Eastport

[DeltaQueenBee]

Hello all, hello Deltaqueen, just had to respond to this thread first as I happen to live in Iuka and have hunted Eastport for over 30 years now and I can definitely tell you there were over 10 gun emplacements even one one a turret type slab with track that still exists today being used as a patio believe it or not. Have you ever heard of the chalkmine? It sits above the present day marina and during the civil war was mined for salt Peter by the Confederates for black powder, there are a couple of emplacements there but the biggest concentration of them are back over where present day union harbor community is, I have a good friend who just acquired 27 acres that have a couple of emplacements on it as well as the winter camps from the union occupation, it seems that Eastport and the surrounding area changed hands on a seasonal type thing for some reason but I could show you where the turret sits and where the girls college was, turned into a military academy during the war, and where the breast works run for literally miles also a stone road that runs for a good half mile goes from a high elevation on a very gradual decline to the river I can only assume it was the landing and the purpose of the elaborate road that is built was to support the heavy cargo from the supply vessels to the ground troops, its truly amazing at how big of a force had to occupy that entire area and the amount of labor and time that it took to complete it all, I've never understood why it wasn't preserved by the NPS or made at least a protected area by the state. It has more miles of breast works than any other national battleground I've ever seen and covers the entire rivers edge from Bear Creek to Pittsburgh landing, luckily when the **** was built and they flooded the area right at Eastport the natural channel literally hugs the bank and because of the bluffs it didn't take out any of the historical importance on the Mississippi side I don't know how to explain how to get to most of the emplacements there unless you are familiar with all of the names of the hollows and such and will be glad to draw you a map or show you where they are sometime it's truly amazing. Sorry to start out here with a 15 minute run on sentence but I couldn't help myself I truly do wish it were protected because development is going to erase the remnants from our history here I just hope it's never forgotten.

Our house is in Union Harbor! I've been very concerned as well because there has been a significant amount of construction by one of the neighbors who owns a significant amount of land (it might be your friend). I've been down that stone road leading up to what looked like it might have been a quarry at one time? I know you could hear the river if you went far enough down the road. It's been blocked off now so we stay off of it but I loved walking and exploring up there. When we start going back when it gets a bit warmer I would love for you to show me anything you can find! You've made my day!

 

[Norman Dasinger Jr]

Glad to have helped

I live over 3 hours from Eastport. WE need to get CWT to host a tour of the Forrest Streight Raid so we can all go to Eastport.

 

[7th Mississippi Infantry]

Hello all, hello Deltaqueen, just had to respond to this thread first as I happen to live in Iuka and have hunted Eastport for over 30 years now and I can definitely tell you there were over 10 gun emplacements even one one a turret type slab with track that still exists today being used as a patio believe it or not. Have you ever heard of the chalkmine? It sits above the present day marina and during the civil war was mined for salt Peter by the Confederates for black powder, there are a couple of emplacements there but the biggest concentration of them are back over where present day union harbor community is, I have a good friend who just acquired 27 acres that have a couple of emplacements on it as well as the winter camps from the union occupation, it seems that Eastport and the surrounding area changed hands on a seasonal type thing for some reason but I could show you where the turret sits and where the girls college was, turned into a military academy during the war, and where the breast works run for literally miles also a stone road that runs for a good half mile goes from a high elevation on a very gradual decline to the river I can only assume it was the landing and the purpose of the elaborate road that is built was to support the heavy cargo from the supply vessels to the ground troops, its truly amazing at how big of a force had to occupy that entire area and the amount of labor and time that it took to complete it all, I've never understood why it wasn't preserved by the NPS or made at least a protected area by the state. It has more miles of breast works than any other national battleground I've ever seen and covers the entire rivers edge from Bear Creek to Pittsburgh landing, luckily when the **** was built and they flooded the area right at Eastport the natural channel literally hugs the bank and because of the bluffs it didn't take out any of the historical importance on the Mississippi side I don't know how to explain how to get to most of the emplacements there unless you are familiar with all of the names of the hollows and such and will be glad to draw you a map or show you where they are sometime it's truly amazing. Sorry to start out here with a 15 minute run on sentence but I couldn't help myself I truly do wish it were protected because development is going to erase the remnants from our history here I just hope it's never forgotten.

Welcome @Ac74 !

