant relieved him at Vicksburg for not
following orders – he wasn’t the first, nor the last general who didn’t follow orders (even Grant
did that once or twice) but it was a convenient way to get rid of the burr
under Grant’s saddle.
I don’t think I would have been comfortable providing
commentary to the Chicago CWRT, but I could have provided a much better tour
and background on the site - unfortunate.
 |
| Fort Henry - Somehwere out there . . . |
 |
| Location of Fort Henry |
Lunch catered by the Dover
Grille at the Stewart County Visitors Center in Dover. A
excellent venue – this Visitor Center has a small museum and helpful
staff. There is a hall for catered meals
or meetings. The lunch was buffet style
– plenty to eat.
Fort
Donelson 14-16 FEB 1862 – There is an 11 stop driving tour with an
audio CD you can purchase. I’ve done
that several times but the most rewarding trip - was walking the entire length of the
Confederate entrenchments from Fort Donelson to the Surrender House (the Dover
Hotel) through the town and cemetery and back to Fort Donelson. You don’t have to do the walk but plan about
3 hours for the drive tour and Visitor Center.
After the capture of Fort Henry, it took Grant several
days to gather his forces and start the
march to Fort Donelson on the Cumberland River, about 10 miles east of Fort
Henry on the Tennessee River. Foote’s
gunboats returned to Paducah to refit and begin a trip up the Cumberland River. Grant
began his march on an unseasonably warm February 11, 1862. Many soldiers discarded their winter coats
during the march. The Confederates were
so busy preparing the works around Fort Donelson that Grant’s march was not
challenged.
By February 13, 1862 about 15,000 federal troops encircled Fort
Donelson. Foote’s gunboats attacked the
Confederate River Batteries expecting an easy victory like Fort Henry. IT was not to be – the confederate guns were
better situated – after a 90 minute exchange – Foote was WIA and the gunboats
so damaged that they had to retreat.
Grant
continued to receive reinforcements
daily. The Confederate generals massed
their troops against the union right and planned a “breakout” on February 15 in
order to escape a siege, save the army and move toward Nashville.
There was miscommunication and misunderstanding among the Confederate
leadership. Buckner’s troops left their
trenches on the Confederate right with ammo and rations, Pillow’s forces
started the breakout thinking they’d return to Donelson for rations and
ammo. Grant went to visit Foote downriver
and left instructions with BG McClernand and BG CF Smith not to attack. The
Confederates attacked and pushed McClernard’s troops back. BG Lew Wallace was arriving from Fort Henry
and stemmed the Confederate attack. When
Grant returned from his visit to Foote, he launched a counterattack – Smith
forced the weakened confederate right from their trenches – the situation looked
hopeless. Floyd passed command to Pillow,
who passed command to Buckner. Floyd
& Pillow escaped and leaving Buckner to surrender a 15,000 man army. LTC Nathan Bedford Forrest said he ‘came here to fight not surrender’ and
escaped with his 500+ man cavalry battalion.
Buckner asked Grant, who he knew well, for terms – Grant’s famous
reply - ‘No terms - but unconditional surrender. I am preparing to move upon you works’
goes down in history and the North finally has a victory that they can
celebrate.
Fort
Defiance is located in Clarksville, TN on the Cumberland
River. It has a fine Visitor Center and
is run by the City. It was originally
named Fort Sevier and surrendered without a fight to Foote’s gunboats. I had only two cannon and a small garrison to
defend it. Its surrender most likely
saved Clarksville from being razed by fire from Foote’s gunboats. There is a
film in the Visitor Center and a good museum developed around the
locality. Easy visit of 1-2 hours.
Dinner was at the Holiday Inn where chicken, vegetables,
wild rice, mashed potatoes and pecan pie were served. Jim Lewis was the featured speaker. His topic was the role of the Chicago Board
of Trade’s Battery and its role in the Battle of Stones River. I learned that the Stones River NPS website
has a collection of each unit’s papers, diaries, etc available on their
website. Sounds like a good
resource. I’ll have to ask if such a
collection exists at Perryville.
I did buy a book “Where
the South Lost the War: An Analysis of the
Fort Henry – Fort Donelson Campaign,
February 1862” by Kendall D. Gott – I believe Gott is teaches at Fort
Leavenworth. Next to Perryville, Fort
Donelson grabs my interest most – I’ve
read almost everything that there is to read about the two battles - Gettysburg
is so huge and so much has been written about it and I’ve been there over 60
days of my life – still learning and of course there are way too many Gettysburg
‘experts.’
I’ve travelled on Bus #2 for the last 7 years because ‘the Ed Bearss fans’ always fill Bus #1 – early – reserving seats – etc. Well, today I got on Bus #2 around 0735 to find it full – so I travelled with Bearss on Bus #1. There were plenty of empty seats . . . . .
SPRING HILL BATTLEFIELD 30 NOV 1864
Spring
Hill was the prelude to the Battle of Franklin. On the evening of November 28, 1864 LTG John
Bell Hood’s Army of Tennessee marched toward Spring Hill. He had actually moved around, and was ahead of
MG John M. Scholfield’s army which was headed for the safety Nashville.
Stop
1 – Rippavilla – been here before but never in
the house. One of the docents here gave
us a short tour to the master bedroom where LTG John Bell Hood had slept on the
evening of November 29, 1864. This is
the site of the infamous breakfast meeting where Hood was supposedly ”wrathy as a rattlesnake” when he found
out that Schofield had bypassed his entire army.
Fact # 5: Union general Emerson Opdycke saved the center by
disobeying orders.
Fact # 7: Franklin resident Tod Carter was mortally wounded
five hundred feet from his boyhood home.
Thousands of Americans fell dead or wounded on the 1.5 acres once covered by this strip mall.
199 SHILOH National Military Park & the CORINTH Civil War Interpretive Center, Tennessee & Mississippi
The Confederate Army of the Mississippi – Gen Albert Sydney Johnston (KIA)
The Federal Army of the Tennessee – MG Ulysses Simpson Grant
The Federal Army of the Ohio – MG Don Carlos Buell
2nd Division – BG Alexander McCook
Fighting broke out early on the morning of April 6, 1862 near a small log church called Shiloh. An unparalleled slaughter resulted. Albert Sydney Johnston became one of the casualties – he bled to death due to a bullet that had severed an artery behind his knee – a tourniquet could have saved his life but no one could find the wound – blood filled his boot. P.G.T, Beauregard assumed command. The confederates had pressed Grant’s divisions back two miles. They believed they had won the battle. Overnight, Buell’s army ferried across the Tennessee River resulting in a federal counter-attack on April 7 that caused the Confederates to retreat to Corinth. They were not seriously pursued by the Federals. Shiloh resulted in 23, 746 total casualties and to date was the bloodiest battle of the war.
Shiloh National Military Park’s Corinth Unit contains 14
historic sites associated with the Siege (29 APR – 30 MAY 1862), Battle (3-4
OCT 1862) and ) Occupation of Corinth.
I’ve spent 2 full days here in the past – there is plenty to see and I
believe much is often overlooked by visitors.
The Corinth Civil War Interpretive Center is a much better visit than the Shiloh Visitor Center. It is located near the site of Battery Robinett, scene of heavy fighting in October 1862. At Shiloh rangers will tout the ‘park’ – here at Corinth you can learn – it is much more than a ‘park’ or a tourist spot – explore and learn. To do this right plan for 1-2 hours at the Interpretive Center, see the film (new in 2013), appreciate the art and view the story told by the “The Stream of American History” in the courtyard (check ahead of time if rangers plan a program for this). This you have to see to appreciate. Spend a few hours with the 15 stop Walking Tour of Civil War Corinth; have lunch or a malted milk or an ice cream sundae at Bouroum’s Drug Store. Conclude your day with the 28 stop Driving Tour around Corinth. It’s a full day – just plan to visit. Be sure to visit and take the walk around the site of the Corinth Contraband Camp. It is interpreted through bronze life size statues - a pleasant surprise to see – art.
NATCHEZ TRACE PARKWAY – Tupelo Mississippi – originally visited the southern terminus and travelled
some of it when I was staying in Vicksburg.
MM 269.4 Confederate Gravesites – a short walk to the graves of 13 unidentified Confederate soldiers.
MM
266.0 Parkway Visitor Center & Park Headquarters – the visitor center was staffed by a volunteer. There was a new video (2014) narrated by Amy
Grant and some exhibits. Not much on Tupelo
and Brices Crossroads. NST
MM
263.9 Old Town Overlook – views of Old Town
Creek and its floodplain NST
This unit of the NPS consists of a little over an acre of
land at the site of the Brice House – Brice’s Crossroads. The granite markers placed by the State of
Mississippi in the 1950’s and the efforts of the Final Stands Civil War
Interpretive Center, 607 Grisham St, Baldwyn, MS make this worth a visit.
The Battle of Brice’s Crossroads on June 10, 1864 was a sound victory for Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest who defeated BG Samuel D. Sturgis and 8,100 Federal infantry and cavalry. Forrest’s 3,500 men were concentrated along the Mobile & Ohio Railroad south and north of Brice’s Crossroads.
STOP 2 Historical Marker
STOP
3 Historical Marker
STOP 4 Historical Marker
STOP
5 Historical Marker and Interpretive Trail on
west side of road
STOP 7 Tishomingo Creek Overlook and trail
I visited the Gibson Guitar factory – did not take the tour
– it’s worth while but I did that the last time I was in Memphis.
I walked to the sound of the music and found this outdoor
yard ---- a great band - $3 PBRs and a place to sit. These guys must know a lot of people - - - -
a harmonica player from England sat in and blew the place away – I
think he did much, much, better than the band expected. A guy that looked liked an old Neil Young (Neil Young today) – blonde hair down to his shoulders came in with a guitar on his back and played for two songs – he wasn’t that great. A woman from Sweden rocked the place away. They played for almost two hours - - - - - - when they broke I started walking . . . . .
OK at 3pm Friday Beale
St is blocked off to traffic and by 5 pm the Memphis Police Force must have had
twenty squad cars in a 8 square block area - - - - - as I walked Beale St there were only two
places that sounded like they had music I wanted to listen to – both were
crowded and charged a $10 cover – forget it.
I went back to the place in the open . . . . bought a PBR - the harmonica guy was still there – as were
the Swedes and then two other ladies came in one a gospel singer – the other a
rocker - - - - -- I could have stayed longer but - there was the drive back and
I had to pass the gate guards at Force Protection BRAVO – oh yeah – the
automatic weapons and assault rifles were at the ready.
STOP 11 Shiloh’s Casualties: One of five known mass graves where many of the 1,728 Confederate dead were buried. Shiloh veterans considered these graves important aspects of the battle history.
STOP 15 Death of General Johnston: Struck by a stray bullet, Gen. Albert Sydney Johnston died in the ravine south of this monument. P.G.T. Beauregard succeeded to command the army.
STOP 16 The Peach Orchard: Sarah Bell’s orchard was in full bloom when Confederate troops attacked Union forces here on April 6, 1862. The Federals eventually retreated to Pittsburg Landing, but retook the field during the counterattack the next day.
STOP
17 Bloody Pond: Throughout the battle, soldiers from both
sides came here to drink and bathe their wounds. Both men and horses died at the pond, their
blood staining the water.
STOP
18 Dill Branch Ravine: Wooden US gunboats Lexington and Tyler, anchored
opposite the mouth of Dill Branch to support Gen Grant’s defense of Pittsburg
Landing.
CORINTH Interpretive Center, Corinth TN
STOP
2 Alexander’s Crossroads – today this is a
intersection with 3 corners but during the Civil War it was considered an
important landmark connecting the roads of Tennessee and Mississippi. Mt. Carmel Methodist Church is the
landmark. A skirmish occurred here on Van
Dorn’s march to Corinth on October 3, 1862.
STOP 4 Young’s Bridge Battle Site – this is the area of Big Hill. There is a pullover but no historical markers. Here Confederate Gen John S. Bowen’s 1st position at Big Hill as Union Gen James B. McPherson pursues the retreating Confederates. Just down the road is another pullover at the Tuscumbia River Bridge, the area of Bowen’s 2nd position. Young’s Bridge is said to have been 100 yards south of the present bridge.
STOP
5 Old State Line Road to Davis Bridge – you
cross the Hatchie River north of the Davis Bridge site and take a number of
turns - - - even though the roads are not marked with signs The General’s Tour
adequately provides directions. I found the Metamora Ridge and the sign
indicating the location of the Old State Line Trace. The line along the road was sited with
Federal artillery.
STOP
6 Metamora Ridge Pullover – this is a very
nice view with a number of interpretive markers pla
ced by the State of Tennessee. Federal Gen Stephen A. Hurlburt formed his men for an attack here. The road along this ridge line was a possible and preferred escape route for Van Dorn – occupation the Federals made that impossible.
STOP 7 Hatchie Bridge Park – don’t look for a sign here saying Hatchie Bridge Park – since the Blue & Gray article was written it appears the NPS acquired the property and placed two interpretive markers. Never found a place called Burr’s Branch (STOP 7a Hatchie Valley and Burr’s Branch). I walked the locked gated trail to the bridge site – I don’t think this is visited often.
STOP
7b Davis Bridge Park Memorial Area – I believe
this is on the trail to the Davis Bridge site.
The confederate memorial recognizes the 32 Confederate soldiers who were
buried on the battlefield in a yet to be found mass grave. The origin of the area is due to the purchase
of a small tract by the Sons of Confederate Veterans.
Stop
7c Davis Bridge Site on the Hatchie River –
this is the end of the trial – I found mosquitoes – the actual bridge site was
15-20 years downstream from here. The
Federals denied Davis Bridge to Van Dorn’s retreating army which managed to
escape the Hurlburt-McPherson pincer movement by marching down the Boneyard byway
and crossing the Hatchie River at Crum’s Mill.
You can’t visit this area.
203 CHICKAMAUGA & CHATTANOOGA National Battlefield Park, Rossville, Georgia
This is my 6th visit here, 10th day on the field – only the second time I took the driving tour – there is a CD (of course mine is at home) – plan a minimum of 2 hours + 1 in the Visitor Center. To do it right plan on a minimum of 2 days – a good film - a lot happened here and there is always so much more to learn or re-learn. Plenty of trails to walk – good roads to bike – did not visit Lookout Mountain, Missionary Ridge, Orchard Knob (been there thrice before) – this is a whole other day. The most entertaining and appreciated visit here was with the Chicago Civil War Roundtable in 2012. We travelled the route of the union army to the battlefield – even by bus that took a half day in itself.
FRIDAY
May 1, 2015
WEATHER: clear and
sunny,
TRAVEL: bus to various stops near Murfreesboro, TN
I made an error and deleted the file holding the
photos for all my visits from April 1 through May 4. This is especially troublesome because this
includes the photos from the Chicago Civil War Roundtable Tour (Thurs April 30
through May 3) as well as, the photos from Parkers Crossroads. Photos for those dates are from previous
visits.
I’ve travelled on Bus #2 for the last 7 years because ‘the Ed Bearss fans’ always fill Bus #1 – early – reserving seats – etc. Well, today I got on Bus #2 around 0735 to find it full – so I travelled with Bearss on Bus #1. There were plenty of empty seats . . . . .
198
STONES RIVER National Battlefield, Murfreesboro, Tennessee
The layout of the park has changed since my last visits -
there is more than one entrance and the circle drive battle tour has
changed. However, the battlefield is
still lost in the development of Murfreesboro – making it hard difficult and
understand. There is a 6 stop driving
tour highlighting some points of the battle, along with a Visitor Center.
Stop 1 Grisham
Lane & Hwy 96 – some background on the start of the battle.
Stop 2 Rutherford County Visitor Center &
Chamber of Commerce – a small
display – nice new building.
Stop 3 Oakland Historic House – I had
not been here before. We did not take
the house tour. This was a very pleasant
and comfortable place to visit. I found
a book in the gift shop here “Maney’s
Confederate Brigade at the Battle of Perryville” by Stuart W. Sanders –
I had to buy it.
Stop 4 Lunch
– The Slick Pig an
interesting venue – the staff here apparently had not got the word from the
management that 80 people from our group would be showing up for luch.
Stop 5 Slaughter Pen – this is stop #2 “Slaughter
Pen” of the driving tour. Today we
would call the fight here a delaying
action. Union soldiers defended
their positions as the Confederates attacked several times causing many
casualties on each side. Finally, the
union soldiers retreated – they had bought the ‘time’ MG Rosecrans needed to
form a new line along the Nashville Pike.
Stop 6 Stones River Visitor Center – museum
and bookstore. Stop #4 of the
driving tour “Defending the Nashville Pike”. This is where the Chicago Board of Trade
Battery and the newly formed Pioneer Brigade of the Rosecrans army stopped the
Confederate advance on December 31, 1862. I had to buy some books here: “The
Civil War At Perryville” by Christopher L. Kolakowksi (I think this
author was also head of the Perryville Battlefield Association for several
years – I’ve spoke with him – he may be from Milwaukee), “Nathan Bedford Forrest’s Escort and Staff” by Michael R.
Bradley (recommended by Jim Lewis – ranger and guide for Bus #2), and “Stealing the General: The Great Locomotive chase and the First Medal of
Honor” by Russell S. Bonds (recommended by Bob Stoller - Chicago Civil
War Roundtable).
Stop 7 Hazen Monument – this is stop #5 “Round
Forest” of the driving tour. Hazen’s
Brigade was the only union position that held on the first day of
fighting. They halted the attack at 1000
and beat back 3 more attacks as the day wore on. This was referred to as Hell’s Half Acre because of the dead and wounded that
covered the ground. The monument was built by the men of the Hazen’s
Brigade out of local limestone and is considered the first and perhaps oldest
Civil War monument on Civil War battlefields.
Stop 8 Ford - this is stop #
6 on the driving tour “McFadden Farm.” We walked down to the ford. Massed union cannon here defeated a
Confederate attack on the union left by Breckenridge on January 2, 1863.
Ed
Bearss spoke at dinner about the relationship
between U.S. Grant, John Schofield and George Thomas. Grant had no real love for Thomas and Schofield
outlived most Civil War generals to become Commanding General of the United State Army from 1888 – 1895. He had become a major
general on March 4, 1869, and on February 5, 1895, he was commissioned a
lieutenant general. Schofield retired on September 29, 1895, upon reaching the
mandatory retirement age of 64. He is memorialized by the military
installation Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.
SATURDAY
May 2, 2015
WEATHER: clear and
sunny,
TRAVEL: back to Bus
#2 - to various sites
I made an error and deleted the file holding the
photos for all my visits from April 1 through May 4. This is especially troublesome because this
includes the photos from the Chicago Civil War Roundtable Tour (Thurs April 30
through May 3) as well as, the photos from Parkers Crossroads. Photos for those dates are from previous
visits.
SPRING HILL BATTLEFIELD 30 NOV 1864
 |
| Spring Hill - Confedeeate Movements |
Skirmishing continued between the cavalry forces of BG James
H. Wilson’s federal cavalry and MG Nathan Bedford Forrest’s confederate
troopers.
On November 29, Hood’s infantry crossed the Duck River and
converged on Spring Hill. In the
meantime MG John Schofield reinforced troops holding the crossroads at Spring
Hill. In the late afternoon the federals
repulsed a piecemeal attack. During the
night the rest of Schofield’s command passed from Columbia through to Spring
Hill. For the Confederates this was a
“lost opportunity.” The confederates were
on Schofield’s flank when the federal army passed them along the road during
the night.
