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Vicksburg, MSJul 3, 2012
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A view across the fields separating the armies.
Monument to soldiers from Illinois, our home state.
This house was in the middle of the battle and still stands.
| Another hot one. Last night we had a dinner of shrimp and catfish. They had alligator on the menu but we declined the offer. Our waiter was from Travis City, MI and he said it was good. I trust him on that. Today we drove just 200 miles which was enough. We prefer driving no more than 5 hours per day. It's not the same as traveling in a car. Motorhome and car are 70 feet long. It makes cornering and stopping for gas "interesting". We arrived in Vicksburg on the Mississippi River at about 2:00 p.m. We are staying at a casino run campground, the same one that we stayed at in October 2009 when we were here. Then they offered us free tickets to a buffet breakfast at the casino but, times are tough, and that offer has ended! Boo. Our cocker spaniel, Holly, the intrepid Civil War Buff, was thrilled when we got in the airconditioned 2012 Honda this afternoon and drove around the National Battlefield here. She's been here before and loves to sightsee. We didn't get out and walk around as much as in 2009 due to the heat, but it was still impressive. We have a narration with sound effects on a CD and it makes history come alive. A quick historical note - the Union Army under General Grant used siege warfare to cause the Confederate troops defending the strategic city to surrender. That split the Confederacy in two along the Mississippi River. With the Union victory at Gettsyburg at the exact same time (July 4, 1863), it was the turning point in the war. I'll let the photos tell more of the story. |
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