2019 Summer Trip

[alan polk]

Any estimate on how long I should figure in? I'm thinking 3 full days before heading south towards New Orleans. My wife is flexible, though. I'm actually in charge of figuring this stuff out!

Right now I'm thinking Chickasaw Bayou and the military park will take one full day. I've been to the park a few years ago which is why I think it will not take as long. Since most of Chickasaw is private land not sure how long that will take.

Champion Hill and Big Black River another full day. I haven't been to these spots before.

And to tool around Vicksburg another day.

Too short you think? Should I figure 4 full days?

It depends on how thorough you want to be. Just off the top of my head, Chickasaw Bayou is gonna be that unknown factor. As you intimated, it's on private property. I'm not familiar with it much. So depending on what you discover down there, you could spend 30 minutes there or perhaps 3 or 4 hours.

Then there's the Park. How intense do you want to make your park visit? You can spend anywhere from 2 hours to 6. Some people spend 2 hours alone at the Cairo Museum.

So it really comes down to prioritizing, which can be hard. You might want to see areas where the 22nd was that you don't think you can find on the Internet, or not.

 

[Ole Miss]

Bobby if you will send me the photos I will look them up
Regards
David

 

[Patrick H]

You could plan a brief stop at the Conferate State Historic Site in Higginsville, Missouri and visit the very impressive Confederate cemetery there. It is one of my favorite stops in that part of the state. Higginsville's exit on I-70 is a natural gas and convenience stop and the town itself (and historic site) are only a few minutes' drive north of I-70. The exit is about 45 - 50 miles east of Kansas City. Another 12 miles north of Higginsville is the town of Lexington, with its well-preserved battlefield and interpretive center. Sterling Price's State Guard besieged Lexington early in the war and eventually captured the Union garrison there after the "Battle of the Hemp Bales." Both sites are very worthwhile, but not very well known to out-of-state visitors. I don't think you'd be sorry.

 

[huskerblitz]

It depends on how thorough you want to be. Just off the top of my head, Chickasaw Bayou is gonna be that unknown factor. As you intimated, it's on private property. I'm not familiar with it much. So depending on what you discover down there, you could spend 30 minutes there or perhaps 3 or 4 hours.

Some will depend on the weather. The roads flood often, or so I hear. There is a loop that one can drive and I have two driving tour maps that helps located certain points of interest. Last time I was there we couldn't take the whole loop (I was with a group in a tour bus). So besides stopping along the road and photo taking, I'm not sure how much or far I can go. I do want to snag some dirt from the field my relative died in, beyond that I don't think there is much to walk and see. Then again, if you're able to go with me how much do you want to take in? I may know more about Chickasaw Bayou than you, but then you're my encyclopedia to pretty much everything else!

Then there's the Park. How intense do you want to make your park visit? You can spend anywhere from 2 hours to 6. Some people spend 2 hours alone at the Cairo Museum.

This would be the second time I've been to the park. I would be most interested in exploring the area the 22nd Ky participated in, which is just south of the Railroad Redoubt. Last time I missed Col. Lindsey's plaque so I want to make sure I make that a stop. And maybe Thayer's Approach. Everything else will be gravy. I do want to explore the visitor's center and watch the film, I missed that last time as well explaining Chickasaw Bayou to the new Ranger on duty! Nice guy, but he admitted he just start two weeks before my last visit so I had to fill him in on Chickasaw. I honestly don't know if they would have any items to research for Chickasaw Bayou or the 22nd at Vicksburg. I have yet to email them. Honestly, the park could be an entire day.

So it really comes down to prioritizing, which can be hard. You might want to see areas where the 22nd was that you don't think you can find on the Internet, or not.

Yep, always the hardest part. And your last sentence is absolutely true and that's what I want to make sure I hit.

 

[alan polk]

Then again, if you're able to go with me how much do you want to take in? I may know more about Chickasaw Bayou than you, but then you're my encyclopedia to pretty much everything else!

I would love to go; and yes, you know much more than I do and I'm interesting in going there and learning from you. So in that aspect, I thank you for offering to take me and I'll spend whatever time you desire. Generally, June and July are drier and not as much flooding. However, this year might prove a little different.

Nevertheless, What I'm trying to think through is this:

I figure that we might could do Port Gibson and that amount of time will depend on what all you need to see. Say, 2 hours for the sake of this ramble...