Hood could have isolated and defeated Schofield’s army. “The Affair at Spring Hill” has been
described as ‘one of the most controversial non-fighting events of the entire
war.'
 |
| Rippavilla |
Stop
2 – Kedron Rd – Battle of Spring Hill- 2nd
visit to this location – you almost always get a better feel for the ground on
a second visit.
Lunch, catered by Panera
Bread, at Pinkerton Park, City of Franklin, near Fort Granger. I’ve been to Fort Granger but had not got
there from this location (south of the Harpeth River) I had visited from the
north side of the Harpeth River. I don’t
think any Roundtable members walked the path to an unknown place . . . . . there was no guidance.
BATTLE OF FRANKLIN
The
following “facts”words are taken from the Civil War Trust Website. They tell
the story nicely - I’m civil war battle-fielded out - - - - - tired
Fact # 1:
John Bell Hood sought to defeat John Schofield’s Union force at Franklin before
they could unite with fresh troops around Nashville.
After taking Atlanta, Union general William Sherman turned east in his “March to the Sea.” In response,
Confederate general John Bell Hood led the Army of Tennessee north out of Georgia and
towards the supply and communications hub of Nashville, Tennessee, aiming to
draw Sherman into a fruitless pursuit before swinging through Kentucky and
joining Robert E. Lee in Virginia with a legion of new recruits and cartloads
full of Yankee food and munitions. General John Schofield commanding Sherman’s rearguard, parried Hood’s thrusts in a series of small engagements as both forces raced
towards Nashville. Hood’s hopes for a decisive campaign lay on defeating Schofield
before the Union general reached the city, where another 25,000 Federals under
General George Thomas waited. Hood caught Schofield at Franklin on November 30, 1864, about
twenty miles south of Nashville. As the sun began to set, Hood ordered an
attack.
Fact # 2: Missed opportunities at Spring Hill played a
significant role in the Battle of Franklin.
On November 29, John Schofield was trapped. At Columbia,
Tennessee, he had prevented Hood from crossing the Duck River for five
days. When Confederates began to assemble for battle on the southern bank
of the Duck on the 29th, Schofield felt it was time to withdraw. He sent
half of his army twelve miles north to Spring Hill while the other half
remained to cover the river crossing. But Schofield had been fooled—the
grey mass opposite Columbia was a diversion. While their comrades
occupied Schofield’s attention, two Confederate divisions crossed at a ford
further east and swung around the city to land astride the north-south road
connecting Columbia to Spring Hill. The Union force was divided and in
grave danger. To Hood’s fury, however, Schofield still managed to
escape. Command confusion disrupted several Confederate attacks in what
became known as the Battle of Spring Hill, preventing a decisive interdiction of the Federal
escape route. That night, soldiers and wagons evacuating Columbia passed
within earshot of the Confederates encamped along the road, but the attack that
might have changed the course of the campaign never came. The next day,
Hood, “wrathy as a rattlesnake,” accused the Army of Tennessee of cowardice and
ordered a pursuit to Franklin. The failure of the day before had
prevented a battle to the Southerners’ advantage and sealed the violent fate of
thousands.
Fact # 3: The Confederate charge at Franklin was larger,
longer, and deadlier than Pickett’s Charge at Gettysburg.
The Army of Tennessee arrived on the Franklin battlefield
from the south, in the shadow of Winstead Hill. Schofield had drawn his
army up into a three-tiered series of hastily-constructed but formidable
breastworks on the outskirts of town, roughly two miles north of the unfolding
grey battle line. Over the protests of his lieutenants, Hood ordered a
frontal assault on the Federal works. Several elements of the ensuing
battle are worthy of comparison with Lee’s assault on July 3, 1863. At Gettysburg 12,000 Confederates attacked over a mile of open ground following a 150-gun
bombardment of a Union line protected by a low stone wall. They reached
their objective and held out for around thirty minutes before being repulsed,
leaving about 1,415 dead or mortally wounded on both sides. At Franklin,
20,000 Confederates, supported by just one battery, advanced over two
miles of open ground and struck a Union line made up of three tiers of sturdy
breastworks and abatis that in most
places stood about eight feet high. The Army of Tennessee pierced the
center of this line and held their position for over three hours, resulting in
over 2,000 combined fatalities. Such bravery and ferocity so late in the
war shocked and saddened many observers--Private Sam Watkins of the 1st
Tennessee called it "the blackest
page in the history of the war."
Fact # 4: The first line of the Union defense at Franklin
actually helped the Confederates.
The main Union line at Franklin ran in a rough crescent
around the town, both of its flanks secured on the Harpeth River. Two
brigades of George Wagner’s division held advanced positions to the south,
squarely in the path of John Bell Hood’s assault. The butternut advance
quickly proved that Wagner’s decision to move into the field between the two
armies was a grave mistake. With a cry of “into the works with them!” the Confederate line overlapped and
overwhelmed Wagner’s men. The Union defenders stampeded back
towards the main line after firing a single volley, the charging Southerners
hot on their heels. Afraid of hitting their comrades, the riflemen on the
main line held their fire as they watched the intermingled crowd of butternut
and blue surge towards them. As a result, the last half-mile of the
Confederate advance was largely uncontested, allowing the charge to hit the
main line with full force.
Emerson Opdycke led a brigade in George
Wagner’s division. As the Confederates approached, Wagner ordered Opdycke
to join his fellow brigade commanders, John Lane and Joseph Conrad, in a line
thrown out half a mile in front of the Union breastworks. Recognizing the
folly of taking such exposed position in front of a vastly superior force, Opdycke
vehemently refused to obey Wagner’s directive and instead deployed his brigade
about two hundred yards behind the Carter House. Although he was mainly
looking for a good place to cook breakfast, from this spot he could also
quickly reinforce any threatened point in the Union center. When Wagner’s
position was shattered and his men were hurled back through the main line, the
Confederate attackers secured a dangerous foothold in the maelstrom around the Carter
House. Opdycke threw his men into the fray. The Confederates could
advance no further, and after hours of bloody combat the line was finally
stabilized. Had Opdycke obeyed Wagner’s orders, his command would have
surely been routed along with the rest of the division and Hood’s army may well
have shattered the unsupported main line.
Fact # 6: The course of World War II could have been
greatly altered at the Battle of Franklin.
Arthur
MacArthur, Jr., “The Boy Colonel,” was a
novelty in the Union Army. He had enlisted in the 24th Wisconsin Infantry
regiment underage at the beginning of the war, but had already made an
impressive name for himself. At the Battle of Missionary Ridge on November 25, 1863, as an
eighteen year-old first lieutenant, MacArthur had seized the regimental colors
from a decapitated comrade and led the charge that broke a seemingly
unbreakable line. He was awarded the Medal of Honor and promoted to
colonel. At Franklin, now leading the 24th Wisconsin of Opdycke’s brigade
in the middle of the reserve line, MacArthur and his men, with a shout of “Up, Wisconsin!” plunged into the melee
at the Carter House after the initial Confederate charge splintered the Union
defenses. MacArthur was shot off of his horse almost immediately.
Bleeding from the shoulder, he drew his saber and began cutting his way through
the melee towards a ragged Southern flag waving above the fray, under which MacArthur
came face-to-face with a Confederate officer. The Southerner leveled his
pistol and shot MacArthur in the chest. MacArthur kept his feet and ran
his opponent through, but the falling officer fired once more and hit MacArthur
in the leg. Gravely wounded, MacArthur was nearly trampled before his men
dragged him to safety. Miraculously, the young colonel survived his
wounds and the war. His son Douglas became one of the United States’ top
generals in World War II and Korea. To this day, Arthur and Douglas are
the only father and son pair besides Theodore Roosevelt and Theodore Roosevelt,
Jr. to have won the Medal of Honor.
 |
| The Carter House |
When the Army of Tennessee crossed the Georgia-Tennessee
border, the soldiers were heartened by a sign on the side of the road that read
“Tennessee, A Grave or A Free Home.” Those words must have had special
meaning for Tod Carter, the middle child in the Carter family, who had enlisted
in the Confederate army in 1861. By 1864, he was the assistant
quartermaster to Brigadier General Thomas Benton Smith in the Army of Tennessee.
On the eve of the Battle of Franklin, a friend described Carter as “in a
perfect ecstasy of joy” to be seeing his family the next day. As part of Bates’s
division, Smith’s brigade launched their attack at Franklin from the far left
of the Confederate line. Although Tod Carter’s quartermaster duties did not
require him to fight, he would not hear of it. He mounted his horse and
rode ahead of the brigade, shouting “Follow
me boys, I’m almost home!” About five hundred feet from his front
yard, Tod Carter was struck by a Union bullet and tumbled into the blood-soaked
grass. After the day’s carnage had ended, the Carter family emerged from
their cellar only to be greeted by General Smith with the news of Tod’s
wounding. By lantern-light, Smith and the Carters spent hours searching
the corpse-strewn battlefield for the young captain. His sisters’ screams
announced to the party that the search was over. Dying and insensible,
Tod was carried back to the Carter House near dawn and set down in his sister
Annie’s room. He died the next day, just one of the nearly ten thousand
family tragedies that the battle wrought.
Fact # 8: More Confederate generals were killed at Franklin
than in any other battle in the war.
Patrick Cleburne, John Carter, John Adams, Hiram Granbury, States Rights Gist, and Otho Strahl
were all killed leading their men in the assault on the Union breastworks at
Franklin. Adams was found upright in his saddle, riddled with bullets,
with his horse’s legs on either side of the works. Cleburne vanished in a
cloud of gun smoke and was found with a bullet in his heart. In
comparison, five Confederate generals were killed at Gettysburg, three were killed at Antietam, three at Chickamauga, and two at Spotsylvania, John Brown, Francis Cockrell, Zachariah Deas, Arthur Manigault, Thomas Scott,
and Jacob Sharp were also wounded and George Gordon was captured at
Franklin. Perhaps spurred to greater danger by John Bell Hood’s
accusation of cowardice in the ranks on the morning of the battle, no other engagement
of the war saw as much devastation in the Confederate general officer corps as
did the Battle of Franklin.
Fact # 9: The Battle of Franklin nearly ruined the Army of
Tennessee.
After the battle, Schofield resumed his withdrawal towards
Nashville, now decisively ahead of the Confederate army. Hood continued
to pursue, although his army had been devastated at Franklin and stood no
chance of defeating a united Federal force. At the Battle of Nashville,
fought from December 15-16, 1864, the reinforced Union army left its
fortifications and brought Hood to battle, routing the Army of Tennessee once
and for all. It would never fight again as a cohesive force. Hood’s
unwillingness to withdraw during the Battle of Nashville compelled Schofield to comment
that “I doubt if any soldiers in the
world ever needed more cumulative
evidence to convince them that they were beaten.”
Fact # 10: Preservation of the Franklin battlefield is one
of the Civil War Trust’s greatest success stories, but much work remains to be
done.
Thousands of Americans fell dead or wounded on the 1.5 acres once covered by this strip mall.
Despite the importance of the Battle of Franklin, for many
years the land’s legacy was all but ignored as the city grew in the years
following the war. Save for a small tract preserving the Carter House,
Franklin was the scene of many disturbing developments, including a Pizza Hut
parking lot and a strip mall on top of the site of some of the day’s bloodiest
fighting near the Carter Cotton Gin. However, the efforts of the Civil
War Trust, with the help of local partners that include Franklin’s Charge, Save
the Franklin Battlefield, Inc., the Battle
of Franklin Trust, and the City of Franklin, have produced stirring results. Today, 175 acres of battlefield
land have been reclaimed and preserved, often one acre at a time over a span of
many years. In 2005, the Pizza Hut property was bought and restored to
its 1864 appearance. In 2012, the Civil War Trust and its partners
secured the strip mall, another acre and a half, and thus scored another major
victory in the historic journey to reclaim the heart of a battlefield that was
once considered lost forever.
Stop
4 Carter House – my 3rd visit here
and the guide was excellent. He was very
informative – however with my previous visits to the battlefields saw more than
I did today. I purchased “Hood’s Tennessee Campaign – The
Desperate Venture of a Desperate Man” by James R. Knight.
Stop
5 Carnton – my 3rd visit here and
the guide was in a word “polished.” He
was dressed in a suit with vest and tie – wisps of whiskers, trimmed moustache
– he played the part and his presentation was a joy. He didn’t just spout out words or facts but
actually played the part.
Carnton itself has been complimented by the expansion of
the Eastern Flank Battlefield Park created by the City of Franklin. This was under construction 3-4 years ago
during my lst visit. I was
impressed. Good walking trails and
interpretive signs. Easy to spend 2-3
hours here.
Stop
6 Winstead Hill – my 2nd visit here
– not much has changed. A great view of
the battlefield before all the development and growth of the trees.
Dinner catered buffet at the Eastern Flank Battlefield
Event Pavilion, near Carnton.
SUNDAY
May 3, 2015
WEATHER: clear and
sunny, high of 81
TRAVEL: bus to
various sites; then drive down I-40 – Left Nashville around 1230 116 miles to
Parker’s Crossroads another 100 miles to Mid South Naval Facility.
Somehow I made an error and deleted the file holding the
photos for all my visits from April 1 through May 4. This is especially troublesome because this
includes the photos from the Chicago Civil War Roundtable Tour (Thurs April 30
through May 3) as well as, the photos from Parkers Crossroads. Photos for those dates are from previous
visits.
BATTLE OF NASHVILLE
Despite a series of
defeats in the closing days of November, 1864, Confederate General John Bell
Hood continued to drag his bloodied Army of Tennessee, approximately 30,000
strong, north towards Nashville. The city was protected by 55,000 men, which
should have precluded further offensive operations, but Hood was determined and
his situation was dire. Hood reached Nashville on December 2 and staked out a
position south of the city, hoping to draw the
Union forces into a costly attack. Ulysses S. Grant and Abraham Lincoln urged
ranking General George Thomas to attack but he delayed for nearly two weeks,
citing freezing weather and limited cavalry support. On December 15th, Thomas finally
moved forward. The Union plan called for a demonstration on the Confederate
right while the main assault struck a cluster of earthen redoubts on the
Confederate left. The diversionary attack broke against artillery posted along
present-day Battery Lane. To the west, fierce close-range combat erupted as Thomas’s
men swept over the redoubts. That night, Hood retreated two miles further
south. Thomas renewed the attack the next afternoon. After several hours of
fighting, Brig. Gen. John McArthur broke through the Confederate left at Shy’s
Hill. Hood ordered a hasty retreat south, and only a skillful rearguard action
allowed his army to escape. The Union victory at Nashville shattered the Army
of Tennessee and effectively ended the war in Tennessee.
Stop 1 Fort Negley – my
first visit here - - - situated next to the old AAA baseball field atop St.
Cloud Hill. From August -December 1862
the union fort was constructed by more than 2700 conscript laborers,
predominantly contrabands (runaway slaves). It is the largest inland stone
fortification built during the Civil War.
It did not see action in the Battle of Nashville but provided an
excellent view of the area. Efforts to
preserve the property as a National Military Park failed. The property was purchased by the City of
Nashville in 1928. The entry gates were constructed by the WPA
during the depression. The area fell
into disrepair but by 2002 the City of Nashville appropriated funds to restore
and maintain the site. The Visitor
Center provides two films which we did not see.
Good walking trails - a lot to
explore for a couple of hours.
Stop 2 Granbury’s Lunette – again a
first visit - there are no interpretive markers here. It was successfully defended by the 33rd
Texas on the rights of Hood’s defensive line.
The site is owned by the Sons of Confederate Veterans and a flag of
Texas flies on the site.
Stop 3 Shy’s Hill – there
is a Battle of Nashville interpretive plaque here as well as an improved trail
to a clearing on the top and a monument to a Minnesota unit. However, trees obstruct the view of
Nashville. It’s a walk to the top – best
done in the early morning when its cool.
Lunch at base Hotel
Parker’s Crossroads 31 DEC 1862– what a wonderful stop. I spent almost 4 hours here. The Visitor Center and driving tour is the
best organized and marked and interpreted that I’ve been on. It beats most National Park Service trails. This was a small engagement and is easy to
understand but the work of the Parker’s Crossroads Battlefield Association and
the city is to be commended. Well worth
the time to stop and visit. There is a
seven stop driving tour, and three paved, interpreted walking trails.
In December 1862, Confederate General John C. Pemberton
ordered Gen Earl Van Dorn to lead a cavalry raid on Grant’s supply depot at Holly
Springs, MS. At the same time Gen Braxton
Bragg ordered Gen Nathan Bedford Forrest and his 1,800 man cavalry brigade to
sever Grant’s rail communications in West Tennessee. After a successful two week raid, Forrest
headed east toward the Tennessee River stopped December 29 and 30 at Flake’s
Store on the McLemoresville Road, five miles northwest of Parker’s Crossroads.
Seeing a chance to capture Forrest Union General Jeremiah
C. Sullivan sent COL John C. Fuller’s Ohio Brigade and COL Cyrus Dunham’s Brigade
to trap the confederates.
The Battle of Parker’s Crossroads took place on December
31, 1862. Dunham’s 1,500 man brigade
left Clarksburg. Dunham beat Forrest to
the crossroads and formed a line of battle at Hick’s Field – one mile northwest
of the crossroads. Forrest’s artillery
and dismounted cavalry caused Dunham’s men to retreat back to the John Parker
House at the crossroads. They reformed a
line along the Lexington-Huntington Road.
Forrest flanked this position and the union troops moved south and took
refuge along a split rail fence.
Forrest’s
artillery held Dunham in place but he was
surrounded. There was a parley for
surrender but Dunham refused – suddenly COL Fuller’s Ohio Brigade arrived from the north behind the Parker House and
captured 300 of Forrest’s confederates.
Forrest, now caught between two forces is to have said “Charge them both ways!” The swift counterattack disrupted the union
attack; Forrest and the remains of his command escaped.
I was so excited about Parker’s Crossroads that I had
planned to provide a virtual tour of the battlefield and its 7 stop driving
tour and walking paths – but without pictures there is no picture story to
tell. Just visit this place if you are
interested in a battle – easy to understand and easy to follow – this is it!
Afterthought 8 May 2015 - I just might travel north to visit again. I really liked this place.
Afterthought 8 May 2015 - I just might travel north to visit again. I really liked this place.
MONDAY
May 4, 2015
WEATHER: clear and
sunny,
TRAVEL: carwash then
Mid-South to Shiloh (2.1 hours) another attempt to find Fallen Timbers and then
to Corinth (.5 hours) late lunch and a drive to Brice’s Crossroad. The Visitor Center at Brice’s Crossroads was
closed Monday’s – a 112 mile 3 hour drive due to traffic back to
Mid-South. The drive to Brice’s
Crossroads was a good recon – it was 45 minutes from Corinth.
 |
| Big park small sign |
199 SHILOH National Military Park & the CORINTH Civil War Interpretive Center, Tennessee & Mississippi
Shiloh National Military Park’s battlefield
driving battlefield tour contains 20 stops.
Plan a full day here but bring a lunch – or you have to go to Savannah,
TN for food. The Visitor Center has a new
(2012) film that describes the battle.
