Mileage for the day: 479
May 5 - Started the day with another great breakfast at the Baer House. Highly recommend staying here for anyone coming to Vicksburg. As a side note, the house has preserved its second-story outhouses, one for men and one for women. The ladies room was bigger to accommodate hoop skirts. (We had never heard of a double decker outhouse before.)
After breakfast, we packed the car and went back to the Vicksburg Military Park for some additional touring before heading up to Chattanooga. We listened to a CD tour that features Ed Bearss, former chief historian at Vicksburg. (He was featured in Ken Burns’ Civil War documentary and has a dramatic way of relating a story. Rather a hoot, too!)
We investigated a few more monuments. As expected the Minnesota monument does not have a showy name in front but only a small, modest state seal on the back side. The Kansas memorial is the funkiest one we’ve ever seen. We couldn’t find the date of its placement but assume it must be rather modern. (A monument to the Kentuckians is being dedicated this weekend. Can we all say, get over it already?)
We climbed up some of the Confederate fortifications, trying to imagine what it would be like to try to do it with bullets raining down upon you. There are markers that indicate where the Union forces advanced during the various attacks, as well as where the Confederate lines of defense were. In some places, the signs basically touch each other. At the Railroad Redoubt, 22nd Iowa Infantry, at great cost, breached the fortifications for a short time before being pushed out. (Again, Iowans are everywhere! Those farm boys could fight.)
We also visited the National Cemetery where, as at other Civil War cemeteries, the number of unknowns is astounding. (Rufus wondered why they didn’t institute some type of a dog tag system.)
During the drive to Chattanooga we again listened to the Grant autobiography. We learned that Grant had his 12 year old son on the campaign with him; he tried to leave him (Fred) behind at one point but Fred caught up with Grant all on his own. Grant said neither he nor his wife felt any cause to worry. They probably didn’t make him wear a bike helmet, either.
Today was a big driving day. We crossed Mississippi and Alabama, cut across the corner of Georgia and ended up back in Tennessee. (It was the first time in Alabama for Greg and Jennifer, if stopping at a rest area really counts for being in a state. Though it was a very nice rest area.)
We stopped for lunch, by happenstance really, at this great local divey place in Jackson: the Beatty Street Grocery. Greg and Jennifer had hamburgers and Rufus had a turkey po’ boy. We’re still full (but happy!)
Drama of the day: we all had the bejesus scared out of us when some object kicked up by a semi slammed into the top of the van. Woke up Rufus from a nap and set all of our hearts to pounding. Feel very lucky that it didn’t land on the windshield. What a different a few feet makes!
We’re on the return leg now and back in the eastern time zone. Tomorrow we tour Chickamauga and Chattanooga battlefields. Friday will be another driving day as we head up to meet Bernadette and Sander at Appomattox Courthouse.
