Following In The Tracks of Your Civil War Ancestor

[Freddy]

Since I have my great-grandfather's CW diary and the History Of The 35TH Regiment, Massachusetts Volunteers, 1862-1865, I can map out his footsteeps or train tracks. First, I travelled to Camp Stanton in Lynnfield, MA where the regiment trained. Next, I drove down to Frederick, Maryland and visited South Mountain, MD where he was wounded. I want to visit North Anna River battle where he was captured, Vicksburg and Jackson, MS, as my brother has been to Vicksburg. I would love to ride the train from Pittsburg, PA to Cairo, IL and sail a steamboat down to Vicksburg just as he did. Finaly, visiting Andersonvile Prison in GA where he was a prisioner. Has anyone else attempted this?

[ole]

Freddy: Drove through Cairo once. That was enough. Of all the armpits on the face of this planet, missing Cairo is not a bad thing. Get on your steamboat at Cincinnati, Louisville or St. Louis. A great ride into history. The mighty Mississippi isn't the same as it was, but it's close enough. There's something about that river. It just slides by and keeps its secrets. Go for it.
Ole

[larry_cockerham]

Cairo was not the armpit of the world, more like the part that drains. I encountered it for the only time coming from the Kentucky side, a more Confederately moderate environment, hence a better outlook. The view of the convergence of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers is something to behold from the interstate bridge. Cairo was one of those ideas that was great, just in the wrong place. It was conceived as a future metropolis and was to have at least a dozen railroads converging at that point. The Singer Sewing Machine Company was headquartered there for years. Good thing that sewing machine cabinet parts float. Scuba gear was a requisite for residency in Cairo along with a good mesquito net. The story here in the south is that when asking directions to Cairo, should anyone want to go, the response is often that "Cairo is in Egypt, KARO is in Illinois."

[richard]

If you decide to take the river boat from Louisville down, try to make sure that it stops at Paducah, Ky. Forrest paid a short visit there twice in "64. It is a very nice town to stop at and have a short visit.

[ole]

Crossed from the Peaceable Kingdom to the raggedy North a number of times through Paducah. Not a whole bunch going for it that's immediately obvious to the passer through. But it's got a really nice-sounding name. Pah - doo - kah. What's not to love about that?
Ole