The park is full of cannon and monuments and walking trails. It was the site of a two day battle involving
three armies:
 |
| Army of the Mississippi |
The Confederate Army of the Mississippi – Gen Albert Sydney Johnston (KIA)
Gen Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard
1st Army Corps – MG Leonidas Polk
1st Army Corps – MG Leonidas Polk
1ST
Division – BG Charles Clark (WIA) BG Alexander P. Stewart
2nd
Division – MG Benjamin F. Cheatham (WIA)
2nd Army Corps – MG Braxton Br g
1st Division – BG Daniel Ruggles
2nd Division – BG Jones M. Withers
1st Division – BG Daniel Ruggles
2nd Division – BG Jones M. Withers
3rd
Army Corps – MG William J. Hardee
1st
Brigade – BG Thomas C. Hindman (Disabled) COL R.G. Shaver (Disabled)
2nd
Brigade – BG Patrick R. Cleburne
3rd
Brigade – BG Sterling A.M . Wood (Disabled)
Reserve
Corps – BG John C. Breckenridge
1st
Brigade – COL Robert A Trabue
2nd
Brigade – BG John S. Bowen (WIA) COL John D. Martin
3rd
Brigade - COL Winfield S. Statham
 |
| Army of the Tennessee |
The Federal Army of the Tennessee – MG Ulysses Simpson Grant
1st
Division – MG John A. McClernand
2nd
Division – BG William H.L. Wallace (KIA) COL James A. Tuttle
3rd
Division – MG Lew Wallace
4th
Division – BG Stephen A Hurlburt
5th
Division – BG William Tecumseh Sherman (WIA)
6th
Division – BG Benjamin M. Prentiss (POW)
 |
| Army of the Ohio |
The Federal Army of the Ohio – MG Don Carlos Buell
2nd Division – BG Alexander McCook
4th
Division – BG William “Bull” Nelson
5th
Division – BG Thomas L. Crittenden
6th
Division – BG Thomas J. Wood
 |
| Shiloh Visitor Center |
Gen Albert Sydney Johnston led 44,000 men north from Corinth
against Grant (40,000 men) who had deployed his 5 divisions at Pittsburg
Landing and 1 division at Crump’s Landing on the Tennessee River. MG Don Carlos Buell was leading his men cross
country from Nashville to Savannah, TN. Grant
prepared to advance on Corinth.
Fighting broke out early on the morning of April 6, 1862 near a small log church called Shiloh. An unparalleled slaughter resulted. Albert Sydney Johnston became one of the casualties – he bled to death due to a bullet that had severed an artery behind his knee – a tourniquet could have saved his life but no one could find the wound – blood filled his boot. P.G.T, Beauregard assumed command. The confederates had pressed Grant’s divisions back two miles. They believed they had won the battle. Overnight, Buell’s army ferried across the Tennessee River resulting in a federal counter-attack on April 7 that caused the Confederates to retreat to Corinth. They were not seriously pursued by the Federals. Shiloh resulted in 23, 746 total casualties and to date was the bloodiest battle of the war.
Grant was effectively relieved by Halleck who assumed personal
command of the army. Halleck took 30 days to move his 100,000 man army 30
miles to Corinth.
.jpg) |
| Stream of American History the Blocks are Civil War Battles The size of the block represents number of American casualties |
 |
| Borroum's Drug Store |
The Corinth Civil War Interpretive Center is a much better visit than the Shiloh Visitor Center. It is located near the site of Battery Robinett, scene of heavy fighting in October 1862. At Shiloh rangers will tout the ‘park’ – here at Corinth you can learn – it is much more than a ‘park’ or a tourist spot – explore and learn. To do this right plan for 1-2 hours at the Interpretive Center, see the film (new in 2013), appreciate the art and view the story told by the “The Stream of American History” in the courtyard (check ahead of time if rangers plan a program for this). This you have to see to appreciate. Spend a few hours with the 15 stop Walking Tour of Civil War Corinth; have lunch or a malted milk or an ice cream sundae at Bouroum’s Drug Store. Conclude your day with the 28 stop Driving Tour around Corinth. It’s a full day – just plan to visit. Be sure to visit and take the walk around the site of the Corinth Contraband Camp. It is interpreted through bronze life size statues - a pleasant surprise to see – art.
TUESDAY
May 5, 2015
WEATHER: the day
started at 67 - mostly cloudy clouds cleared mostly sunny with highs in the
80’s – summer is coming,
TRAVEL: to
Chevrolet dealer and Mid South Commissary
Oil change - updated web page, catalogued photos and
read. I think this is the day I
accidentally deleted the photo file with all the pictures from April 1 through
May 4.
WEDNESDAY
May 6, 2015
WEATHER: the day
started at 67 - mostly cloudy clouds cleared mostly sunny with highs in the
80’s – summer is coming,
TRAVEL: Mid-South
to Natchez Trace Parkway (Tupelo, MS) to Baldwyn MS – Tupelo and back to
Mid-South.
 |
| Twenty Mile Overlook |
MM278.4
Twentymile Bottom Overlook – view of the Old
Trace crossing.
MM 269.4 Confederate Gravesites – a short walk to the graves of 13 unidentified Confederate soldiers.
 |
| Confederate Gravesites |
 |
| Parkway Visitor Center |
MM
263.9 Old Town Overlook – views of Old Town
Creek and its floodplain NST
MM
261.8 Chickasaw Village Site – exhibits on the
Chickasaw village that once stood here NST
MM
259.7 Tupelo National Battlefield – leave the
Parkway and travel one mile on MS Hwy 6 to downtown Tupelo
200 NATCHEZ TRACE NATIONAL SCENIC TRAIL – Tupelo Mississippi
This is actually considered a unit of the National Park
System – separate from the Natchez Trace Parkway. I also visited this in Natchez on April 11,
2015. A great ‘walk in the park’ for 444
miles. The Mile Markers above followed
with NST are stops on the trail.
201 BRICE’S CROSSROADS National Battlefield,
Baldwyn, Mississippi
 |
| This sign, a mouument, & two interpretive signs on 1 acre is all there is to Brices Crossroads NB |
 |
| Be Sure to Visit the Finals Stands Civil War Interpretive Center in Baldwyn, MS |
The Final Stands Civil War Interpretive Center charges a
small admission fee but the museum and videos are worth the $5 price of
admission. The NPS has done little to
interpret this battlefield. There is a
video featuring Shelby Foote that explains the battle well. Additionally, a video focusing on the effort
of the 59th USCT to protect the union retreat features Ed Bearss and
Shelby Foote. The museum is better than some NPS sites – and certainly better
than the nothing provided by the NPS. Plan 1 – 1 ½ hours at the Center and another
1 – 1 ½ hours for the driving tour which includes some walking trails. I purchased a driving tour CD for $8 –
amateurish in production but solid in content.
 |
| Brices Crossroads The Battle Begins |
 |
| The Federals First Line of Defense |
 |
| Brice's Crossroads The Federals Final Line |
The Battle of Brice’s Crossroads on June 10, 1864 was a sound victory for Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest who defeated BG Samuel D. Sturgis and 8,100 Federal infantry and cavalry. Forrest’s 3,500 men were concentrated along the Mobile & Ohio Railroad south and north of Brice’s Crossroads.
 |
| MS Marker Tour Stop 1 |
 |
| MS Marker Tour Stop 2 |
STOP
1 Historical Marker
STOP 2 Historical Marker
 |
| Brices Crossroads Tour Stop 3 - Another Interpretive map of the battle |
STOP 4 Historical Marker
 |
| Brices Crossroads Tour Stop 5 MS Marker |
 |
| Monument Brices Crossroads National Battlefield Tour Stop 6 |
STOP
6 BRICES CROSSROADS NATIONAL BATTLEFIELD – one
acre site adjoining Bethany Cemetery
 |
| Tishomingo Walking Bridge built for Tour Stop 8 |
STOP 8 Tishomingo Creek bridge
 |
| Tour Stop 7 Walking Trail - Defense of the Bridge |
STOP
9 Jourdin Gravesite
STOP
10 White House Ridge
202 TUPELO
National Battlefield, Tupelo, Mississippi
 |
| The One Acre Site of Tupelo National Battlefield |
This unit is like Brice’s Crossroads; a little over an acre
of land in downtown Tupelo. It is a stop
on the Natchez Trace Parkway MM 297.7 Tupelo National Battlefield. The 1864 battlefield is a mile east on MS Hwy
6 (Main St.)” The NPS does proved a brochure “Brices Crossroads and Tupelo” but there
are no exhibits at the Natchez Trace Parkway Visitor Center at MM 266.0
and no interpretation. Go the Final
Stands Civil War Interpretive Center.
There are several exhibits explaining
the battle there – there is no driving tour. The Final Stands Civil War Interpretive
Center has a 12 acre site at Old Town Creek where Forrest attacked Smith on Day
2 of the Battle of Tupelo/Harrisburg. I did not visit Old Town Creek.
The Battle of Tupelo July 14-15, 1864 pitched MG Andrew J.
Smith’s 14,000 Federals against Confederate forces Generals Stephen D. Lee
& Nathan Bedford Forrest. This has
been an obscure battle for over 150 years, despite Forrest’s name being
attached to it.
MG A.J. Smith left LaGrange, TN with 14,000 on July 5, 1864
and moved south with a mission to insure that MG Nathan Bedford Forrest did not
interrupt MG William T. Sherman’s supply line to Atlanta. Smith reached Pontotoc, MS on July 11.
Forrest was in Okolona, MS with about 6,000 men but was
ordered by MG Stephen D. Lee not to attack until reinforced.
DAY 1 Lee on his
way to Forrest with 2,000 men, encountered Smith at Pontotoc, MS and in a
number of uncoordinated assaults, attacked at 0730 on July 14, which beat the
Federals back. Lee halted fighting and
withdrew. Smith did not pursue Lee. Smith started back to Memphis on July 15.
DAY 2 Forrest engaged Smith around 5 pm on July 15 but was repelled.
THURSDAY
May 7, 2015
WEATHER: the day
started in the 60’s similar to yesterday
- mostly cloudy clouds cleared mostly sunny with highs in the 80’s
TRAVEL: Mid-South
Naval Support Facility
Finished reading Otis Singletary’s “The Mexican War.” Updated the web page and labeled
pictures. Discovered that somehow I
had deleted the folder holding all the pictures taken from April 1 through May
5 – a loss. I found Monday’s photos
still on the camera – somehow I may have deleted the file on pc rather than the
photos on the camera.
FRIDAY
May 8, 2015
WEATHER: the day
started in the 60’s similar to yesterday
- mostly cloudy clouds cleared mostly sunny with highs in the 80’s
TRAVEL: Mid-South
to Beale St in Memphis
 |
| Gibson |
 |
| Rock & Soul Museum |
Just across the street from Gibson in the Rock & Soul
Museum – this also is a must visit decided that my last visit was good – I wanted
to get to Beale St – I could hear the blues
 |
| The Harmonica guy was from England - he could wail the blues |
 |
| This PBR was $4.25 |
think he did much, much, better than the band expected. A guy that looked liked an old Neil Young (Neil Young today) – blonde hair down to his shoulders came in with a guitar on his back and played for two songs – he wasn’t that great. A woman from Sweden rocked the place away. They played for almost two hours - - - - - - when they broke I started walking . . . . .
 |
| BB Kings |
 |
| Beale Street |
SATURDAY
May 9, 2015
WEATHER: started in
the 60’s – rain around 6:30 heavy stroms in the west – I drove west and missed
the heavy rain- sun came out around noon – high of 83
TRAVEL: did some of
this route on Monday – Mid South to Shiloh to Corinth but from
there decided to follow the retreat of the Confederates from their attack on
Corinth and the following battle at Davis
Bridge –
the road trip itself was an adventure.
SHILOH National Military Park, Shiloh, TN
My second visit here in 5 days. I decided to follow the driving tour.
I asked the ranger again about the Battle of Fallen Timbers
– this time I got different directions – still couldn’t find the interpretive
markers – obvious the ranges haven’t tried to follow the route lately.
The Shiloh driving tour has 20 stops. There is an audio CD which I have at home –
wasn’t going to purchase another – I ddn’t take the audio tour until my 3rd
visit to Shiloh – by then I could start to put the pieces together – it can be difficult because the tour starts
to take you back wards through the battlefield from where Grant was at the end
of Day 1 to the start of the battle and then of course all the stuff in between
and there was a Day 2 over much of the same ground . . . when you take the driving tour you travel but
miss so much of the battle field
 |
| Stop 1 the cannon here never fail to impress - quite a collection - you can spend an hour walking the line |
STOP
1 Grant’s Last Line: The artillery along this ridge marks the
final position of Grant’s line on April 6, 1862. From the front the Federals launched their counterattack
on April 7th.
 |
| Stop 2 Confederate Monument |
STOP
2 Confederate Monument: This memorial commemorates where Confederate
troops encircled nearly 2,100 Union defenders of the Hornet’s Nest.
 |
| Stop 4 Line of Ruggles Guns |
STOP
3 Duncan Field: Union troops defended this position for seven
hours on April 6, before finally giving ground.
They retook it in the counterattack the next day.
 |
| Stop 5 Shiloh Meeting House - reproduction |
STOP
4 Ruggles’ Battery: When infantry attacks against the Hornet’s
Nest failed, the Confederates concentrated 11 batteries of artillery to bombard
the position, allowing their infantry to encircle and capture Gen Benjamin
Prentiss and nearly 2,100 Union soldiers.
STOP
5 Shiloh Church: Here stood Shiloh Meeting House, the log
Methodist Church that gave the battle its name.
STOP
6 Rhea Field:
Exposed to converging fire from Federal troops defending Shiloh Church,
Confederate units here sustained devastating losses in repeated attacks across Shiloh
Branch
 |
| Stop 7 Fraley Field - the start of the battle |
STOP
7 Fraley Field: A short trail west of this
stop leads to Fraley Field where the fighting commenced.’ The battle began here at 4:55 am April 6,
1862 when Confederate pickets engaged a patrol from COL Everett Peabody’s
Brigade.
STOP
8 Confederates Gain Ground: Early on April 6, 1862 Prentiss’ division
deployed along this low ridge to try to halt the Confederate advance. The Federals were soon forced back to their
camps.
STOP
9 Invasion of the Union Camps: Prentiss’ soldiers briefly defended their
camps before retreating north at 9 am. Johnston’s
offensive stalled when his soldiers stopped to plunder supplies.
 |
| Stop 10 The Hornets Nest |
STOP
10 Hornet’s Nest: Part of three Federal divisions stubbornly
defended this densely wooded area on April 6, 1862, so named by attacking
Confederates because of the stinging shot and shell they faced here.
 |
| Stop 11 Mass Grave |
STOP 11 Shiloh’s Casualties: One of five known mass graves where many of the 1,728 Confederate dead were buried. Shiloh veterans considered these graves important aspects of the battle history.
STOP
12 Jones Field: Union forces rallied here at noon on April
6,1862, mounting a counterattack that briefly checked the Confederate
offensive. Next day, fresh Federal
troops drove the Confederates from the field.
.jpg) |
| Stop 13 - Water Oaks Pond |
 |
| Stop 13 Water Oaks Pond |
STOP
13 Water Oaks Pond: The desperate assaults GEN P.G.T. Beauregard
hurled through this pond on April 7, 1862 failed to halt Grant’s counteroffensive. With, chances for victory gone, Beauregard
withdrew his army to Corinth.
STOP
14 Field Hospital: Here Federal surgeons set up one of the first
tent hospitals of the Civil War. By
concentrating medical services on the battlefield, patient care was greatly improved
and the death rate lowered.
 |
| Stop 15 Ravine |
STOP 15 Death of General Johnston: Struck by a stray bullet, Gen. Albert Sydney Johnston died in the ravine south of this monument. P.G.T. Beauregard succeeded to command the army.
 |
| Stop 16 The Peach Orchard |
STOP 16 The Peach Orchard: Sarah Bell’s orchard was in full bloom when Confederate troops attacked Union forces here on April 6, 1862. The Federals eventually retreated to Pittsburg Landing, but retook the field during the counterattack the next day.
 |
| Stop 17 Bloody Pond |
 |
| Stop 20 Pittsburg Landing |
STOP
19 Grant’s Left Flank: Here Union Artillery
hammered the flank of Confederate infantry charging across the rugged Dill
Branch ravine.
STOP
20 Pittsburg Landing: Gen Don Carlos Buell’s Army of the Ohio
arrived here on the night of April 6-7 to reinforce Grant.
BATTLE
OF FALLEN TIMBERS April 8, 1862
The Confederate Retreat from Shiloh included some sharp
rear guard actions with pursuing Federal Infantry. The most notable involved COL Nathan Bedford
Forrest at a place called Fallen Timbers.
Supposedly there is a marker – this was my 3rd attempt still
couldn’t find it.
 |
| Battery Robinette |
CORINTH Interpretive Center, Corinth TN
My second visit here in 5 days. From here decided to follow
Van Dorn’s retreat and return back to Tennessee. After he was unable to retake Corinth he had
to go back the way he came – he had left his supply wagons in Tennessee – near Davis
Bridge. The Park Ranger at Corinth had
no materials – only the 2007 Holiday issue of Blue & Gray Magazine – The Fight At Davis Bridge Tennessee. The road driving instructions are for the
most part valid. However, it appears
that the NPS acquired Davis Bridge Park – I found the NPS site but kept looking
for the park to no avail - - - - the park is now the NPS site – the 5 acres
must have been acquired since 2007 – not much there – only an interpretive
marker in much need of maintenance – I think few visit this site.
BATTLE
OF CORINTH
The Corinth Civil War Interpretive Center is the location
of Battery Robinnette which was involved in some bloody fighting in October
1862. Van Dorn’s offensive was one of
necessity not opportunity. The intent
was to fix Federal troops in Western Tennessee as Bragg began his invasion of
Kentucky. Sterling Price combined his
forces with Van Dorn’s, and agreed they had to neutralize Corinth in order to
maintain a supply route back to Mississippi.
The campaign began on September 29, 1862, leaving Ripley,
Mississippi and marching north for Tennessee threatening the Federal garrisons
at Bolivar and Jackson, TN. The Confederates halted on October 1 between the
villages of Metamora and Pocahontas, about 3 miles north of the state
line. They had to rebuild bridges across
the sizable Hatchie and Tuscumbia Rivers.
Van Dorn believed the Federal garrison at Corinth to be smaller than his
army of 15,000. The Federals actually
numbered 21,000 in well fortified positions. The assault failed.
 |
| Battle of Davis Bridge |
BATTLE
OF DAVIS BRIDGE
STOP 1 The General’s Driving Tour begins at the Corinth
Interpretive Center and follows the route of Van Dorn’s advance to Corinth in
reverse. I encountered only six
vehicles on the road for the entire length
of the trip. It runs through some
very rural country – off the beaten path.
 |
| Stop 2 - Mt. Carmel Mehtodist Church |
 |
| Stop 3 |
STOP
3 Van Dorn’s Camp to and from Corinth – There
is a historical marker here indicating Chewalla where Van Dorn’s men camped on
the night of October 2-3, 1862 and again on October 4-5 during the
retreat.