Leave Port Gibson area and start Grant's route into the interior, which is through Willow Springs- Rocky Springs - Regantown - Cayuga - 5 Mile Creek - Old Auburn - (then to follow McClernand's route toward railroad, we would go to Mt. Moriah area) then to Dillon's Plantation before entering Raymond. This route is covered by historical markers along the sides of the road and each do not take too long (Rocky Springs has a bit more to see but not much). I think we could do this in 2 or so hours. So we're at 4 hours?

How much of Raymond battlefield you want to see is up to you, for, as you know, McClernand was not at the battle but was in Raymond later. So you could spend as little as 30 minutes at battlefield if you wanted- up to you.

At any rate, leave Raymond and follow Carr's and Osterhaus' route to Champion Hill (about 15- 20 minutes). I figure you'd like to see a bit of Champion Hill so 1 or 11/2 hours depending on your interest. So, about 6 hours?

Then to Big Black, about 10 minutes (I told you about that in a PM -and I will work on that more when you figure out the days you'll be down, but whatever I am able to work out will depend on how long we can spend there. But if things do work out there, about an hour or so. I will PM you regarding that as we get closer). So, 7 hours?

Then we will leave there and enter Vicksburg - about 25-30 minutes?

So, just say if 2 hours at Port Gibson then all the above, it's around 8 hours or so. I did not figure in lunch. We can "go Confederate" and not eat or eat on the go, or go Yankee and take a lunch break- up to you, I'll be fine either way. But By end of June, it gets dark around 8:30, so it can be done.

What I doubt we can add to the above is Grand Gulf, and obviously Grant's Canal, Milliken's Bend, Richmond, Roundaway Bayou.

So since you want to do three days total and one of those days is the Park, maybe we can do the Chickasaw Bayou and at least the Louisiana stuff one day and the Port Gibson-Big Black on another day? (minus Grand Gulf).

Anyway, that's my thinking. Let me know your thoughts.

 

[huskerblitz]

I guess I need to ask, how far is Vicksburg from your home? We'll be lodging in Vicksburg...I think a B&B since my wife likes those types of places.

 

[Vicksburger]

I guess I need to ask, how far is Vicksburg from your home? We'll be lodging in Vicksburg...I think a B&B since my wife likes those types of places.

Don't forget to climb to the top of Sky Parlor Hill for a great view of the city.

 

[alan polk]

I guess I need to ask, how far is Vicksburg from your home? We'll be lodging in Vicksburg...I think a B&B since my wife likes those types of places.

I live in Raymond, about 30-35 minutes away from Vicksburg. So we can meet up in Vicksburg with no problem.

 

[alan polk]

I guess I need to ask, how far is Vicksburg from your home? We'll be lodging in Vicksburg...I think a B&B since my wife likes those types of places.

My brother and his wife have stayed at this B&B in Vicksburg and really enjoyed there stays there. It also has a nice restaurant. You might want your wife to take a look at it if ya'll aren't yet decided.

http://www.anchuca.com/

 

[huskerblitz]

@alan polk so you think we can get from Port Gibson to Champion Hill/Big Black River back to Vicksburg in a single day?

Right now I'm planning on hitting Arkansas Post, Milliken's Bend, Young's Point, and Grant's Canal on my way into Vicksburg. Just seems to work best when mapping out the drive to hit both of those spots. As far as I can tell there isn't much to see at Young's Point so that may be a 'quick-pic' and head across the river.

 

[alan polk]

@alan polk so you think we can get from Port Gibson to Champion Hill/Big Black River back to Vicksburg in a single day?

Right now I'm planning on hitting Arkansas Post, Milliken's Bend, Young's Point, and Grant's Canal on my way into Vicksburg. Just seems to work best when mapping out the drive to hit both of those spots. As far as I can tell there isn't much to see at Young's Point so that may be a 'quick-pic' and head across the river.

Well, a lot depends on how in depth you want to do PG. (And with that the weather.) I'm not as familiar with it. I'm assuming you'll want to see Schaefer house, Windsor and Bethel church. Not sure what else you have in mind there. But if we head out around 8 or so from V'burg and spend, say, 2 hours at PG, we can be at Raymond around 1:30 or 2. The drive from PG to Raymond is basically marked by historical markers so not a lot of time at any one spot. As I said, it does not get dark until around 8:30 or so. It's really what you want to do.

But I'm gonna need your dates, as commitments for June and July are coming in for me. Do you know what days your coming?

Alan

 

[James N.]

