CWT Invades Vicksburg 2019 Tour - the official thread

Added to Calendar: 10/25/19, 10/26/19, 10/27/19

Will you be attending the CWT Invades Vicksburg 2019 Tour?


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bdtex

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CivilWarTalk.com
Invades Vicksburg, Mississippi
20th Anniversary Members Meeting
Thursday,October 24th and/or Friday,October 25th-Sunday,October 27th,2019

You are invited to join us as CWT invades Vicksburg, Mississippi to celebrate CWT 20th Anniversary. We have put together a Great weekend package filled with events that explore the history of Vicksburg and The Civil War.

Tours include the Old Courthouse Museum and Confederate Soldiers Rest Cemetery. A complete tour of the Vicksburg National Military Park to include tour stop presentations by some of our members, a nice box lunch picnic (weather permitting) at the USS Cairo picnic area. Our members' dinner Saturday night at the Beechwood Restaurant right near the hotel, and a Sunday morning trip to the south end of Vicksburg and Grant's Canal.

Our hotel package includes a FREE Deluxe breakfast each morning and a FREE Manager's Social each evening in our CWT War Room. For the early arrivals,see the Thursday night and Friday morning itinerary below.

So make your plans now to join us for what promise to be a GREAT Weekend of CivilWarTalk.
(see full itinerary for complete details). This year's planning committee is @ucvrelics , @lelliott19 and myself @bdtex .

LODGING:

Host Hotel: Hampton Inn & Suites
3330 Clay Street, Vicksburg, MS 39183

Phone: 601-636-6100 or Book On-Line and make sure you us group code CWT

Room Rate: $125 per night and includes Free Deluxe Breakfast each morning with a Managers Social every evening in our CWT Meeting Room. Free WI-FI and parking are included.

RESERVATION Methods: For reservations call 1-800-HAMPTON and state you are with the group code CWT, or go online to https://hamptoninn3.hilton.com/en/h...n-inn-and-suites-vicksburg-VKSBGHX/index.html and enter group code CWT. Reservations must be received by September 1st, 2019 thereafter, reservations will be taken on a space available basis only at our rack rate of $145.00

GUARANTEE & PAYMENT: Individual credit cards are required when making reservations.

CANCELLATION POLICY: Cancel 48 hours prior to arrival to avoid charges to credit card.

We have a room block of 10 rooms for Oct. 24th - 27th and 20 rooms blocked for Oct: 25th – 27th. We have it setup with a 48-hour cancellation so that you can book early to lock in your room and if something happens you can cancel at no cost. ALL ROOMS BOOKED AFTER SEPTEMBER 1st WILL BE BOOKED AT $145.00 per night. So, Book Your Room Early.

SPECIAL NOTE: Raffle Tickets will be give out at the USS Cairo stop on Saturday and a drawing will be held at our dinner that night. Some lucky member will win a Civil War Witness pen made from wood recovered from the USS Cairo.

ITINERARY:

Thursday Oct. 24th
(Early Arrivals Optional) 10 room block.

Check In 1:00pm (Free Time)

5:00 pm get together in our CWT War Room for Manager’s Social and discussion of Friday morning itinerary.

AM Friday, Oct 25th (optional)

6:00 am. Breakfast in our CWT War Room and leave for morning sightseeing activities as members prefer to do. No group destination determined YET.

PM Friday Oct. 25th (Regular Arrivals)

1:00 pm: Official Kickoff: CWT Invades Vicksburg. Gather in the War Room. Travel to Old Court House Museum. www.oldcourthouse.org

3:30 pm: Cedar Hill Cemetery (Confederate Soldiers Rest)

6:00 – 7:30 pm: Gather in the War Room for Manager’s Social provided by hotel for meet, greet, and seat. Grady Howell, retired historian from the Mississippi Department of Archives and History and author of 23 books on Mississippi CW history,will be speaking. There will also be a briefing of the plans for Saturday tour of the VNMP. Give out menus for McAlister Deli for box lunch choice and payment.


Oct 26th Vicksburg National Military Park - All Day. https://www.nps.gov/vick/index.htm

7:00 am. Breakfast in our CWT War Room. Go over the day’s plan again for anyone who missed it.

8:15 am. Meet and tour VNP Visitors center.

9:30 am – 1:00 pm. Park Tour (north end) with presentations at certain stops by members.

1:00 pm Lunch break at picnic area located at the USS Cairo. Very Nice Box Lunch provided by McAlister’s Deli located by the restaurant. Pass out raffle tickets.

https://www.mcalistersdeli.com/catering

2:00 - 3:30. Tour USS Cairo

3:30 till Finish of park tour to south end Railroad Redoubt and Fort Garrott with presentations at certain stops by members.

5:00 – 7:00 Mangers Social in the CWT War Room.

7:30 pm. Members Dinner. NEARBY the hotel. Beechwood GREAT Food & Place

https://www.beechwoodrestaurantandlounge.com/

A drawing will be held at dinner (raffle tickets given at the USS Cairo stop) and the lucky winner will receive 1 of only 5 witness pens made from wood recovered from USS Cairo.