.jpg) |
| Stop 4 New bridge over Tuscumbia River |
STOP 4 Young’s Bridge Battle Site – this is the area of Big Hill. There is a pullover but no historical markers. Here Confederate Gen John S. Bowen’s 1st position at Big Hill as Union Gen James B. McPherson pursues the retreating Confederates. Just down the road is another pullover at the Tuscumbia River Bridge, the area of Bowen’s 2nd position. Young’s Bridge is said to have been 100 yards south of the present bridge.
 |
| Fight at Young's Bridge |
 |
| Stop 6 Old State Line Trace |
 |
| Stop 6 Old State Line Trace road along Metamora Ridge |
 |
| Stop 6 Metamora Ridge |
ced by the State of Tennessee. Federal Gen Stephen A. Hurlburt formed his men for an attack here. The road along this ridge line was a possible and preferred escape route for Van Dorn – occupation the Federals made that impossible.
 |
| Battle at Davis Bridge |
STOP 7 Hatchie Bridge Park – don’t look for a sign here saying Hatchie Bridge Park – since the Blue & Gray article was written it appears the NPS acquired the property and placed two interpretive markers. Never found a place called Burr’s Branch (STOP 7a Hatchie Valley and Burr’s Branch). I walked the locked gated trail to the bridge site – I don’t think this is visited often.
 |
| Stop 7b Memrorial Area |
 |
| Site 7c - Hatchie River |
SUNDAY
May 10, 2015
WEATHER: warm and
humid – 72 at 4:30 am – storms moved in the the north cooled things off into
the high 60’s – could hear thunder but no rain until0715 when I was walking back from the laundry with my
once dry clothes – oh well the laundry here is free
TRAVEL: did some
MASS at St. William’s Church – mass was at 0830
about a mile just outside the base gate.
Update web site and labeled photos – future planning. Started reading” Kenesaw Mountain and the
Atlanta Campaign.”
MONDAY
May 11, 2015
WEATHER: rained some
last night – around 70 and humid – mostly cloudy – clear all the way to Georgia
– up just south of Nashville then down through Chattanooga – with a high of 91.
TRAVEL: Mid-South
to McKinney Campground -Altoona Army Rec Area, a long drive today – 423 miles –
got in the area after a 7 hour drive – but took another hour to locate the
actual McKinney Campground.
Allatoona
Lake is a multipurpose Army Corp of Engineers
project. Preliminary work began in 1941,
but but on hold due to WW II. A dam was
completed and placed in operation in
January, 1950. The lake is located on
the Etowah River about 30 miles north of Atlanta. The dam creates a large irregular lake in the
Etowah Valley. Excess runoff is stored
to alleviate flood heights in Rome, GA.
The lake levels can change dramatically and rapidly – up to 3-4 feet
during a heavy rain – the max recorded was 20 feet.
There are 8 campgrounds on the project, 8 marinas, 16 day
use areas, 15 state/city operated areas.
It’s Monday and not very crowded.
It will be different on the weekend.
McKinney has 150 sites. I also
visited McKaskey Campground also very nice with 51 sites. The hosts at McKaskey were nicer than the old
bat checking people in at McKinney. One strange rule: a gate – closes at 1030 pm opens
at 700 am – a lock in or if you’re on the outside – a lock out.
TUESDAY
May 12, 2015
WEATHER: started to
rain about 0515 stopped around 0700, cleared by noon and high in mid 80’s
TRAVEL: McKinney CG
to Chickamauga (73
miles one way – yes I passed this way
yesterday) to McKinney CG, a slow drive in the morning due to an accident - reducing
I-75 to one lane for about 5 miles.
McKinney – peaceful – restful – the birds sing here . . . .
. . got back around 3:30 and read
updated blog, labeled pictures
Update web site and labeled photos – future planning. Started reading” Kenesaw Mountain and the
Atlanta Campaign.”
203 CHICKAMAUGA & CHATTANOOGA National Battlefield Park, Rossville, Georgia
This is my 6th visit here, 10th day on the field – only the second time I took the driving tour – there is a CD (of course mine is at home) – plan a minimum of 2 hours + 1 in the Visitor Center. To do it right plan on a minimum of 2 days – a good film - a lot happened here and there is always so much more to learn or re-learn. Plenty of trails to walk – good roads to bike – did not visit Lookout Mountain, Missionary Ridge, Orchard Knob (been there thrice before) – this is a whole other day. The most entertaining and appreciated visit here was with the Chicago Civil War Roundtable in 2012. We travelled the route of the union army to the battlefield – even by bus that took a half day in itself.
This was a 3 day battle (Sep 19 – 21, 1863) – a Confederate victory but did not destroy the Army of the Cumberland which retreated to Chattanooga. Both sides were confused – at times lost – made mistakes – walk the ground and you can see why. There is plenty to see – I’ve probably visited only 50% of the monuments and plaques to read – it’s a large battlefield.
The driving tour only covers about a third of the park . . . but gives you a pretty good feel for what happened here and why. –Update web site and labeled photos – future planning. Started reading” Kenesaw Mountain and the Atlanta Campaign.”
STOP
1 – Slocomb’s Battery – did not visit due to
construction
STOP 3 MIX UP IN THE UNION COMMAND – Shortly after 11am on September 20, Rosecrans received an erroneous report that BG John M. Brennan’s division had moved out of position, thus creating, it was believed, a gap in the Federal line. When BG Thomas J. Wood’s division was ordered to fill that supposed gap, he created a real one. The Georgia Monument is the largest state monument on the battlefield.
STOP
4 CONFEDRATE BREAKTHROUGH – Just as the last
elements of Wood’s division pulled out
of the line on September, 20th and before MG Jefferson C. Davis;
division could fill the gap, Longstreet’s troops attacked. They came from the woods across Lafayette
Road past the Brotherton Cabin, and into the newly created gap. The attack broke the divisions of Davis and
MG Philip H. Sheridan. The Brotherton
Cabin is post war construction.
STOP 5 VINIARD FIELD – couldn’t park here due to construction – but walked back ½ mile. One of the battles bloodiest actions took place here on the afternoon of September 19. The action went back and forth across the Lafayette Road. At one point , Confederates became trapped in the ditch west of the Hans C. Heg Monument. “We advanced under a perfect shower of bullets,” recalled LTC James C Abernathy of the 8th KS Inf, “sometimes driving the enemy and sometimes being driven by them, until we had fought over ground over and over again, and almost half our number lay dead or wounded.”
STOP
6 WILDER BRIGADE MONUMENT - The 85 foot monument honors COL John T.
Wilder and his brigade of mounted infantry, who occupied this part of the field when Confederates troops broke through the Union line on September 20. Armed with 7 shot Spencer repeating rifles, Wilder’s 2,000 man brigade poured a deadly fire into the Confederates before withdrawing from the battlefield. The monument sits on the site of a 23 year old widow Eliza Glenn’s house, which served as Rosecran’s HQ on September 19 and in the early morning on the 20th when the house was destroyed.
STOP 7 ROUT OF THE UNION RIGHT – Many Federal units moving through this area on September 20 were surprised by Longstreet’s attack and driven from the field, including Rosecrans and two of his corps commanders. The Brotherton Cabin lies through the woods to the east.
STOP
8 SNODGRASS HILL – Here on the afternoon of
September 20, MG Thomas became the “Rock
of Chickamauga.” When Confederate
attacks struck the Union center, the Union troops fell back to this hill where Thomas’
men held off repeated Confederate attacks until ordered to retreat at
sunset. The Snodgrass cabin served as a
field hospital after the battle.
204 KENNESAW MOUNTAIN National Battlefield Park,
Kennesaw, GA
Johnston commanding the corps of: 55,000 men
By June 19th Sherman’s soldiers forced
Johnston to withdraw again, this time to a 7 mile long prepared defensive
position anchored by Kennesaw Mountain.
Confederate engineers laid out a formidable line of entrenchments.
Astride Burnt Hickory Road, 3 Union brigades totaling 5,500
men crossed the swampy, heavily wooded terrain.
Before they could reach their objective – Pigeon Hill – they were driven
to cover. It became apparent the attack
would not succeed, Sherman recalled it.
Meanwhile, on a hill south of what today is the Dallas Highway,
8,000 Union soldiers attacked two Confederate
entrenched divisions on a hill later named Cheatham’s Hill. Both sides grimly named the place the “Dead Angle.”
The Visitor Center parking lot was all but full at 8:45 in
the morning. These were not visitors to
the battlefield but visitors who wanted to hike the trails, run up the
mountain, take the dogs for a walk. The
whole place is like this. It should be
named Kennesaw National Recreation Area - Kennesaw National Military Park and its
historical significance is just a sideline.
STOP 1 KENNESAW MOUNTAIN – an overlook near the summit provides a panoramic view of Atlanta. The gun emplacements were built to protect the Western & Atlantic Railroad (now CSX). This isworth visiting.
STOPS
2 & 3 – NEVER FOUND THEM
STOP 4 PIGEON HILL – the foot trail leads to the Confederate entrenchments – where one of Sherman’s two major attacks were dispersed. Visit if you like hiking.
STOP
5 CHEATHAM HILL – here the Confederates created
a salient in their lines. The fiercest
fighting of the battle raged here at what became known as the “Dead Angle.” There is an imposing Illinois Monument here
as well as Confederate earthworks and cannon emplacements. The Federal attack was repulsed. Visit here.
205 CHATTAHOOCHEE RIVER National Recreation Area, Sandy Springs, GA
I’ve rafted the Chattahoochee River back in the early 80’s. The water fast moving – shallow – the river is full of rocks-ledges – and the water is almost always 58-63 degrees – not swimming water but it feels good for a little while when the temp is 95. The draw is rafting, canoeing, kayaking and fishing. The NPS has no concessionaires who rent rafts.
Because of the swift water, rocks and small rapids you I don’t think
you’ll ever see power boats on the “Hootch.” There are 7 public river access points with float trips ranging from 13 miles (9-10 hours in a raft) to 3 miles (1-3 hours in a raft). Rubber soled shoes are a must when rafting.
206 LITTLE RIVER CANYON National Preserve, Fort
Payne, AL
I found the Little River Canyon Center – really not part of
the NPS but part of the University – a good
video and gift shop - at any
rate, I wish I was camping closer – there are 10 trails here ranging from 1/10 mile Arduous Steep (Trail to Lower Two
Mile) to 1 ½ mile Easy (Beaver Pond
Trail Loop). Of course this is truly
wild – wilderness – best to go with a partner.
The scenic beauty and eco-systems here are the draw. Just enjoy the peace and quiet. – listen to the woods.
Archeologists have established a general cultural sequence:
Paleo, Archaic, Woodland, Mississippian. For most of Russell Cave’s 9,000 years of
human use, in inhabitants were in the Archaic age (7000-500 BC) – started at
the tail end of the last Ice Age.
AMICALOLA
FALLS STAE PARK, LODGE & HIKE INN – this
was a drive of 70 miles (1 ½ hours) to the southern edge of the Blue Ridge
Mountains. This is not the start of the Appalachian
Trail (AT). There was a $5 entrance fee,
it was Saturday and it was full of visitors.
There is a Visitor Center, Lodge and Gift Shop. It was a 8.7 mile approach trail to the start
of the Appalachian Trail – all uphill – termed arduous – it would have taken me
5-6 hours to walk. At the Lodge, I asked if there was a way to
drive to the start of the AT (Springer Mountain)? The reply was yes – a 35 mile drive that took
about a hour. The last 6.5 miles was on USFS
Road 48 all dirt – to within a mile of the Springer Mountain start of the AT –
more about that later.
APPALACHIAN National Scenic Trail, Dawsonville, GA
The drive to Springer
Mountain was interesting the last 6.5 miles of drive along USFS Road 42 was
just a bit scary – a lot of switchbacks – blind-spots – some washouts but not
as bad as some roads I traveled in Mississippi. The drive up took about 20 minutes – but seemed
like an hour – I only saw 2 vehicles come down.
I kept wondering if there really was a parking lot. Eventually, I got there – and there had to be
around 35 parked cars – no people.
There was some dispute as to where the AT should start. Originally, it was Mount Oglethorpe thehighest point in Georgia but because of problems with land owners it was moved here – to Springer Mountain - there was a need for a remote spot – not as remote as Kathadin but close.
I walked past the Greene County Courthouse - strange for a Southern Courthouse - there is a statue of a Federal Soldier not a Confederate Soldier in the front of the courthouse..
MM 9.6 just a good place to stop and walk down to the stream
MM 10.4 Alum Cave Trailhead – this is another popular trail but it’s closed Monday through Thursday. This is another trail I passed on primarily because of time - but it looks interesting.
MM
13.6 Second Tunnel – notice the CCC stonework
and how well the new stone work matches the old. The road here was lowered without damaging
the original stonework.
MM
14.8 Clingmans Dome Road – a turn here and a 7
mile drive to a parking lot. It was a
wonderful day – clean and clear. This is
claimed to be the highest point (6,643 ft) in the Smokies, in Tennessee and the
entire Appalachian Trail (Mount Washington in New Hampshire is 6,288 feet).
Clingmans
Dome is names for antebellum NC Senator Thomas
Lanier Clingman, who asserted with Southern pride that Smoky Dome, as is was
then called, was higher than any mountain in New England. He was right.
The Appalachian Trail also passes near here. The road to Clingmans Dome is usually closed Dec 1-Mar 31 due to snow and ice.
MM 15.4 Oconaluftee Valley Overlook – from the Cherokee word Ekwanult, meaning ‘along the river’
MM
29.9 Mingus Mill – I almost passed this up but
glad I didn’t – The mill was built in 1886 to grind corn and what for the
nearby farmers. The trees of the forest
now – were not here when farms dotted the landscape. It’s been restored by the CCC (1937) and the NPS
(1968) – it still is a working mill, not commercial but it works. There was a volunteer on the inside who
explained the workings of a turbine mill.
The water is used to move machinery on belts similar to the turbines that
used water to move the belts on the weaving mills in Lowell, MA.
MM 30.3 Oconaluftee Visitor Center – there is a mountain farm exhibit behind the VC
The action started right away on the Upper Section of the Pigeon River on a Class III + rapid called “Powerhouse”. This is where the photos come from. After this, the rapids come in close succession with “Big Rock” and “Full of Water.” There were others such as ‘’Big Bend”, “Roller Coaster”, “Lost Guide”, and “Duck N Run” and “Accelerator”. This was fun . . . . the PBR afterwards was my celebration
It took an hour to walk the 3 ½ miles to 7 pm MASS at St. Mary’s Church in Gatlinburg, TN. I thought I’d catch the trolley – there are several trolley lines in Gatlinburg – apparently they are supposed to run every 45 minutes – but I think there is only 1 trolley on each line and the stops are infrequent and not well marked. In the entire walk mostly downhill in 83degree weather a trolley never passed me. The church was next to the Convention Center – about ¾ full and ¾ of those in attendance were visitors. I thought I’d take the trolley back – but no – I walked this time it was almost all uphill.
SUNDAY May 24, 2015
There is a 2 story Visitor Center here. The first level has some history exhibits and
a small bookstore, the 2nd level has the theatre, some exhibits and
a local craft store. The films were
excellent. One was the story of Cumberland
Gap and Daniel Boone; the other was generic about the park and the Cumberland Gap. Easy to spend at least an hour here.
From the Visitor Center I drove to the Pinnacle Overlook with stops at the Thomas Walker parking lot to take a hike on the Object Lesson Road Trail, part of the Wilderness Road Trail through the Saddle of the Gap and up to the Tri State Peak . A trail length of only 1 ½ miles but it is very steep and took me an hour just to get to the peak. A much more strenuous walk than the 3 ½ miles to St. Mary’s yesterday – which took about an hour - and more strenuous then Clingmans Dome. Unfortunately, when you get to the top where the boundaries of the Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee meet –‘ you can’t see the forest for the trees.’ A little tree trimming would be in order.
There are several Civil War era forts on the drive: Fort Foote is another hike up just off trail to the Tri State Peak – don’t bother – unless like to walk uphill – I couldn’t find any interpretive markers. Fort McCook has a parking area, a cannon and an interpretive marker. Fort Lyon is another up hill walk when you start on the short trail to the Pinnacle Overlook.
Cumberland Gap, was the first great gateway to the west. If you followed the buffalo, the Native
American, the longhunter, the pioneer... all traveled this route through the
mountains into the wilderness of Kentucky. Modern day explorers and travelers
stand in awe at this great gateway and the many miles of trails and scenic
features found in the park.
No name is more
associated with the Cumberland Gap and the opening of the West than Daniel Boone’s. He was born near Reading, PA in 1734 and
became renowned as a hunter and rifleman.
In 1775 the Treaty of Sycamore Shoals secured a large portion of the Kentucky
back country from the Cherokees. That
year Boone and 30 men marked out the Wilderness Trail from Long Island on the Holston
River (Kingsport, TN) through Cumberland Gap into Kentucky. There he founded Boonesborough and eventually
held several positions in local government.
Long before humans –
elk, deer, bison trampled trails through the gap in search of food. Indian
warriors also used the path as a trial of trade and war.
1861-1865 The Gap was considered strategic by both North and South during the Civil War. It changed hands several times but saw no major action.
Third
Occupation of the Cumberland Gap – September 18, 1862 – September 9, 1863: In
1862, a major invasion of Kentucky was launched by the South. General Morgan left the Gap and CONFEDERATE
General Edmund Kirby Smith took control during the Kentucky Campaign led by
Confederate General Braxton Bragg. The Gap
served as the route through which Bragg retreated after the Battle of
Perryville in Kentucky. The Gap was
under the command of General Archibald Gracie until he was transferred to the
Eastern Theatre of the war, He left in command
General John Frazer, who controlled the Gap from August 8, 1863 until September
9, 1863.
1908 Federal government complete Object Lesson
Road a project demonstrating modern road-
building methods.
 |
| Stop 2 Battleline - Breckenridge's Division |
STOP
2 THE BATTLELINE – Most Civil War battles were
fought in open fields, but Chickamauga was fought in largely wooded
terrain. Generals had difficulty
keepings tracks of troops, much less directing them. The battles final day opened nearby about
0930 as Confederates under LTG Leonidas Polk attacked MG George H. Thomas’
corps lined up along log barricades.
This caused Rosecrans to shift troops to aid Thomas weakening the union
right flank. Monuments line the union
battle line.
 |
| Stop 2 Battleline 1st WI Inf |
 |
| Stop 2 Battleline 21st WI Inf |
 |
| Stop 2 Battleline 10th WI Inf |
 |
| Stop 2 Hardship on the Union Line |
 |
| Stop 3 Mix Up in Orders |
 |
| Stop 3 Georgia Monument |
STOP 3 MIX UP IN THE UNION COMMAND – Shortly after 11am on September 20, Rosecrans received an erroneous report that BG John M. Brennan’s division had moved out of position, thus creating, it was believed, a gap in the Federal line. When BG Thomas J. Wood’s division was ordered to fill that supposed gap, he created a real one. The Georgia Monument is the largest state monument on the battlefield.
 |
| Stop 4 Brotherton Cabin |
 |
| Stop 4 Confederate Breaktrhough |
STOP 5 VINIARD FIELD – couldn’t park here due to construction – but walked back ½ mile. One of the battles bloodiest actions took place here on the afternoon of September 19. The action went back and forth across the Lafayette Road. At one point , Confederates became trapped in the ditch west of the Hans C. Heg Monument. “We advanced under a perfect shower of bullets,” recalled LTC James C Abernathy of the 8th KS Inf, “sometimes driving the enemy and sometimes being driven by them, until we had fought over ground over and over again, and almost half our number lay dead or wounded.”
 |
| Stop 5 Viniard Field Heg's Brigade |
 |
| Stop 6 Heg Monument - KIA |
 |
| Stop 6 8th KS Inf |
 |
| Stop 6 15th WI Inf |
 |
| Stop 6 Wilder Monument |
 |
| Stop 6 View from the Wilder Monument |
Wilder and his brigade of mounted infantry, who occupied this part of the field when Confederates troops broke through the Union line on September 20. Armed with 7 shot Spencer repeating rifles, Wilder’s 2,000 man brigade poured a deadly fire into the Confederates before withdrawing from the battlefield. The monument sits on the site of a 23 year old widow Eliza Glenn’s house, which served as Rosecran’s HQ on September 19 and in the early morning on the 20th when the house was destroyed.
 |
| Stop 6 Wilder's Defense |
 |
| Stop 6 5th WI Battery |
 |
| Stop 6 WI Battery |
 |
| Stop 6 1st WI Cavalry |
 |
| Stop 6 24th WI Inf |
STOP 7 ROUT OF THE UNION RIGHT – Many Federal units moving through this area on September 20 were surprised by Longstreet’s attack and driven from the field, including Rosecrans and two of his corps commanders. The Brotherton Cabin lies through the woods to the east.
 |
| Stop 7 Rout on the Union Right |
 |
| Stop 8 View from Snodgrass Cabin |
 |
| Stop 8 Snodgrass Hill |
WEDNESDAY
May 13, 2015
WEATHER: started in
the low 60’s warmed up to 83
TRAVEL: About 18
miles from McKinney to Kennesaw; another 12 to Chattahoochee and 18 miles back to
McKinney
 |
| Visitor Center Doesn';t open until 9 amn |
There are a series of Civil War Battles leading to the Battle
of Kennesaw Mountain and culminating in the Battles of Atlanta. The primary Generals were MG William Tecumseh
Sherman for the North, and LTGs Albert Sydney Johnston/John Bell Hood for the
South.