Suppose I should add Arkansas Post and maybe Milliken's Bend to the list.

… Right now I'm planning on hitting Arkansas Post, Milliken's Bend, Young's Point, and Grant's Canal on my way into Vicksburg. Just seems to work best when mapping out the drive to hit both of those spots. As far as I can tell there isn't much to see at Young's Point so that may be a 'quick-pic' and head across the river.

My understanding is that there's nothing left at Miliken's Bend either. I was vaguely interested in finding it after reading the journal Brokenburn written by Kate Stone https://civilwartalk.com/threads/kate-stone-of-brokenburn.87144/, of one of its citizens who fled with her family after the appearance and depredations by Farragut's fleet. Asking around, I was told that The Bend had fallen victim to the whims of the Mississippi and that her home Brokenburn was long gone, likely one reason that the monument and historical markers dedicated to the service of the USCT who fought there had been placed elsewhere within Vicksburg NMP.

 

[huskerblitz]

My understanding is that there's nothing left at Miliken's Bend. I was vaguely interested in finding it after reading the journal Brokenburn written by Emma Stone, of one of its citizens who fled with her family after the appearance and depredations by Farragut's fleet. asking around, I was told that The Bend had fallen victim to the whims of the Mississippi and that her home Brokenburn was long gone, likely one reason that the monument and historical markers dedicated to the service of the USCT who fought there had been placed elsewhere within Vicksburg NMP.

Yeah, it's going to be one of those areas where I stop, take a few quick pictures of the area and head on down the road.

 

[huskerblitz]

Well, a lot depends on how in depth you want to do PG. (And with that the weather.) I'm not as familiar with it. I'm assuming you'll want to see Schaefer house, Windsor and Bethel church. Not sure what else you have in mind there. But if we head out around 8 or so from V'burg and spend, say, 2 hours at PG, we can be at Raymond around 1:30 or 2. The drive from PG to Raymond is basically marked by historical markers so not a lot of time at any one spot. As I said, it does not get dark until around 8:30 or so. It's really what you want to do.

But I'm gonna need your dates, as commitments for June and July are coming in for me. Do you know what days your coming?

Alan

We are leaving home June 24th to head to Arkansas Post. It's a 13-hour drive so Arkansas Post, Milliken's Bend, Young's Point will be on June 25th. That will put us in Vicksburg the evening of the 25th.

So the days in/around Vicksburg will be June 26th, 27th, 28th, and June 29th. I went ahead and planned for 4 full days in Vicksburg. Once in Vicksburg, we can visit the sites in any order and not worry so much about time. On the 30th we will head south to Baton Rouge/Plaquemine and New Orleans.

How does that work out?

 

[alan polk]

Sounds great to me. I have marked my calendar.

 

[huskerblitz]

Made it back from our trip. Started with a stop at Arkansas Post, whose Ranger is from Nebraska. Headed on to Louisiana and tried to find Milliken's Bend and Young's Point and wound up driving on a levy...my wife wasn't too impressed but that turned out to be nothing! Stopped at Lake Providence and stopped at a neat little welcoming center that gave me a free small bale of cotton and different cotton bolls when she found out I was a teacher. Those will actually come in handy this next school year...I don't think I knew there was a brown cotton fiber.

Special thanks to @alan polk for our Vicksburg tour. He took us on all the backroads following the same path my relatives took as part of the 22nd Kentucky from Grant's Canal, to Windsor, Port Gibson, Champion Hill, Big Black River Bridge and on into Vicksburg. Man, there is nothing like standing where the people you have studied have been, especially ancestors. The biggest issue I had was getting on to all of those backroads, I completely lost my sense of direction. But my understanding of the terrain really helps me to understand what the 22nd Ky and other units were up against. And more importantly, Alan's tour got my wife's seal of approval as the best part of the entire trip!

Sad thing is I couldn't repay @alan polk by giving him a tour of Chickasaw Bayou, which is still under massive flooding. By my estimate, it was still under 4-5 feet of water. Grand Gulf was also flooded, but picked up a cool magnet and saw some interesting objects, like a CW era ambulance, likely similar to the one my 4x great uncle drove for a time.

Took a couple of abbreviated tours of the Vicksburg battlefield while dodging torrential downpours. Hit the Old Courthouse and Depot. The Depot was really cool with the diorama of Vicksburg. In fact, I found out the same guy is looking to create another one for Chickasaw Bayou and that was the same guy I donated money to a few years back to help him. I told him I would definitely be back if he completed it.