Sunday Oct. 27th


7:30 am: Gather in our CWT War Room for breakfast.

8:00 am: Tour south end of Vicksburg to 4 VNPS sites that aren’t in the park.

Travel south down Confederate Ave to see all the markers and breast works. Stops at:

South Fort

Louisiana Circle

Navy Circle

Grants Canal: With members presentation. (This is a must see!)

12:00 am Return to hotel, say our Good Byes, checkout and go home.
 
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Just wondering: Is Champion Hill still an option after Raymond instead of relic hunting or is it only relic hunting now?

If not, for those staying longer, we could maybe schedule it for Sunday afternoon, hoping that maybe @alan polk will still have time then? :wub:

We are planning on doing Raymond Friday morning which is where I also plan on taking some folks relic hunting if enough interest. The schedule is to be back at the CWT War Room by 1:00pm to Officially kick off the weekend as the majority of folks will be coming in on Friday morning. Looking forward to meeting you then.
 
Just wondering: Is Champion Hill still an option after Raymond instead of relic hunting or is it only relic hunting now?

If not, for those staying longer, we could maybe schedule it for Sunday afternoon, hoping that maybe @alan polk will still have time then? :wub:
I will be glad to show folks Champion Hill and then the route the armies took back into Vicksburg after Raymond if there is an interest. I know you, Luinrina, and perhaps a couple others have expressed an interest, like @rebel brit and @Ole Miss. Y’all just let me know and we will hash it out further. It would be fun.
 
This is sounding good - almost as if I'd planned it myself; I certainly want to arrive on Thursday and participate in all planned activities!

Vicksburg 018.jpg
 
Alright, I've booked a room and barring an unforeseen crisis plan on being in Vicksburg in October.

(Note: I found the hotel website difficult, but picking up the phone and calling was super easy).

@alan polk, I would like very much to see Champion Hill but would also like to dig in the dirt with @ucvrelics - I'll need to figure this out.
 
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Alright, I've booked a room and barring an unforeseen crisis plan on being in Vicksburg in October.

(Note: I found the hotel website difficult, but picking up the phone and calling was super easy).

@alan polk, I would like very much to see Champion Hill but would also like to dig in the dirt with @ucvrelics - I'll need to figure this out.
I’m kinda keeping an informal list of those who have expressed an interest. I’ve got your name on it with a question mark next to it.

We’ve got plenty of time to flesh it out. Whatever we do, it’ll be fun!
 
This is sounding good - almost as if I'd planned it myself; I certainly want to arrive on Thursday and participate in all planned activities!

View attachment 296588
Thanks and its going to get more interesting as we want to get the membership involved at some of the key stops in the VNP. That will be coming in the Vicksburg forum (so as not to muddy up the official thread) shortly.
 
(Note: I found the hotel website difficult, but picking up the phone and calling was super easy).
It will be good to see you again and I am planning a Friday night side trip to see the boats on the Miss River.:D

On the hotel website, I tried to get them to setup 2 direct links. One if checking in on the 24th and another for the 25th and they couldn't do it and I tried but it would always reverted back to the original page for that day.

How long are you going to stay? as I will more than likely spend a few days after, digging at Big Black with my hunting buddy.
 
I am doing a military convention in Columbus GA in three weeks. If I go to Vicksburg will partly depend on if I stay a over a week there or just 5 or 6 days. I expect to deplete my vacation funds and will need to see if I can save enough for a trip to Vicksburg.
 
Image (3).jpg

I’m kinda keeping an informal list of those who have expressed an interest. I’ve got your name on it with a question mark next to it.

We’ve got plenty of time to flesh it out. Whatever we do, it’ll be fun!
You can add me to the list because I'd definitely be interested in seeing as much as possible of Champion's Hill! I sort of "toured" it many years ago, I believe led by the owner of the Cactus Plantation who was a member of the reenactment group Stanford's Battery during one of the then-annual reenactments there sometime in the 1980's. I particularly remember passing down a gravel road beside a falling-in ruin of an old house that was supposed to be where Rebel ladies standing on the front porch cheered on Bowen's men as they marched into the battle. (I'm sure that's gone by now.) Here's a "witness tree" beside a church that's probably gone too that I photographed during a later visit in 2007:

Image (4).jpg
 
It is a repop made by Steen. The one below will be in the lobby.
cannon.jpeg

View attachment 296718

You can add me to the list because I'd definitely be interested in seeing as much as possible of Champion's Hill! I sort of "toured" it many years ago, I believe led by the owner of the Cactus Plantation who was a member of the reenactment group Stanford's Battery during one of the then-annual reenactments there sometime in the 1980's. I particularly remember passing down a gravel road beside a falling-in ruin of an old house that was supposed to be where Rebel ladies standing on the front porch cheered on Bowen's men as they marched into the battle. (I'm sure that's gone by now.) Here's a "witness tree" beside a church that's probably gone too that I photographed during a later visit in 2007:

View attachment 296719
Here is a witness pen from that tree in my collection.
1552498455816.png
 
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