Sherman was commanding general of what we could call an
army group, consisting of:
Army
of the Cumberland – MG George H. Thomas 65,000 men
IV Corps – MG Oliver Otis Howard
XIV Corps – MG John M. Palmer
XX Corps – MG Joe Hooker
Army
of the Tennessee – MG James B. McPherson 23,000 men
XV Corps – MG John A. Logan
XVI Corps – MG Grenville M. Dodge
Army
of the Ohio
XIII – MG John M. Schofield 11,000 men
Cavalry - MG George Stoneman 11,000
men
TOTAL 110,000
men
Johnston commanding the corps of: 55,000 men
LTG
William J Hardee
LTG
John Bell Hood
Cavalry – MG Joe
Wheeler 8,500
men
Later LTG Leonidas Polk Corps joined Johnston
THE CAMPAIGN BEGINS
Sherman began a campaign on May, 1864 to destroy the
Confederate Army of Joseph E. Johnston and ultimately seize Atlanta.
May 9, 1864 Sherman approached Johnston’s position on a
steep ridge Rocky Face. Sherman flanked
him by sending a column through Snake Creek Gap to threaten the Western &
Atlantic RR – Johnston’s supply connection with Atlanta.
After an engagement at Rocky Face, Johnston moved south and
dug in at Resaca, where he repulsed Sherman’s attacks May 13-15, 1864.
The series of moves/flanking maneuvers continued with Johnston
always withdrawing to intercept new threats.
This sounds a lot of what Lee was doing with Grant as he
approached Richmond (the Overland Campaign) with a superior force – except, that
maybe, Grant didn’t give up frontal attacks until after the slaughter at Cold
Harbor – but he always tried to flank Lee – Lee moved and intercepted the
threat.
BATTLE OF KENNESAW MOUNTAIN
Stalemated, Sherman suspected that Johnston’s line although
strong must be thinly manned. He planned
for diversionary moves against Kennesaw and the Confederate left while
attacking Johnston’s center with a two-pronged assault. This became The Battle of Kennesaw Mountain.
The attacking brigades moved into position on June 27,
1864. At 8 am they surged forward. Both attacks were bloody, brief and failed.
 |
| Pigeon Hill |
 |
| Cheatham Hill |
Sherman
resumed his flanking strategy and forced
Johnston to abandon his Kennesaw lines on July 2nd.
 |
| Kennesaw Parking Lot on a Wednesday at 8:30 AM |
A nice Visitor Center and museum but it doesn’t open until
9am – of course there are only 3 parking spaces reserved for museum/Visitor
Center visitors – come early. The film
is good.
There is a Driving Tour but it is not marked well. It has 7 stops – Stop 1 – has nice views – I walked
the trail to the top. I couldn’t find
any markers at Stops 2 and 3. Stop 4 parking was full of runners, dog
walkers and hikers – I walked the trial well past the confederate trenches.. Stop 5 looked like it could have been a
battlefield (trenches and redoubts) just a few dog walkers; Stop 6 parking
again full of walkers, runners and dog walkers – at least its called Recreation
Area 3. Stop 7 – just a pullover. All in all not very exciting – I spent 4
hours here – Well, I visited . . . . a
good thing I had read about the campaign first – the drive route is not very
informative and not well marked. You do get a good tour of the high rent district
in Marietta, GA – some really nice homes built on the mountain. Thankfully, roads are too narrow for bikes and
they drive too fast down here anyway - so they walk the trails or run or walk the
park road up to Stop 1 and down again to the Visitor Center. Honestly, there were more people on the
trails here on a Wednesday than there were Boy Scouts hiking at Shiloh on a
Saturday – really.
 |
| Stop 1 View of Atlanta |
STOP 1 KENNESAW MOUNTAIN – an overlook near the summit provides a panoramic view of Atlanta. The gun emplacements were built to protect the Western & Atlantic Railroad (now CSX). This isworth visiting.
 |
| Stop 4 Pigeon Hill trenches |
STOP 4 PIGEON HILL – the foot trail leads to the Confederate entrenchments – where one of Sherman’s two major attacks were dispersed. Visit if you like hiking.
 |
| Stop 5 Illinois Monument at the "Dead Angle" |
 |
| Stop 6 Activity Area 3 |
STOP
6 SHERMAN/THOMAS HEADQUARTERS - I saw Recreation Area 3
STOP
7 KOLB’S FARM – the site of a battle fought on
the afternoon of June 22, 1864. Federals
repulsed Hood’s attack just north of Powder Springs Road. MG Joe Hooker used the house as his HQ after
the fight.
 |
| Stop 7 Kolb's Farm |
 |
| Entrance sign |
I’ve rafted the Chattahoochee River back in the early 80’s. The water fast moving – shallow – the river is full of rocks-ledges – and the water is almost always 58-63 degrees – not swimming water but it feels good for a little while when the temp is 95. The draw is rafting, canoeing, kayaking and fishing. The NPS has no concessionaires who rent rafts.
 |
| Visitor Center |
Because of the swift water, rocks and small rapids you I don’t think
.jpg) |
| Chattahoochee River |
Island
Ford is Park Headquarters and the Visitor
Center is really less than a contact station.
It’s a great place for hiking or a picnic. There are many units/parks along the river
run by NPS, cities and counties.
THURSDAY
May 14, 2015
WEATHER: about 58 at
5 am – warmed up to 83
TRAVEL: McKinney to
DeSoto State Park to Little River Canyon Center in Fort Payne, AL to Russell
Cave near Bridgeport, AL and back to McKinney through Chattanooga.
 |
| Crow Point Overlook |
This was an interesting trip along the Lookout Mountain
Plateau. The drive was a bit confusing
because it originally took me to Mentor, AL -yes but no – so I decided to go to
DeSoto State Park and ask for directions.
DeSoto appears like a good place to camp
and spend some time, but don’t’ try to get there the way I did with a
trailer – I don’t think it would work.
Look at the maps and ask for directions.
I found the Little River Canyon Center – really not part of
the NPS but part of the University – a good
video and gift shop - at any
rate, I wish I was camping closer – there are 10 trails here ranging from 1/10 mile Arduous Steep (Trail to Lower Two
Mile) to 1 ½ mile Easy (Beaver Pond
Trail Loop). Of course this is truly
wild – wilderness – best to go with a partner.  |
| Mushroom Rock on Scenic Drive |
Beginning at 1,900 feet above sea level on Lookout Mountain
the Little River ends up at 650 feet above sea level at Weiss Lake. The river flows most of its length on top of
a mountain along the Cumberland Plateau then plunges into the Little River
Canyon. The result is one of the most
extensive canyon and gorge systems in the eastern United States – the 12 mile
long and 600 foot deep Little River Canyon.
By Act of Congress it became a National Preserve in
1992. A 14,000 acres – 199 sq mile
Little River watershed. Alabama’s DeSoto
State Park lies within the Preserve boundary.
 |
| DeSoto Park Pitcher Plants |
 |
| Little River Falls |
Canyon
Rim Drive follows the west rim of Little River
Canyon for 11 scenic miles. It has nine
overlooks. I only saw one other auto on
the entire trip.
 |
| Lynn Overlook |
 |
| Eberhardt Overlook |
The scenic beauty and eco-systems here are the draw. Just enjoy the peace and quiet. – listen to the woods.
207 RUSSELL CAVE National Monument, Bridgeport AL
This is a cultural site established in 1961 by JFK. The cave site characterizes the evolving
stages of civilization in southeastern America before European contact.
 |
| Russell's Cave Entrance |
 |
| Russells's Cave Diorama inside |
The cave as used for shelter was large and dry – an upper
level with a wide mouth open to the air but facing east – away from the north
wind but open to the warming morning sun.
A perfect refuge: excellent water source - abundant wildlife and a good
supply of rock for shaping into points.
It served as home to small groups of 15 to 30 people. The artifacts left behind tell the story. Russell
Cave offers one of the longest most complete archeological records in the
eastern US.
It’s a bit off the beaten path (an interstate) but not as
far as Arkansas Post – a hour visit with a 7 minute film will suffice. A visit here is good day trip or an afternoon
sojourn.
Finished reading “Kennesaw
Mountain and the Atlanta Campaign” – a short booklet published by the NPS
– author Albert Castel does not give Sherman a lot of credit – points out his
faults – which I have noticed but this is the first author I’ve read who
acknowledges them - he seems to be a George Thomas fan.
I also finished listening to Hilliary Clinton’s “Living History.” Bought the CDs at the Clinton Presidential Library in Little
Rock, Arkansas – didn’t think I’d find time to read the book.. She won an Emmy for her reading . . . . just
thought I’d get her views – of course - it a political writing – from her honest
political heart and how she always supported Bill - the President.
FRIDAY
May 15, 2015
WEATHER: low of 68
overnight, cloudy – cleared up and the rain stayed away high in low 80’s
TRAVEL: only to the
Publix to buy groceries
 |
| BB Kings Blues Club Mempihs |
B.B. King “King
of the Blues” died in Las Vegas. His
first hit “Sweet Sixteen”, his
signature song “The Thrill is Gone”
– his guitar - a Gibson named “Lucille.” He was 89.
I started reading “Campaign for Wilson Creek: The Fight for
Missouri Begins” by Jeffrey L. Patrick in anticipation of visiting the
SW Missouri battlefield in June.
Visited the beach here at the
campground – just a short walk down the road - I literally had it all to myself
– I read. It’s Friday – this evening the
campground will begin to fill up.
SATURDAY
May 16, 2015
WEATHER: 67 at 5am; warmed up to 83 down here – didn’t get much
past 72 in the mountains- no breeze
TRAVEL: McKinney to
Amicalola Falls State Park to Springer Mountain to McKinney
AMICALOLA
FALLS STAE PARK, LODGE & HIKE INN – this
was a drive of 70 miles (1 ½ hours) to the southern edge of the Blue Ridge
Mountains. This is not the start of the Appalachian
Trail (AT). There was a $5 entrance fee,
it was Saturday and it was full of visitors.
There is a Visitor Center, Lodge and Gift Shop. It was a 8.7 mile approach trail to the start
of the Appalachian Trail – all uphill – termed arduous – it would have taken me
5-6 hours to walk. At the Lodge, I asked if there was a way to
drive to the start of the AT (Springer Mountain)? The reply was yes – a 35 mile drive that took
about a hour. The last 6.5 miles was on USFS
Road 48 all dirt – to within a mile of the Springer Mountain start of the AT –
more about that later. |
| Top of Amicalola Falls Not much to cheer about Nice view |
Amicalola
has plenty of trails. The Approach Trail starts at the Visitor
Center is labeled arduous and has 604
stairs to get to the Falls and lodge – I decided to drive most of the way up
bypassing most of the stairs.
 |
| Amicalola Falls State Park - Plaque marking the "Approach Trail" to the Appalachian Trail |
 |
| USFS Road 42 No pictures of the road Kept both hands on the wheel The dirt road is about 1 1/2 lanes wide |
This is the southern terminus of the Appalachian National
Scenic Trail. I got close to the northern
terminus (counted as #57) on Mount Katahdin in Baxter State Park on July 25,
2014 – you can go and visit the blog if you wish. I was lucky enough to see the mountain – it
is often in clouds. You have to register
in advance to climb Katahdin – a full day up and down.
The Appalachian Trail
is a 2,185 mile long public footpath that traverses the scenic, wooded,
pastoral, wild, and culturally resonant lands of the Appalachian Mountains.
Conceived in 1921, built by private citizens, and completed in 1937, today the
trail is managed by the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, Appalachian
Trail Conservancy, numerous state agencies and thousands of volunteers.
 |
| Kiosk at Spirnger Mountain Parking Lot USFS Road 42 |
.jpg) |
| AT Springer Moutnain Roots and Rocks |
 |
| AT Marker |
 |
| Southern Terminus of Appalachian Trail Springer Mountain, Georgia |
There was some dispute as to where the AT should start. Originally, it was Mount Oglethorpe thehighest point in Georgia but because of problems with land owners it was moved here – to Springer Mountain - there was a need for a remote spot – not as remote as Kathadin but close.
 |
| Appalachian Trail - View from Springer Mountain Southern Terminus of the AT |
I parked along the
road (with others) walked to the kiosk and decided to walk to the top of the Springer
Mountain and the start of the AT. The
path was up almost all the way. The walked
some of the AT in Baxter State Park Maine – I labeled the AT there as R&B –
“roots and boulders.” Here, it can be called R&R – “roots and
rocks” – the stones are flatter to provide nice stepping stones. The 2 mile up and down trip took an
hour. Only saw 5 people coming down. Quiet - defintiely a walk in the woods.
Traveling the 28 mile winding road to Cades Cove I stopped
at Laurel Falls . This is a 1 ¼ uphill paved trail to Laurel Falls. It has variety – wooded ridges, ravines, and a
small stream. Going up took 40 minutes
and there weren’t many people at 0800 but coming down (30 minutes) at 0840 I
met a fairly steady stream of people.
When I got to the bottom the parking was overflow. There is a self-guiding nature trail - you can buy the trail guide for 50 cents.
The Andrew Johnson
National Historic Site and National Cemetery interprets the life and legacy of
the 17th President. Andrew Johnson's presidency, 1865-1869, illustrates the
United States Constitution at work following President Lincoln's assassination
and during attempts to reunify a nation torn by civil war. His presidency
shaped the future of the United States and his influences continue today. It has 4 units/sites Johnson’s Early Home,
the Visitor Center, the Johnson Homestead and the Andrew Johnson National
Cemetery.
1867 Vetoes the Tenure of Office Act and the Military Reconstruction Bills
1868 Acquitted by the Senate on May
16th & 26th.
1869 Johnson and his family return to
Greeneville
1872 Runs for the United States House
of Representatives but he is defeated.
SUNDAY
May 17, 2015
WEATHER: woke up to
69 for a temperature; still no breeze – still no breeze but a short thunderstorm
cooled things down to 70 at 4pm.
TRAVEL: McKinney to
St. Catherine of Sienna Church to Kohl’s to Cabela’s to McKinney
9am MASS at St. Catherine of Sienna Church in
Kennesaw, GA. This church was
reminiscent of many churches in Florida – large and current. There were approximately 350 people at Mass –
the church probably holds 450. Parking
and exit-entry was not a problem. An
African priest – he may have been pastor.
Contemporary building – only three stained glass right, left and behind
the altar – the rest of the windows were clear.
The windows left and right carried images of Mother Theresa and John
XXIII.
I washed the car, did laundry, and read. I anticipate doing some river rafting and
hiking. So, I bought a new day pack-
actually it holds a lot but compresses to a very reasonable size. I also purchased some water shoes and a
waterproof pouch for a cell phone. I
also bought a shirt and some pants.
Twin Creek RV Park – a nice park, not very crowded today – very clean. There is camping in the Great Smoky Mountains NP – but there are 1,008 “front country” campsites but none have RV hook ups or showers - $17-23 per night for the privilege.
208 GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS National Park, Gatlinburg, TN
Gatlinburg
borders on Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Literally development ends and the park begin
– so I stopped by two Visitor Centers. First
was the combined NP/Gatlinburg Visitor Center and then the Sugarlands VC which
is the Northern entrance to the park. – touristy. There are 3 Visitor Centers in the par: Sugarlands,
Cades Cove and Oconaluftree. A contact
center Clingman’s Dome is open on a seasonal base.
I hope to do some hiking . . . . 71 miles of the Appalachian Trail pass
through the park – part of the more than 150 miles or trails in the park.
209 BIG SOUTH FORK National Recreation Area, 4564 Leatherwood Rd, Oneida, TN
This park has more than I expected. It is primarily for hikers, kayakers, horse
riders, mountain bikers, and campers.
Unfortunately, I didn’t give this enough time today.
The Big South Fork River winds through 90 miles of scenic
gorges, cliffs, and valleys. The park covers
Tennessee and Kentucky and has developed campgrounds with RV sites that have
water and electric. However, you really
have to want to go here in order to get here.
It is off the beaten path – but peaceful. I only stopped at the Bandy Creek Visitor
Center and took a short trail to the East Rim Overlook.
This place is rustic. Many of the roads are dirt trails - - - and then you have to hike to see anything. Adventures . . . . . . but I cut it short and missed a lot ---- including a number of overlooks north of Bandy Creek and
the Sterns Depot
Visitor Center and a railroad ride.
210 OBED Wild Scenic River, 208 N. Madison St. Wartburg, TN
I visited one of two Visitor Centers for this park. The Visitor Center in Wartburg was staffed by
two friendly rangers. There was an
excellent 17 minute movies that covered the park’s activities, kayaking, rock
climbing, geology, fishing, family outings – I liked it. The park’s newspaper indicates the Crossville
Visitor Center at 176 River Otter Drive, Crossville, TN but only open
seasonally - Saturday and Sunday.
In addition to the Visitor Center I drove to the Nemo and Lilly Bluff areas of the park. Nemo is on
the Obed River. Lilly Bluff is on Clear Creek just above the Point where Clear Creek joins the Obed.
On the first Saturday of each month rangers offer free rock climbing lessons – experience – they provide the equipment. Sounds interesting . . . This is another place – quiet during the week busy on the weekends.
The Obed and Scenic River consists of sections of four
streams: Daddy’s Creek, Clear Creek, Emory
Creek and the Obed River. These streams
have been running their course for thousands of years , cutting into the
sandstone of the Cumberland Plateau and creating a rugged landscape of wild
land and water.
MONDAY
May 18, 2015
WEATHER: 69 at 6 am –
humid – by the time I got to Gatlinburg it rained for 30 minutes and cooled
down from a high of 83.
TRAVEL: McKinney to
Twin Creek RV in Gatlinburg TN. A drive
of 223 miles, 4 1/4hours on the road.
The last 30 miles took 45 minutes – 35 miles of the Wisconsin Dells as
you go through Sevierville, Pigeon Forge and finally Gatlinburg which is the
Dells.
 |
| Twin Creek RV site |
Twin Creek RV Park – a nice park, not very crowded today – very clean. There is camping in the Great Smoky Mountains NP – but there are 1,008 “front country” campsites but none have RV hook ups or showers - $17-23 per night for the privilege.