From there we headed down to New Orleans for a couple of days. Took in a swamp tour and got REALLY close to gators. And had a dinner cruise on the Natchez. Missed the CW museum there this time...they are closed on Mondays. So hit the road hitting other towns the 22nd stayed at, including Morganza, Plaquamime, Brashear (today Morgan City), Berwick City, Vermillionville, and finally Opelousa. Stayed at Texarkana then headed for home.

Sadly, this is somewhat the end of the trail for my research. I have followed the 22nd pretty much their entire journey during the war and have picked clean the internet of information. Still not sure what I will wind up doing with all of it, but I hope to be able to share their journey with others.

 

[alan polk]

Made it back from our trip. Started with a stop at Arkansas Post, whose Ranger is from Nebraska. Headed on to Louisiana and tried to find Milliken's Bend and Young's Point and wound up driving on a levy...my wife wasn't too impressed but that turned out to be nothing! Stopped at Lake Providence and stopped at a neat little welcoming center that gave me a free small bale of cotton and different cotton bolls when she found out I was a teacher. Those will actually come in handy this next school year...I don't think I knew there was a brown cotton fiber.

Special thanks to @alan polk for our Vicksburg tour. He took us on all the backroads following the same path my relatives took as part of the 22nd Kentucky from Grant's Canal, to Windsor, Port Gibson, Champion Hill, Big Black River Bridge and on into Vicksburg. Man, there is nothing like standing where the people you have studied have been, especially ancestors. The biggest issue I had was getting on to all of those backroads, I completely lost my sense of direction. But my understanding of the terrain really helps me to understand what the 22nd Ky and other units were up against. And more importantly, Alan's tour got my wife's seal of approval as the best part of the entire trip!

Sad thing is I couldn't repay @alan polk by giving him a tour of Chickasaw Bayou, which is still under massive flooding. By my estimate, it was still under 4-5 feet of water. Grand Gulf was also flooded, but picked up a cool magnet and saw some interesting objects, like a CW era ambulance, likely similar to the one my 4x great uncle drove for a time.

Took a couple of abbreviated tours of the Vicksburg battlefield while dodging torrential downpours. Hit the Old Courthouse and Depot. The Depot was really cool with the diorama of Vicksburg. In fact, I found out the same guy is looking to create another one for Chickasaw Bayou and that was the same guy I donated money to a few years back to help him. I told him I would definitely be back if he completed it.

From there we headed down to New Orleans for a couple of days. Took in a swamp tour and got REALLY close to gators. And had a dinner cruise on the Natchez. Missed the CW museum there this time...they are closed on Mondays. So hit the road hitting other towns the 22nd stayed at, including Morganza, Plaquamime, Brashear (today Morgan City), Berwick City, Vermillionville, and finally Opelousa. Stayed at Texarkana then headed for home.

Sadly, this is somewhat the end of the trail for my research. I have followed the 22nd pretty much their entire journey during the war and have picked clean the internet of information. Still not sure what I will wind up doing with all of it, but I hope to be able to share their journey with others.

I enjoyed meeting both of you and showing y'all around the old battlefields, camp sites, and little slices of third-world America thrown in for good measure! I hate that Chickasaw was underwater and I know that was the main reason you came. Hopefully, you can make it back down here under better circumstances and see it (and show me the battle). Nevertheless, your wife was certainly a trooper. And for Yankees, both of y'all did pretty well with "going Confederate" all day long without provisions and we got lucky with the weather, or we would not have made it to Schafer House and Big Black. It was fun and I'm glad you got something out of it. What a journey! Tell your wife I said hello.

Alan

 

[bdtex]

And for Yankees, both of y'all did pretty well with "going Confederate" all day long without provisions and we got lucky with the weather, or we would not have made it to Schafer House and Big Black.

Glad y'all got to do that. The Shaifer House is a fun excursion.

 

[alan polk]

Yea

Glad y'all got to do that. The Shaifer House is a fun excursion.

Yeah, we got lucky, not only because of missing the rain, but County workers had just cleared the road going into the Shaifer house a few hours before (a tree had fallen across the road). Floodwater covered the paved road going to Windsor and Bethel Church (had to go the back way from Rodney to get there) and Grand Gulf had just re-opened the day we went there. So lucky all around!

 

[bdtex]

Been wondering about Grand Gulf MP. Is Fort Cobun still underwater?