That's very interesting !

I had no idea the Eastport chalk mine was originally mined for salt peter by the Confederates, but it makes perfect sense for that part of the area.

Although I spent five years at Ole Miss, married a Memphis girl, and tried to visit as many North Mississippi / West Tennessee WBTS sites as possible ... I had never heard of Eastport until about ten years ago.

We have more than a few extinct towns in South Mississippi as well.
The common factor in all of these town's demise seems to be directly related to the railroads constructing new routes.

But at least Eastport is remembered in a few historical markers :

Photo: Twin Magnolias Marker

 

[16thAL]

Hello all, hello Deltaqueen, just had to respond to this thread first as I happen to live in Iuka and have hunted Eastport for over 30 years now and I can definitely tell you there were over 10 gun emplacements even one one a turret type slab with track that still exists today being used as a patio believe it or not. Have you ever heard of the chalkmine? It sits above the present day marina and during the civil war was mined for salt Peter by the Confederates for black powder, there are a couple of emplacements there but the biggest concentration of them are back over where present day union harbor community is, I have a good friend who just acquired 27 acres that have a couple of emplacements on it as well as the winter camps from the union occupation, it seems that Eastport and the surrounding area changed hands on a seasonal type thing for some reason but I could show you where the turret sits and where the girls college was, turned into a military academy during the war, and where the breast works run for literally miles also a stone road that runs for a good half mile goes from a high elevation on a very gradual decline to the river I can only assume it was the landing and the purpose of the elaborate road that is built was to support the heavy cargo from the supply vessels to the ground troops, its truly amazing at how big of a force had to occupy that entire area and the amount of labor and time that it took to complete it all, I've never understood why it wasn't preserved by the NPS or made at least a protected area by the state. It has more miles of breast works than any other national battleground I've ever seen and covers the entire rivers edge from Bear Creek to Pittsburgh landing, luckily when the **** was built and they flooded the area right at Eastport the natural channel literally hugs the bank and because of the bluffs it didn't take out any of the historical importance on the Mississippi side I don't know how to explain how to get to most of the emplacements there unless you are familiar with all of the names of the hollows and such and will be glad to draw you a map or show you where they are sometime it's truly amazing. Sorry to start out here with a 15 minute run on sentence but I couldn't help myself I truly do wish it were protected because development is going to erase the remnants from our history here I just hope it's never forgotten.

It is worth it . Trying hard to protect our landmarks here . Uphill battle. Right now our biggest victory is Jacinto .

 

[Wade Moore]

Since you are familiar with the area, I have found the attached section from a book that mentions Rocky Point being half a mile below Eastport. That would mean that Rocky Point would be slightly north of Eastport, correct?

View attachment 433747

Could you tell me what book this is from? The OR? Thanks!

 

[Story]

Note the flag on the leftmost hill. Note also the haybales or tents on the naked knoll, extreme right hill.

Due to its position on the Tennessee River, Eastport saw some activity during the Civil War, including an attack by Union gunboats on Confederate trenches in 1862. A drawing of the town (seen above) taken around 1862 shows a small, depleted town, with only a few buildings remaining.

Lost History: Eastport (1838)

Eastport, Mississippi was one of the earliest trading posts and towns founded in northeast Mississippi. After the Chickasaw Cession of 1836, Tishomingo County was founded, covering all of t…

hillcountryhistory.org

Source: Harper's Pictorial History of the Civil War, p.681

@DeltaQueenBee

Knowing the local terrain better than any of us, you'll have to do your own map comparison study.

The Harper's artist must be to the lower-right of the "Eastport" below, which to my eye would place the Yankee flag on the pole (presumably the captured Confederate works) on the hill to the left of the E in Eastport.

However, I would also strongly suggest going to the local Civil War society and asking which relic hunters have chased after the location of the Confederate works. [PS - guess that'd be you, @Ac74 ]

Contemporary terrain map bracketing Eastport both up and down stream included, for your efforts in locating Rocky Point.
@Ac74 - see the highground marked 401, west of Eastport? What's there?

 

[Wade Moore]

Here is a topographic map of the area from 1911...

 

[DeltaQueenBee]

Could you tell me what book this is from? The OR? Thanks!

Hey! I only saved a snip of the excerpt from the book which was found online but I'm still looking for it .