208 GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS National Park, Gatlinburg, TN
 |
| Gatlinburg Visitor Center |
I hope to do some hiking . . . . 71 miles of the Appalachian Trail pass
through the park – part of the more than 150 miles or trails in the park.
The NPS is custodian of the park. It preserves the Smokies’ natural habitat,
which was once heavily logged, and maintains the park’s historic man-made
features.
GEOLOGY
One billion years an ancient sea flooded what is now the
eastern US, submerging the remnants of an old mountain range. The sea slowly deposited layers of sediment on
the ocean floor. The pressure of 1000's of feet of sediment compressed these layers into metamorphic rock. Almost 300 million years ago, the sea added
another layer of limestone sediment that was composed of fossilized marine
animals and shells. The stage was set
for the formation of the Appalachian Mountains.
 |
| Great Smoky Mountains Gatlinburg on the left |
As a result of the eons-old shifting of the earth’s
tectonic plates, Africa and North America collided about 250 million years
ago. This causes the older, underlying
layer of metamorphic rock to tilt upward and slide over the younger limestone
rock, slowly creating a towering mountain range, the Appalachians. The older rocks, now compose most of the Great
Smoky Mountains. During the ice age,
massive boulders were created by alternating freezing and thawing of the rock
PARK
HISTORY
In 1904, a librarian from St. Louis names Horace Kephart
came to the Smokies for a respite to restore his health. Kephart found that
large scale logging was decimating the land and disrupting the lives of local
people. As the years passed, he promoted
preserving the Smokies as a National Park.
The NPS was looking for park sites in the East after having
established parks in the West. The NPS,
founded in 1916 hoped to generate further public support for national parks
with a park in the closer to where the majority of the population lived. Along with private efforts, the NPS promoted
the idea of a National Park in the Smokies.
The states of Tennessee and North Carolina and countless
citizens responded by giving millions of dollars to purchase parkland. The federal government was reluctant to buy
land for parks; parks in the West were created from land it already owned. Eventually, the federal government
contributed $2 million. Coupled with John
D. Rockefeller Jr.’s donation of $5 million the NPS reached its goal. Lumber companies were bought out, , some
people living there were allowed lifetime residency rights, others moved and were paid for their land. On June 15, 1934, Great Smoky Mountains
National Park was officially created.
TUESDAY
May 19, 2015
WEATHER: rained last
night, some thunder 66 at 5 am;
TRAVEL: Fortunately/Unfortunately
I’m in Gatlinburg - - - right nest to the entrance of Great Smokey
Mountains National Park but – there is still the 45 minute 30 mile drive
through Sevierville and Pigeon Falls to get anyplace else. The trip to Big
South Fork National River and Recreation Area was about 3 hours. Another hour to Obed National Scenic River
and of course the 2 ¾ hour drive back.
209 BIG SOUTH FORK National Recreation Area, 4564 Leatherwood Rd, Oneida, TN
This park has more than I expected. It is primarily for hikers, kayakers, horse
riders, mountain bikers, and campers.
Unfortunately, I didn’t give this enough time today. 
The Big South Fork River winds through 90 miles of scenic
gorges, cliffs, and valleys. The park covers
Tennessee and Kentucky and has developed campgrounds with RV sites that have
water and electric. However, you really
have to want to go here in order to get here.
It is off the beaten path – but peaceful. I only stopped at the Bandy Creek Visitor
Center and took a short trail to the East Rim Overlook.  |
| Big South Fork East Rim Overlook |
This place is rustic. Many of the roads are dirt trails - - - and then you have to hike to see anything. Adventures . . . . . . but I cut it short and missed a lot ---- including a number of overlooks north of Bandy Creek and
 |
| Big South Fork - Mountain Bikers |
Maybe I’ll return.
This park and Obed have a permitted outfitter: Ace
Kayaking School River
Guide, 2368 Old Federal Road, Ocoee, TN . . . .
with more time . . . . . I could return.
 |
| Big South Fork - Ride em cowboy |
210 OBED Wild Scenic River, 208 N. Madison St. Wartburg, TN
I visited one of two Visitor Centers for this park. The Visitor Center in Wartburg was staffed by
two friendly rangers. There was an
excellent 17 minute movies that covered the park’s activities, kayaking, rock
climbing, geology, fishing, family outings – I liked it. The park’s newspaper indicates the Crossville
Visitor Center at 176 River Otter Drive, Crossville, TN but only open
seasonally - Saturday and Sunday. |
| Obed River Rock Climbing |
In addition to the Visitor Center I drove to the Nemo and Lilly Bluff areas of the park. Nemo is on
the Obed River. Lilly Bluff is on Clear Creek just above the Point where Clear Creek joins the Obed.
On the first Saturday of each month rangers offer free rock climbing lessons – experience – they provide the equipment. Sounds interesting . . . This is another place – quiet during the week busy on the weekends.
 |
| Obed - Rapids |
Access to much of the Obed is limited. Only a few bridges offer access to streams
for kayakers and canoeists interested in demanding whitewater boating. The water is challenging demanding expert
skills.
The Obed was added to the National Park System in
1976. Through a cooperative effort the NPS
and the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency protect and manage the area.
WEDNESDAY
May 20, 2015.
WEATHER: 60 at 5am, I
could see some stars
TRAVEL: Twin Creek –
through Gatlinburg to the Smokies Little River Rd – stop at Laurel
Falls – continue on Little River Road to the Laurel Creek Road to Cades Cove Visitor Center – return
the same route except stop at Sugarlands
Visitor Center and short hike along the Nature Trail to Cataract Falls
return to Twin Creek.
GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS National Park, Gatlinburg, TN
I left at 0730 with hopes to avoid the crowds headed for
Cades Cove . . . . well that depends.
LAUREL FALLS TRAIL
 |
| Mountain Laurel this was all over on both sides of the trail |
Traveling the 28 mile winding road to Cades Cove I stopped
at Laurel Falls . This is a 1 ¼ uphill paved trail to Laurel Falls. It has variety – wooded ridges, ravines, and a
small stream. Going up took 40 minutes
and there weren’t many people at 0800 but coming down (30 minutes) at 0840 I
met a fairly steady stream of people.
When I got to the bottom the parking was overflow. There is a self-guiding nature trail - you can buy the trail guide for 50 cents.
3 Mountain Laurel was everywhere – still in white bloom. I also found an abundance of Rhododendron -it
has larger leaves and was not flowering.
7 Picture Window – a really good view – worth the hike
 |
| Picture Window on the Laurel Falls Trail |
 |
| Laurel Falls |
10 Cliffhanger - when nearing the top the trail clings to
the side of the mountain as the trail clings to
a narrow rock ledge. Sheer drops are long and steep – there are
caution signs. The tops of the mountains
are steep and the foliage covers their ruggedness – so hiking can take
considerably more effort then appears.
 |
| At this point the trail is really a cliffhanger - its straight down |
11 Laurel Falls tumbles down from Cove Mountain and
eventually becomes part of Little River.
It is representative of hundreds of Smokies streams, the water is clean
and pure.
This is a good starter trail – it is short, not very steep
(I’ll call it moderate) and barely gets beyond the sounds of the highway – the number
of people on the trail can be a spoiler.
There are plenty of quiet trails in the Smokies where you can listen to the woods.
CADES
COVE
I continued along Little River Road – traffic was light
except for the two Park Service tractors that
we all had to pass. I was trying to ignore the posted signs that
said the Cade Cove Loop Road is closed to vehicles until 1000 on Wednesday and
Saturdays. At any rate I arrived at the
entrance to the 11 mile Cades Cove Loop around
1005 to find traffic stopped – and a Volunteer
directing a 3 way intersection – oh, then a ranger showed up – not sure he did
anything - it reminded me of Chicago
Loop traffic at Rush Hour – this is not the Smokies. They keep it closed until 1000 for bikers and
hikers . . . .
 |
| Cades Cove John Oliver House |
Bicycles – the roads are barely big enough for 2 cars to
pass put a bicycle on that same road – I’m surprised there are not more
accidents – bicycles on 2 lane mountain roads are dangerous. Some of the grades on the Cade Cove Loop tell
bicyclists to ‘walk their bikes’ for safety.
Bottom Line they should only ride bikes on these roads during the
prescribed times – oh not every biker has figured this out – they might be in
it for the thrill . . . . . .
I was looking forward to a leisurely drive – I guess that’s
why subconsciously I stopped at Laurel Falls – it was bumper to bumper at Cades
Cove – with some complete stops and worst of all was the motorcycle one car in
front of me – not even peaceful – nice views but the cycle noise was
distracting.
My plan to stop at all 17 stops of the Cades Cove Auto Tour
was somewhat shortened.
A “cove” in the Smoky Mountains is mountain vernacular for
a relatively flat valley between mountains or ridges. This cove has some natural and cultural
treasures in one place that make this part of Appalachia unique.
When Cades Cove was a farming community, an unpaved two way
road followed the same general route as the present 11 mile one-way loop. Cove families used the road, through not all
of them lived immediately on it. The Laurel
Creek Road now the only entrance to the Cove was not built until after the Park
was established in 1934.
STOP 1 John Oliver Place – is one of 80 historic buildings
in the park. John Oliver arrived in the
cove
prior to 1820 and bought this land in 1826. It remained in the family until the park was
established. There is a short ½ mile
walk to the house.
 |
| Cades Cove Mill |
 |
| Cades Cove Missionary Baptist Church |
STOP 7 Missionary Baptist Church - a
group of Baptists expelled from the Primitive Baptist Church (Stop 4) because
they favored missionary work formed this church in 1839. The church ceased to meet during the Civil
War. I resumed activity after the war
but without sympathizers to the Southern cause.
The existing building dates from 1915.
 |
| Cades Cove Tipton Place |
STOP 11 Cable Mill Historic Area and Visitor Center –
adequate parking but crowded - - -
STOP 16 Tipton Place – “COL Hamp” Tipton who served in the
Mexican War owned this property in Cades Cove.
He had this house built in the early 1870’s
 |
| Cades Cove View from the John Oliver trail - look beyond the autos and the people on the trail |
For most of its history Cades Cove has been a place to
visit. Around 2 million visitors come
each year to drive the Loop Road. Even
for all the traffic and the snarls there is a pastoral serenity – you have to
see it – feel it – listen to it away from the people visiting.
I got back to Twin Creeks a little about 2:15 pm, visited their
store, eventually went to the pool, read, updated the blog.
THURSDAY
May 21, 2015
WEATHER: 66 at 4 am -
raining, cloudy all day – actually got cooler -
never reached 70
TRAVEL: Twin Creek
to Greeneville, TN to Twin Creek – about 56 miles 1 ½ hours.
Hoping to avoid the weekend traffic and hoping that it
would not rain but anticipating that it would – I don’t think today is a good
day to travel across Great
Smoky Mountains National Park from Sugarlands to Ocnaluffee Visitor Centers along
the Newfound Gap
Road
with a drive and then hike up to Clingmans
Dome
(highest peak in the Appalachians 6,643 feet) -
even on a good day it may be covered in clouds - like Mount Kathahdin in Maine (northern
terminus of the AT). The AT follows the Clingman Dome Road from the
turnoff on Newfound Gap
Road –
forecast calls for clear Friday morning then partly cloudy.
211 ANDREW JOHNSON
National Historic Park , Greenville,
TN
 |
| Andrew Johnson |
 |
| Andrew Johnson Visitor Center |
This was a good place
to visit. I don’t remember much about Johnson
from college level American History and grade school left the fact that he was the only
president ever to be impeached – of course – until Clinton. Overall – I think he was a good man with his
heart in the right place, trusted by Lincoln but he was a Southern Democrat who
remained loyal to the Union - facing a Republican Congress bent on revenge –
not reconciliation with the South.
Andrew Johnson was the first President of the United States who had neither been a
military hero nor studied law. Known in his time as the "courageous
commoner," this former tailor's apprentice followed the ideals inherent in
the American dream to rise from poverty-stricken circumstances.
On his journey to the Executive Mansion, this self-taught man held nearly every political office available - without attending a single day of school.
On his journey to the Executive Mansion, this self-taught man held nearly every political office available - without attending a single day of school.
TIMELINE
1808 Born Dec 29 Raleigh, NC to Jacob
and Mary McDonough Johnson
1827 Marries Eliza McCardle,
Greeneville, TN
1828-52
The Johnson’s have 5 children
1829-30 Alderman City of Greeneville
 |
| Andrew Johnson Early Home Visitor Center to the left He was a tailor before entering politics |
1830 Purchases the Tailor Shop at
public auction
1834
Elected mayor of Greeneville
1835
State representative
1837 Defeated for re-election
1839
State representative
1841
State senator
1843
-52 Elected from the first
congressional district as a United States Representative for the first of five
terms
1853
-56 Governor of Tennessee 2 terms
1857 U.S. Senator
1861
Remains loyal to the
Union at the outbreak of the Civil War and keeps his Senate seat when Tennessee
secedes
1862 Appointed Military Governor of
Tennessee by Lincoln and resigns from the Senate
1864
Johnson elected Vice-President
of the United States
1865
Lincoln is assasinated and Andrew
Johnson is sworn in as the 17th President of the United States
On April 15, 1865, at the death of Abraham Lincoln, Andrew
Johnson became the 17th President of the United States. One of the primary
elements of Johnson's presidency dealt with the reconstruction of the nation
following the Civil War. After many policy disagreements between Johnson and Congress
regarding reconstruction, and his subsequent violation of the Tenure of Office
Act, Andrew Johnson became the first president to be impeached. He was acquitted
of the charges by one vote necessary for the 2/3 majority in the Senate, and he
completed the remainder of his term.
1865
Johnson appoints
provisional governors for seven of the former Confederate states
 |
| Irreconcilable Differences |
 |
| Reconstruction - Which Plan was Best? |
 |
| Congressional Plan |
 |
| Lincoln's Plan |
 |
| Johnson's Plan |
1866
Johnson holds a reception
at the White House for Queen Emma of the Sandwich Islands, now known as Hawaii.
This was the first time a queen had visited the White House.
1866
To try to persuade the
public to elect a Congress sympathetic with his plan of reconstruction,
President Johnson tours the Northeast and Midwest in his "Swing Around the
Circle" campaign. The attempt fails.
 |
| The Beginning of the End - Bills Andrew Johnson Vetoed Based on their Constitutionality - Congress overrode every veto This led to impeachment |
1867 Vetoes the Tenure of Office Act and the Military Reconstruction Bills
1867 Johnson suspends Secretary of
War, Edwin Stanton
1867 Senate approves the purchase of
Alaska from Russia
1868 Johnson removes Edwin Stanton as
Secretary of War
1868 Impeached by the House of
Representatives on February 24th.
A Profile In Courage: Senator
Edmund Ross – the first Senator elected
from the state of Kansas - cast the vote
that acquitted Johnson in his 1868 impeachment trial. Ross did what his heart told him to do – not politics
– he was not re-elected and died in poverty.
 |
| Andrew Johnson Homestead Rear View -moved here in 1852 and returned after Presidency |
1869 Try for another term as United
States Senator is defeated.
 |
| Johnson Cemetery Monument |
1875 Elected to the United States
Senate and attends a special session. He remains the only U.S. President to
return to the Senate.
1875
Andrew Johnson dies of a stroke while visiting his daughter Mary in Carter
County, TN
Andrew Johnson
died in 1875 after becoming the only president to return to the Senate. He was
buried in Greeneville, TN with his copy of the Constitution and with his body
wrapped in the American flag.
I walked past the Greene County Courthouse - strange for a Southern Courthouse - there is a statue of a Federal Soldier not a Confederate Soldier in the front of the courthouse..
It’s Thursday and the RV park is starting to fill up for
the weekend. I signed up for a white
water rafting trip on Saturday – so that means Great Smoky Mountains tomorrow,
Rafting - Saturday and Cumberland Gap on
Sunday.
FRIDAY
May 22, 2015.
WEATHER: 54 degress
at 5 am, cloudy – it is supposed to clear up – didn’t get up to 70 today
TRAVEL: Twin Creek
to Great Smokies and
across on the Newfoundland
Gap Road
to the Oconaluftee Visitor
Center
and back again.
Robert Gates (yes, the former SECDEF, that I liked - who
had an impossible mission) is President of the Boy Scouts of America – he
announced lifting of the ban on gays as leaders in the organization – a smart
move – since almost 70% of the Troops are sponsored by religious organizations,
and citing religious freedom, the guide will be more local.
GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS National Park, Gatlinburg, TN
I left at 0715 again with the hope of avoiding crowds - surprisingly
clear - - -
The Newfound Gap Road (US 441) is the only road across
the Great Smoky Mountains. It provides
access to two major Visitor Centers,
hiking trails, Quiet Walkways, and spectacular vistas.
Mileposts (MM) start just outside Gatlinburg, TN and enc 31
miles later at the junction of US 441 and the southern terminus of the Blue
Ridge Parkway near Cherokee, NC . . . .
the road also crosses the Appalachian Trail (AT). There is also a 7 mile one way, side trip to Clingmans
Dome. Including a trip to Clingmans Dome
and a hike up to the observation tower the trip took me about 5 hours – with a
side hike of 2-5 miles this is easily an all day trip. The return trip without stops was about 1 ¼ hours. There are plenty of pullouts along the road
in addition to the possible stops.
In the Smokies, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) built
the roads, retaining walls, campgrounds, bridges and picnic grounds as well as,
shelters for the Appalachian Trail.
Engineers and foresters designed and directed the projects. Most of the labor was done with hand tools
and mules. The tunnels originally built
by the CCC were enlarged in 2001-2002 to accommodate tour buses and larger
vehicles. Work crews lowered the road to
preserve the stone work of the CCC. The original
CCC barracks and camps have been torn
down. There were 22 CCC camps in the Smokies
with up to 3,000 men working at a time. Their
work and legacy is truly amazing.
 |
| Chimney Tops Newfound Gap Road MM 7.1 |
MM
7.1 Views of Chimney Tops – There are a number
of pullouts here. Named for a chimney-like
holes through one of the peaks. Just
down the road in the Chimney Tops Trailhead.
The trail is one of the steepest in the park – I was tempted to start
the trail but was unsure what laid ahead at Clingmans Dome – so I passed.
MM
8.0 Nature Exhibit – describes cove hardwood
forests.
 |
| Mountain Stream Newfound Gap Road MM 9.6 |
MM 9.6 just a good place to stop and walk down to the stream
 |
| Alum Cave Trail Signs Newfound Gap Road MM 10.4 |
 |
| Alum Cave Trail Newfound Gap Road MM 10.4 |
MM 10.4 Alum Cave Trailhead – this is another popular trail but it’s closed Monday through Thursday. This is another trail I passed on primarily because of time - but it looks interesting.
 |
| Second Tunnel Newfoundland Gap Road MM 13.6 |
 |
| Morton Overlook Newfound Gap Road MM 14.0 |
MM
14.0 Morton Overlook – this is a favorite
place for photographers to shoot
sunsets.
MM
14.7 Newfoundland Gap – lies on the
Tennessee/North Carolina border. There
is a good sized parking lot. The Rockefeller
Memorial is here, as is, the location of the place where Franklin D. Roosevelt
stood in 1940 to dedicate Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The Appalachian Trail (AT) crosses the Newfoundland Gap.
John
D. Rockefeller gave a $5 million matching grant
to buy the land for this park. The
people raised the money and he matched it.
It was cool and windy up here at 0830 – 38 degrees with a brisk, steady
wind – my hands were cold – they started to get numb – I could have used
gloves.
 |
| Newfoundl Gap Map MM 14.7 |
 |
| Newfound Gap MM 14.7 View |
 |
| Newfound Gap MM 14.7 Appalachian Trail |
 |
| Clingmans Dome Dead Fraser Firs due to Invasive Species |
 |
| Clingmans Dome Observation Tower |
There is a 4 stop self- guided Nature Trail (of course you
have to buy the booklet – it’s a convenient reason to stop on the trip up - on
the paved, but steep ½ mile trail to the top – it is steep. The effort is worth it.
 |
| Clingmans Dome Northern View from Observation Tower |
 |
| Newfound Gap Road MM 15.4 Oconaluftee Valley Overlook |
 |
| Newfound Gap Road MM 23.5 Kephart Trailhead Oconafultee River |
 |
| Newfound Gap Road MM 23.5 Kephart Prong Trailhead |
MM 15.4 Oconaluftee Valley Overlook – from the Cherokee word Ekwanult, meaning ‘along the river’
MM
23.5 Kephart Prong Trailhead – this trail is
another that could be explored – it starts at a large wooden bridge across the Oconaluftee
River 2 miles one way – figure a 2 hour hike.
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| Newfound Gap Road MM 29.9 Mingus Mill & Spillway |
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| Newfound Gap Road MM 30.3 Oconaluftee Visitor Center |
MM 30.3 Oconaluftee Visitor Center – there is a mountain farm exhibit behind the VC
MM
31.1 Blue Ridge Parkway – The Blue Ridge Parkway
runs 469 miles from US 441 in the Smokies to Shenandoah NP (I visited here
10/26/14) in Virginia where it goes through the park as Skyline Drive. The Parkway now claims more visitors than the
Smokies annually.
SATURDAY
May 23, 2015
WEATHER: it was cold
this morning 46 degrees and clear at 5 am, then it clouded up – should start a
climb to 78 by 2 pm
TRAVEL: Twin Creek
to Rafting in the Smokies – Twin Creek
Rafting in the Smokies: The upper section of the Pigeon River boasts
12 Class III and 3 Class IV whitewater rapids! It covers 5 miles with engaging nicknames
such as “Too Late”, “Vegamatic”, “Razor Blade”, “After Shave”, and “Lost Guide”.
The trip is open to anyone 8 years old or older (or 70+ lbs). They also a
family trip Class I and Class II for kids 3-7 on the Lower Pigeon River.
The action started right away on the Upper Section of the Pigeon River on a Class III + rapid called “Powerhouse”. This is where the photos come from. After this, the rapids come in close succession with “Big Rock” and “Full of Water.” There were others such as ‘’Big Bend”, “Roller Coaster”, “Lost Guide”, and “Duck N Run” and “Accelerator”. This was fun . . . . the PBR afterwards was my celebration
My raft buddies were 6 Indians – not the Native American. the guide was Daniel, a student with dreds from Charleston, SC. He was fun. - we had some strong paddlers - he did something called 'surfing' with the raft - going up into the rapids - of course the raft filled with water - but we didn't lose anyone - a few people in other rafts fell out - but none were lost.
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| Where am I? Right front of the raft |
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| Now you see me - the guy on the right with the orange shirt |
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| Of course - nobody is having any fun here - are they? |
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| Of course there are more photos - but this was a lot of fun |
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| St. Mary's It was a long walk |
It took an hour to walk the 3 ½ miles to 7 pm MASS at St. Mary’s Church in Gatlinburg, TN. I thought I’d catch the trolley – there are several trolley lines in Gatlinburg – apparently they are supposed to run every 45 minutes – but I think there is only 1 trolley on each line and the stops are infrequent and not well marked. In the entire walk mostly downhill in 83degree weather a trolley never passed me. The church was next to the Convention Center – about ¾ full and ¾ of those in attendance were visitors. I thought I’d take the trolley back – but no – I walked this time it was almost all uphill.
SUNDAY May 24, 2015
WEATHER: 53 at 5am,
got up to the mid 80’s
TRAVEL: I took the long way (8 miles longer) to avoid
going through Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville. It was Sunday morning and probably would not
have mattered – much better driving with trees on each side of you instead of
continuous strip malls – less traffic also .
Went to Cumberland
Gap National Historic Park (near Middlesboro KY) – did not follow the same route back
– that was a mistake. It was a little
over 100 miles and took about 2 ¼ hours one way.
212 CUMBERLAND GAP National Historic Park , TN/VA/KY
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| Cumberland Gap National Historic Park |
There is a 2 story Visitor Center here. The first level has some history exhibits and
a small bookstore, the 2nd level has the theatre, some exhibits and
a local craft store. The films were
excellent. One was the story of Cumberland
Gap and Daniel Boone; the other was generic about the park and the Cumberland Gap. Easy to spend at least an hour here. |
| Saddle of the Gap |
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| Survey Marker Tri State Peak |
From the Visitor Center I drove to the Pinnacle Overlook with stops at the Thomas Walker parking lot to take a hike on the Object Lesson Road Trail, part of the Wilderness Road Trail through the Saddle of the Gap and up to the Tri State Peak . A trail length of only 1 ½ miles but it is very steep and took me an hour just to get to the peak. A much more strenuous walk than the 3 ½ miles to St. Mary’s yesterday – which took about an hour - and more strenuous then Clingmans Dome. Unfortunately, when you get to the top where the boundaries of the Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee meet –‘ you can’t see the forest for the trees.’ A little tree trimming would be in order.
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| Tri State Peak View of Tennessee |
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| Tri State Peak View of Virginia |
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| Tri State Peak View of Kentucky |
There are several Civil War era forts on the drive: Fort Foote is another hike up just off trail to the Tri State Peak – don’t bother – unless like to walk uphill – I couldn’t find any interpretive markers. Fort McCook has a parking area, a cannon and an interpretive marker. Fort Lyon is another up hill walk when you start on the short trail to the Pinnacle Overlook.
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| Pinncle Overlook |
There is also a cave that you can tour with a ranger – by reservation
only. However, this was closed – apparently
with something to do with the bats . . . . . .
plan a minimum of 3-4 hours in
the park – with some short strenuous walks - all day if you visit Gap Cave.
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| Thomas Walker |
Dr. Thomas Walker, surveyor for the Loyal Land Company, became the first white man to
explore, describe and document the route to the gap. Walker’s 1750 account describes things we can
still see today, like the entrance to the present Gap Cave, the spring coming from
it, and the Indian road Walker followed.
“This Gap may be seen at a considerable
distance and there is no other, that I know of, except one about two miles to
the north of it, which does not appear to be so low as the other.”
Daniel Boone
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| One Side of 4 sided /Monument Honorirng Daniel Boone on the Tri -Peak Trail |
CUMBERLAND
GAP TIMELINE
Long before humans –
elk, deer, bison trampled trails through the gap in search of food. Indian
warriors also used the path as a trial of trade and war.
1750 Gap explored by Dr. Thomas Walker and five
companions. Hunting parties use gap
passage thereafter.
1769 Daniel Boone makes his first passage through
the gap.
1775 Boone and others blaze Wilderness Road
through the gap, opening Kentucky lands to settlers.
1776-1780 200,000-300,000 white settlers cross
Cumberland Gap into the Ohio Valley.
1792 Kemtucky becomes 15th state,
first west of the Appalachian Mountains.
1796 Tennessee becomes 16th state.
1796 Wilderness Road is improved and opened to
wagon traffic.
1800 The Wilderness Road through the Cumberland
Gap became a two way road. As the stream
of settlers moved west, thousands of cattle, sheep, pigs and turkeys along with
corn whiskey from Western farms traveled east to the seaboard markets.
1806 Meriwether Lewis and William Clark pass
through the gap (separately) on the return leg of their expedition.
1830’s and 1840’s Wilderness Road declines in importance as
canals and railroads improve east-west travel elsewhere.
1861-1865 The Gap was considered strategic by both North and South during the Civil War. It changed hands several times but saw no major action.
First
Occupation of the Cumberland Gap – Mid 1861 – June 17, 1862: CONFEDERATE
General Felix Zollicoffer took control of the Gap, easily overcoming local Home
Guard opposition, and bean building fortifications on the north side of the
mountain face to halt any Union invasion of Tennessee, After Zollicoffer was KIA at Mill Springs, COL
James E. Rains, soon to become a General, commanded the Gap until Gen Carter Stevenson
reinforced the Gap and became commander.
Second
Occupation of the Cumberland Gap – June 18 – September 17, 1862: General
Stevenson and his command were ordered away from the Gap and deeper into
Tennessee. With Confederate forces gone,
UNION General George W. Morgan took control of the Gap and built fortification
along the south side of the mountain on orders from President Lincoln. The
President was determined to keep Kentucky in the Union and to protect the
pro-Union population of East Tennessee.
Holding the Gap could also be a staging point for a Union advance on Knoxville
that would sever the rail line from Knoxville to Richmond, VA.
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| Gen Morgans (US) Retreat |
Fourth
Occupation of the Cumberland Gap September 9, 1863 – April, 1865: Ordered
to the Gap in September of 1863 for a possible northern occupation, UNION COL John
DeCourcy arrived from the north. Likewise,
UNION General Shackleford approached from the south. The two forces trapped Confederate General Frazier
at the Gap. UNION General Ambrose
Burnside, who had just taken Knoxville after it had been evacuated, arrived at
the Gap from the south on September 9.
Upon Burnside’s arrival , General Frazier surrendered knowing there were
no Confederate reinforcements in East Tennessee as Knoxville was under Union
Control.
1864 General U. S. Grant inspecting the garrison
at Cumberland Gap calls the position the “Gibraltar
of America.”
1889 Railroad tunnel completed under the gap.
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| Object Lesson Road |
1920’s US 25E constructed through the gap
1940 Cumberland Gap Historical Park authorized by
Congress, established in 1955.
1996 US 25E road tunnel completed, bypassing the
gap.
20021 Gap landscape restored to its 1810
appearance.
There are over 80 miles of hiking
trails at Cumberland Gap. They range
form short ¼ mile trails to multiple day adventures in the backcountry.
Summersville
Lake Retreat is a typical RV park – stone
gravel roads (dusty) – sites are not level – no sewer – no cable - but WIFI works. Clean bath house. There is a lighthouse on the property. A 104’
tall lighthouse, in the mountains of West Virginia – overlooking
Summersville Lake. Erected in 2012 and
made of ½” steel from a recycled wind tower.
I guess folks here don’t have to travel to the coast or the Great Lakes
in order to see one now.
A TRIPLE PLAY
213 NEW RIVER GORGE National River, Lansing, VA
When the New River Bridge was complete on October 22, 1977, a travel challenge was solved. The bridge reduced a 40 minute drive down narrow mountain roads and across the New River to less than a minute. The bridge is a single arch 1700’ span that is 3050’ long and stands 876’ above the New River from surface to the road base.
214 GAULEY RIVER National Recreation Area, Victor, WV
An added bonus, on a journey to a Post Office in the
town of Ansted I came across a Civil War Trails marker that was literally
across the street.
Summersville Dam, a Army Corps of Engineers project is what creates Lake Summersville and it is
what creates Class V and Class VI rapids on the Gauley River – in September and
October when the draw down the water for the winter. The pictures will speak for themselves not
much action on the Gauley River in June.
GAULEY RIVER National Recreation Area
CARNIFEX FERRY STATE PARK
GAULEY RIVER National Recreation Area –
MY GAULEY RIVER ROAD ADVENTURE
I took a narrow asphalt road off WV 129 that would lead to the
Gauley River Masons Branch Access. This turned into my Gauley River Road Adventure
– I think you can already tell the Gauley River Rapids in some places wouldn’t
even float a raft of let a kayak through – of course you can see the rocks very
plainly.
My three fears were 1) rain, 2) a downed tree and 3) a washout. Rain would make the road more dangerous –
Slippery. A downed tree or a washout
could force a return the way I came – and that could have been very tricky
depending on where I would have had to start back..
It did rain after I passed Gauley Bridge and it started to rain – hard – I could see it coming down the New River Gorge – but I was out of the dirt/rock roads with 100 foot cliffs. There is a tunnel that produces electricity from the river water.
NEW RIVER GORGE National River
I went back to the
VC and asked for a list of trails and then headed for ACE Adventure near
Minden, WV. I signed up for an all day “whitewater”
rafting trip down the New River on Friday.
MONDAY
May 25, 2015
WEATHER: it was 58 at
5 am – warmed up to the 80’s
TRAVEL: Gatlinburg,
TN to Summersville Lake Retreat in Mt. Nebo, WV a trip of about 300 miles – mostly
Interstate – I-Pass works on the WV Turnpikes – took about 5 ½ hours.
MEMORIAL DAY
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| Lighthouse in WV |
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| View of Summersville Lake created by a damned Gauley River from the RV Park |
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| Summersville Retreat |
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| Trailer at Summersville |
Except for the WIFI I don’t think I’d stay here again. The Army Corp of Engineers has a campground down
the road about 4 miles right on Summersville Lake. Sites have electric and are level – the sites
here are nowhere near level . . . . and with a park pass the ACOE sites are
half the cost.
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| New River Map |
A TRIPLE PLAY
After setting up the trailer the Canyon Rim Visitor Center
of New River Gorge National River was a 20 minute drive back on US 19. A Triple Play because all three NPS sites are
represented by the Visitor Center. Still
Memorial Day (lots of people)and I met
an ranger that can best be described as an “old bat” – I told her I was here for
the next 4 days – interested in hiking, history, road tours, whitewater rafting
– and she provided me a booklet “that explains it all” – well, my reply was a not very sincere
‘thanks’. She would make you want to
avoid anyone in a uniform. Maybe the Sandstone VC will have a friendly person.
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| New River Banner |
213 NEW RIVER GORGE National River, Lansing, VA
New
River Gorge National River was designated in
1978, protecting 53 miles of one of the oldest rivers in the word (oldest
because even the glaciers did not create a ‘new’ river – the new river gorge
was there before and after the glaciers).
The gorge averages 1,000 feet in depth and contains a diverse plant
species assemblage. Cultural resources
include prehistoric sites as well as remnants from the recent industrial age:
abandoned coal mines, company towns, tipples and coke ovens. I’ll take the Scenic Drive, visit Nuttallburg,
Thurmond, Grandview, Sandstone Falls and do some hiking and perhaps rafting
here later in the week.
Biking, fishing and climbing are also sports that are
exercised in the park.
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| New River View from Visitor Center |
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| New River Bridge |
When the New River Bridge was complete on October 22, 1977, a travel challenge was solved. The bridge reduced a 40 minute drive down narrow mountain roads and across the New River to less than a minute. The bridge is a single arch 1700’ span that is 3050’ long and stands 876’ above the New River from surface to the road base.
214 GAULEY RIVER National Recreation Area, Victor, WV
Established in 1988, Gauley River National Recreation Area
protects 25 miles of the Gauley River and 5 miles of the Meadow River. Dropping 28 feet per mile through gorge that
averages 500 feet in depth, the Gauley is a World-Class destination for
whitewater boaters.
Summersville
Lake and the Gauley River are about 4 miles
down the road from where I’m staying.
The NPS brochure has 10 named rapids on their map with a comment: “Rapids named on the Gauley River are Class V and above”. Below is some additional information
provided by the NSP on rapids.
Class I: Easy. Fast moving
water with riffles and small waves. Few obstructions, all obvious and easily missed
with little training. Risk to swimmers is slight; self-rescue is easy.
Class II: Novice. Straightforward
rapids with wide, clear channels which are evident without scouting. Occasional
maneuvering may be required, but rocks and medium sized waves are easily missed
by trained paddlers. Swimmers are seldom injured and group assistance, while
helpful, is seldom needed.
Class III: Intermediate. Rapids
with moderate, irregular waves which may be difficult to avoid and which can swamp
an open canoe. Complex maneuvers in fast current and good boat control in tight
passages or around ledges are often required; large waves or strainers may be
present but are easily avoided. Strong eddies and powerful current effects can
be found, particularly on large-volume rivers. Scouting is advisable for
inexperienced parties. Injuries while swimming are rare; self-rescue is usually
easy but group assistance may be required to avoid long swims.
Class IV: Advanced. Intense,
powerful but predictable rapids requiring precise boat handling in turbulent
water. Depending on the character of the river, it may feature large,
unavoidable wave and holes or constricted passages demanding fast maneuvers
under pressure. A fast, reliable eddy turn may be needed to initiate maneuvers,
scout rapids, or rest. Rapids may require "must" moves above
dangerous hazards. Scouting is necessary the first time down. Risk of injury to
swimmers is moderate to high, and water conditions may make self-rescue
difficult. Group assistance for rescue is often essential but requires
practiced skills. A strong eskimo roll is highly recommended.
Class V: Expert. Extremely
long, obstructed, or very violent rapids which expose a paddler to above
average endangerment. Drops may contain large, unavoidable waves and holes, or
steep congested chutes with complex, demanding routes. Rapids may continue for
long distances between pools, demanding a high level of fitness. What eddies
may exist may be small, turbulent, or difficult to reach. At the high end of
the scale, several of these factors may be combined. Scouting is mandatory but
often difficult. Swims are dangerous, and rescue is difficult even for experts.
A very reliable eskimo roll, proper equipment, extensive experience, and
practiced rescue skills are essential for survival.
Class
VI: Extreme. One grade more difficult
than Class V. These runs often exemplify the extremes of difficulty,
unpredictability and danger. The consequences of errors are very severe and
rescue may be impossible. For teams of experts only, at favorable water levels,
after close personal inspection and taking all precautions. This class does not
represent drops thought to be unrunnable, but may include rapids which are only
occasionally run.
We’ll see what the
‘morrow brings . . . .
215 BLUESTONE National Scenic River, Sandstone, WV
In 1988, Bluestone National Scenic River was designated a
unit of the Wild and Scenic Rivers System, which Congress established to
preserve the free-flowing condition of the nations’ rivers. The park includes a 10.5 mile segment of the Bluestone River with virtually
vehicular access into the area. The most
common methods of entry are the aerial tram at Pipestream Resort State Park,
the parking area at Lilly and the trailhead at Bluestone State Park.
CIVIL WAR
Carnifax
Ferry Battlefield State Park is about 8 miles
from where I’m staying. West Virginia as
a state did not exist in 1861, the area was part of the state of the
Virginia. Carnifax Ferry was a battle
site where on September 10, 1861, Union troops led by BG William s. Rosecrans
engaged the
Confederates and forced them to evacuate an entrenched position on
the Henry Patterson Farm that overlooked Carnifax Ferry. Confederate BG John B. Floyd, retreated
across the ferry to the south side of the Gauley River and eastward to Meadow
Bluff near Lewisburg. The Civil War
battle represented the failure of the Confederate drive to regain control of
the Kanawha Valley. As a result, the
movement for West Virginia statehood proceeded without serious threat from the
Confederates.
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| Tyree Tavern - Ansted WV |
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| Tyree Tavern - Ansted WV |
TUESDAY
May 26, 2015
WEATHER: 65 at 4:30 –
clear – clouds by 6:30
TRAVEL: Summerville
Dam – Gauley River Tailwaters Access – Carnifax Ferry State Park – Gauley
River Masons Branch Access – Gauley River Woods Ferry Access
– Gauley Bridge (where the Gauley & New
Rivers combine to become the Kanawha River – followed Highway 16 to
Fayetteville to New River Gorge VC to Oak Hill – Minden – ACE
Adventures and back to my trailer site in Mt Nebo.
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| Summersville Dam This is what you could call "a weak discharge" |
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| Summersville Dam Lake Side |
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| Tailwaters River Access Located at the Dam |
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| Gauley River NRA |
GAULEY RIVER National Recreation Area
I drove down to the Gauley River ‘s Tailwaters Access. The road was paved it was a short trip. It is just below the dam.
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| Gauley River Map - River Access at Masons Branch & Woods Ferry are not on the map, neither is the road |
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| Henry Patterson House |
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| Carnifex Ferry SP sign |
Canifex Ferry was
the site of a minor engagement between 1, 900 Confederates led by BG John B.
Floyd and 7,000 Federals led by BG William Rosecrans. I parked at the Henry Patterson Farm House
and hiked the 2 mile Patterson Trail.
The hike took 1 hour – it is deemed “easy to moderate” in
difficulty. It loops around the park
and features 3 overlooks of the Gauley
River.
The pictures should tell the story – it isn’t much of a
story . . . . A Federal victory because Floyd decided to retreat after he drove
off Rosecrans' initial assault . . . . Rosecrans
planned a full scale assault the next day but the Confederates had left.
There are a number of interpretive markers along the trail
that explain the battle. The battle is
re-enacted on the 2nd weekend of September in odd-numbered
years. It features a variety of living
history exhibits.
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| Carnifex Ferry - near Patterson House |
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| Gauley River View These are rapids? Water needed. View from Carnifex Picnic Area |
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| Old Ferry Road Used by Floyd to retreat across the Gauley River |
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| Carnifex Ferry Sign at Picnic Area |
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| Carnifex - marker near Picnic Area |
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| Carnifex - Pillow Rapids Overlook The rapids need water |
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| Carnifex - Copperhead Overlook of Gauley River |
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| Carnifex - Pierson Hollow |
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| Carnifex - Artillery Thunder |
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| Carnifex - Artillery Knoll |
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| Carnifex - COL John W Lowe's Charge of the 12th Ohio |
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| Carnifex - Camp Gauley |
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| Carnifex - A soldiers recollection |
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| Carnifex - Journey's End |
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| Gravestone - Andrew Blevens CSA |
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| Last but note least The Battle of Knives and Forks Marker on the road just down from Carnifex Ferry on Hwy 129 i front of Vol FD |
GAULEY RIVER National Recreation Area –
MY GAULEY RIVER ROAD ADVENTURE
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| Masons Branch - Woods Ferry |
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| Masons Branch Wild River? |
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| Masons Branch Access - obvious low water |
So the travel down this road which quickly turned to gravel
and stone was my Gauley River Road Adventure.
No Class V rapids but don’t make a mistake.
Don’t attempt this without a truck . . .
and a lot of patience – the road is steep, one lane and dusty.
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| Woods Ferry - the road was a breeze compared to the 4 miles plus to get out of this place The road to the right is where the gravel ended and the road narrowed |
I made it to Masons Branch
- went back
up the road and headed for Woods Ferry. By the way – never saw another vehicle on the
entire journey. Same with Woods Ferry
but as I continued down the road the road narrowed and the crushed rock disappeared - not a tank trail but definitely an
unimproved dirt road. Dirt – in many places it was just carved rock – I wonder
who made these roads?
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| Woods Ferry Gauley River Access - low water |
When I reached a railroad bed I knew I was finally down and
had made it . . .
No whitewater but this was the adventure and a little scary
– I wish I had someone to share the
adventure with.
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| Tot the right of the road is a straight down drop of over 100 feet |
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| Across the chasm is a wall - a cliff - the road rides on the edge of the cliff -wall |
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| A bonus over Like most ovrlooks it is straight down from the road |
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| This pic hardly provides an accurate view of this curve The road bed is more rock than crushed stone and dirt |
It did rain after I passed Gauley Bridge and it started to rain – hard – I could see it coming down the New River Gorge – but I was out of the dirt/rock roads with 100 foot cliffs. There is a tunnel that produces electricity from the river water.
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| Hawks Nest Tunnel |
NEW RIVER GORGE National River
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| ACE advertisement |
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| ACE Check in |
We’ll see . . .
There are 12 interpretive exhibits along this route. It takes about an hour and will take you opened a coal mine and built a company one way. This is a 100 year old road with hairpin turns. Along the way are some nice vistas of the bridge and river and remnants of the New River Gorge Communities that once teemed with activity.
In 1873 the C&O RR opened this rugged wilderness and carried coal out of the gorge to ports in Virginia and cities in the Midwest. By 1905, 13 towns sprang up between Fayette Station and Thurmond – 15 miles upstream – about one town per mile. Between the 1870’s and the 1950’s, West Virginia coal contributed to the industrialization of the US as it fed the nations trains, factories and fleets.
At river level the Fayette Station Road runs directly through the remnants of the town sites of Fayette and South Fayette. The establishment, growth, and ultimate demise of these two towns represent the general life cycle of a town in the gorge. A landowner or mining company opened a coal mine and built company-owned houses and a store, creating a company town. Decades later, when the coal seam was exhausted or the mine closed because of changes in the marketplace, people moved away and these towns were ultimately deserted.
With the onset of the depression several
businesses closed. The town’s economic
vitality faded. Two fires wiped out
several major businesses. By the mid
1930’s the heyday of the railroads waned as the automobile made travel by car easy. Thurmond had been a steam town. Its rail yard and crews were geared to
service steam locomotives. The switch to
diesel engines made many of the rail yards jobs and buildings
obsolete.
Some significant dates:
NEW RIVER GORGE, Grandview
Visitor Center
There are picnic areas, trails, and several overlooks. An outdoor amphitheatre hosts several summer shows by the Theatre West Virginia - a summer series of light musicals. It looks like an interesting venue and the price of around $20 per ticket seems right - a larger venue than Lake Geneva’s “Music by the Lake”.
NEW RIVER GORGE, Sandstone
Visitor Center
The visit to the Sandstone Visitor Center will give you a
background on the environment. There is
a 12 minute film here that focuses on the New River Watershed. This was different and interesting. There are exhibits and the floor of the VC is
a tiled map of the entire New River Watershed with its beginnings in North
Carolina, through part of Virginia and into West Virginia.
WEDNESDAY
May 27, 2015
WEATHER: 65 at 5:30
am cloudy; 7:15 am rained until8:30, cleared up blue sky, billowy clouds high
of 83
TRAVEL: Summerville
Retreat to New River Gorge Canyon Rim VC – Fayette Station Road Tour – Thurmond
Historic District – Grandview VC – Sandstone VC – Summerville Retreat
NEW RIVER GORGE, Canyon
Rim Visitor Center
FAYETTE STATION ROAD TOUR
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| Fayetteville Road Station 5 New River Bridge |
There are 12 interpretive exhibits along this route. It takes about an hour and will take you opened a coal mine and built a company one way. This is a 100 year old road with hairpin turns. Along the way are some nice vistas of the bridge and river and remnants of the New River Gorge Communities that once teemed with activity.
In 1873 the C&O RR opened this rugged wilderness and carried coal out of the gorge to ports in Virginia and cities in the Midwest. By 1905, 13 towns sprang up between Fayette Station and Thurmond – 15 miles upstream – about one town per mile. Between the 1870’s and the 1950’s, West Virginia coal contributed to the industrialization of the US as it fed the nations trains, factories and fleets.
At river level the Fayette Station Road runs directly through the remnants of the town sites of Fayette and South Fayette. The establishment, growth, and ultimate demise of these two towns represent the general life cycle of a town in the gorge. A landowner or mining company opened a coal mine and built company-owned houses and a store, creating a company town. Decades later, when the coal seam was exhausted or the mine closed because of changes in the marketplace, people moved away and these towns were ultimately deserted.
NEW RIVER GORGE, Thurmond Visitor Center
This a was good place to visit. A paved road, in some places single lane,
leads down to the New River and Thurmond.
There was a friendly ranger at the old depot – converted into a Visitor Center
with some exhibits. A short walking tour
of the town’s buildings gives you a feel for the town’s past history. Due to space restrictions, there is no main
street, the town’s buildings lined the rails.
On the way, there is a walkway with bricks identifying significant
events in the history of Thurmond. This is a great place to visit
for the railroad enthusiast.
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| Thurmond Business District Colaing Tower Back left |
Thurmond was considered the “heart of the New River Gorge”. It was a Railroad Town.
In 1873, the C&O RR mainline was
completed. It was also the year that
Captain W. D. Thurmond acquired 73 acres along the north bank of the New
River.
The town of Thurmond grew along with the
expansion of the coal and timber industries in the gorge. The rail yard was expanded to meet the
railroads needs. Thurmond became the
chief railroad center on the C&O mainline by 1910.
By 1910 Thurmond, produced more freight
tonnage than Cincinnati and Richmond combined.
Freight alone was not the key to the railroad town’s success. Seventy-five –thousand passengers passed through
Thurmond in 1910.
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| Thurmond Depot - Main Line Tracks - Bridge across New River The rails across the bridge connected with spur lines to the coal mines |
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| Thurmond's Decline |
With the onset of the depression several
businesses closed. The town’s economic
vitality faded. Two fires wiped out
several major businesses. By the mid
1930’s the heyday of the railroads waned as the automobile made travel by car easy. Thurmond had been a steam town. Its rail yard and crews were geared to
service steam locomotives. The switch to
diesel engines made many of the rail yards jobs and buildings obsolete.
Some significant dates:
1888 Post
Office established in Thurmond
1889 First loads of coal shipped out of the gorge from the C&O main line at Thurmond
1889 First loads of coal shipped out of the gorge from the C&O main line at Thurmond
1904 Present
Depot built
1921 Road
from Glen Jean to Thurmond is completed
1958 Last
steam locomotive operating in New River Gorge is retired
1978 New
River Gorge National River designated park of the National Park System
1984 Railroad
Offices in Thurmond Depot closed
1995 Post
Office closed
1995 the
Depot was restored as a visitor center by the NPS.
Although the town is no longer a railroad hub
-is historic and the rail line is still active . AMTRAK passenger trains and freight still run
the rails.
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| Grandview Visitor Center |
This was an easy drive off of I-65. The Visitor Center is manned seasonally and
presently only open from noon until 5 – I was lucky to visit in the
afternoon. Originally a state park and
built by the CCC, it is now administered by the NPS.
There are picnic areas, trails, and several overlooks. An outdoor amphitheatre hosts several summer shows by the Theatre West Virginia - a summer series of light musicals. It looks like an interesting venue and the price of around $20 per ticket seems right - a larger venue than Lake Geneva’s “Music by the Lake”.
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| Grandview Overlook - South |
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| Grandview - Turkey Overlook looking south |
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| Grandview Overlook looking north |
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| Grandview - North Overlook looking south |
The drive and walk up to Turkey Overlook in worth the trip –
an exhausting walk up stairs on around an interesting rock formation.
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| Sandstone Falls Closeup pic form Overlook - Ho Hum |
It was a 2 mile drive on Highway 20 to the Sandstone Falls
Overlook – a view of the Falls 600 feet below - low water and not very exciting. I decided not to continue the trip upriver to
Hinton Historic District (VC only open
on weekends) and across the river to the Sandstone Falls Boardwalk at close to
river level with close up views of the Falls.
It was an hour drive back to Mt. Nebo.
Drove on a little bit looking for Hawks Nest SP –
understood that they had a golf course. Well I found a
nice park, lodge, views of the New and a gift shop. At the gift shop I asked if there was a golf course
near? The guy in the shop said ‘there
used to be its closed and overgrown.’
Good thing I didn’t go looking for it.
I finished reading An
Autobiography of Davy Crocket, originally published in 1834 as A Narrative of the Life of David Crockett of the State of Tennessee.
Walt Disney sure made a hero out (and money) of him during the 1950’s and Fess Parker made a reasonable Davy Crockett as Buddy Ebsen also made a believable George Russell ( a real friend of Davy’s)
Camp Carlson is
located at the junction of Hwy 60 and Camp Carlson Cir – it is on federal
property part of Fort Knox – but you don’t have to go through gate security to
get here – it is similar to the MWR facility at Fort Stewart.
THURSDAY
May 28, 2015
WEATHER: 60 degrees
at 0530, mostly cloudy, clear in the evening
TRAVEL: Hico –
Ansted – Hawks Nest SP
Needed some groceries, so I remembered there was a Piggly
Wiggly on Hwy 60 between Hico and Ansted.
I also remembered a Harley dealer on the route.
Stopped at New River Gorge Harley, Hico, WV - - - first
time I walked in a HD dealership and never bought a thing. They had a bunch of Motor Gear and anything
unique to the area was “on sale” 2XL, 3XL , 4XL – really?
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| Contentment Complex - Ansted WV |
I did find “Contentment”. Home of Civil War General John Imboden on
the edge of Ansted. See pictures:
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| Contentment - Home of John Imbden |
Learned a few things if you believe all that is written . .
. . .
His father John Crockett – most likely Irish - was an over mountain man from Carolina who fought in the Revolutionary War
at Kings Mountain; Davy was the fifth in a family of 9; he was born he believes
on Aug 17, 1786; he did volunteer to fight in the Creek War – Indian Fighter –
as part of Andrew Jackson’s forces – went to Pensacola to fight the British in
the War of 1812, with Jackson’s forces but the place had been surrendered by
the time his company got there- but was not present at The Battle of Horseshoe
Bend; ague was a word for malaria; he did marry again after his first wife died;
he was a skillful hunter boasting 105 bear kills in one season; he moved to the
Obion River is northwest Tennessee (this is close to where I golf); he does
mention earthquakes and the cracks in the earth left by what we now call the New
Madrid Earthquake of 1812; he did have an adventure with flatboats/rafts down
the Obion and the Mississippi – it was a disaster – he had no experience as a
river man –lost the boats – cargo – and almost
drowned.
I leave this rule for others when I'm dead, Be always sure you're
right—THEN GO AHEAD!
The
Author.
Walt Disney sure made a hero out (and money) of him during the 1950’s and Fess Parker made a reasonable Davy Crockett as Buddy Ebsen also made a believable George Russell ( a real friend of Davy’s)
Started reading A
Thousand Mile Walk to the Gulf by John Muir published in 1916 – Its his journal of his 1867 trip - preparing
for California this fall - actually his walk is the trip I'm finishing in reverse. He started in Indiana - Kentucky and finally to Florida.
FRIDAY
May 29, 2015
WEATHER: 62 at 4:30
am - clear – then mostly cloudy – rain
2-4 pm mostly cloudy
TRAVEL: Ace Adventure Resort – Minden, WV
WHITEWATER RAFTING
ACE Adventure Resort - finding this place again is still a
challenge – I’m glad I came here on Tuesday.
There were 2 14 ft rafts with 7 people each plus the
guide. Mostly young guys in their 20’s –
one woman and her husband not yet 30 – 3 older guys in the 40-50’s range . . .
Luckily our guide was “bear” – real name Shaun he’s a Jets
fan – but he was full of stories and kept up the chatter to make the trip
interesting.
For the trip I had the rear right seat – I would have taken
front – but then I’ve been there before . . . . . the river was at 1.5 feet above whatever is
considered average . . . the full day
Lower New River adversities Class II, III, IV and one V rapid.
We put in at Cunard Landing, went under the Fayette Station
Bridge, the New River Bridge and came out at Teays Landing downriver form
Fayette Station.
There were plenty of rapids with names Class III, IV, V –
according the guide the rating on the rapids is not only associated with the drop
but the technical difficulty of the rapids – in plain words – dangers . . . .
Still not sure where the pictures were taken – it may have
been Keeneys Rapids
The trip was about 8 miles and we finished around 1:30 pm
about 2 hours ahead of schedule. The
guides made lunch – somehow - although this was a longer trip and definitely more
whitewater rapids to run it seems to me it would be more fun with 3 ft of water
or more . . . . . the ride down the
Little Pigeon in the Smokies was more fun.
I found out that they do Summer Gauley River runs but not
with rafts because the water is too shallow
. . . . the do it in “duckies”
single person craft – However September – October still appear to be the time
to raft the Gauley.
Listening to these people – I just think they have missed
so much of this part of WV – they are camping – but missing the drives – the hikes
– the history - - - - -
SATURDAY
May 30, 2015
WEATHER: 60’s rain
squalls for the 7 hour 370 mile drive and into the night
TRAVEL: Summerville
Retreat to Camp Carlson (Fort Knox, KY)
This is a pleasant site.
New laundry, bath house, day room building – all air conditioned and of
course the price is right at $19/day.
The Main Gate (Chaffee Gate) of Fort Knox is less than a 5 mile drive
down US 60 the then right on 31W. NO WIFI – not even PHONE SERVICE – must be in
a dead zone – Main Post and Radcliff are 5 miles away - kind of like Round Pond at West Point, NY.
With completion of the West Virginia River sites, I have
completed a visit to all of the sites in the Mid-Atlantic Region of the National Park Service: except
Great Egg Harbor – this place is a stretch and appears to be mostly in State
Parks – no designated Visitor Center.
This was my third visit here – even at that it won’t take
more than an hour to go to the Visitor Center, see the 12 minute film about Lincoln’s
family and his early years here; visit the Memorial with a log cabin inside (it
not the one Lincoln was born in but similar) and walk the grounds. It’s Lincoln – just one of those places you
have to visit.
SUNDAY
May 31, 2015
WEATHER: start in the
50’s cloudy – never got to 70 today – pleasant
little wind but mostly cloudy
TRAVEL: Camp Carlson
to Radcliff to Camp Carlson to Hodgesville to Camp Carlson.
9 am MASS at St. Christopher
Church, Radcliff, KY. I was unable to
find a Mass on
Fort Knox at a Chapel that existed – I’ll confirm latter this
week. An interesting church the
priest/pastor, deacon and acolyte all had marvelous coiffed white hair. The church was about ½ full and a only a
third looked like retirees. Mostly
younger families – probably military. This
was Trinity Sunday – the priest was easy to listen to but – there were enough
candles to signify a celebration. I can’t
wait until next week Saturday afternoon for Corpus Christie.
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| St. Christopher's Radcliff, KY |
216 ABRAHAM LINCOLN BIRTHPLACE, National Historical
Park, Hodgensville, KY
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| Lincoln Brithplace |
There is another site, the reconstructed boyhood cabin at Knob
Creek, about 10 miles up the road. I’ve
been there also – really not much to see – and it’s currently closed for
construction/maintenance.
Illinois may be “The Land of Lincoln” but Lincoln was
born in Kentucky, on the “frontier,” February 12, 1809. His grandparents were the true pioneers
coming through the Cumberland Gap on the Wilderness Road (May 1786) that Daniel
Boone is famous for, and settling in Kaintuck. His parents – not rich but not necessarily
poor, were probably considered upper middle class for the time – even with a
starter home that was a one room cabin at Sinking Spring Farm. Lincoln is named for his grandfather (the
pioneer) killed in an Indian raid. He
had an older sister Sarah.
Lincoln’s parents were Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks. Even though Thomas had paid $200 for the 300
acre farm - they moved to Knob Creek Farm
because of a land ownership dispute – Thomas lost the claim and moved to
rental property in 1811. When a similar land
claim dispute occurred there, facing eviction the Lincoln’s moved to the
wilderness of Indiana in 1816.
Obviously, survey was not very good in early Kentucky.
