Natchez,MS

[Bee]

Absolutely no idea. I've recommended Dixie's Daughters on this website and I've never criticized or tried to communicate with her. Weird.

Just saw the "inexplicably" part....It could have been an accident. Last couple of weeks or so, there was a kerfuffle on Twitter about speaking engagements. If you were blocked recently, this could have been that you were unintentionally caught up in the mess.

 

[bdtex]

Thanks for this great thread. This coming Saturday I'm planning on leaving Vicksburg early for a meandering drive south to make a 7pm flight out of New Orleans. I'm hoping to spend the morning in Natchez.

You're welcome. It was a great trip. Just downloaded all the pics from my trip and deleted the ones that didn't come out good and weeded out some duplicates. Gonna start posting them tomorrow. I doubt I'll be finished before you leave on your trip. Natchez is a great town.

 

[bdtex]

"To do" the cemetery right, one needs at least a full day. But the highlights can be seen in a couple of hours.

I had about an hour and a half by the time I got there and I found what I was mainly there to see. One of these days I'd like to go back and take the tour with the audio CD just because it's there. By the time I got there,the cemetery office was closed.

 

[Eleanor Rose]

Hi @bdtex! I can't wait to see some of your pics. I checked out the website for the Starling properties and they look pretty good. Did you stay at Starling's Rest or Clifton House? We're still considering a trip there for Spring Pilgrimage this year and this looks like a possible option for us. Any info. will be appreciated.

 

[bdtex]

Hi @bdtex! I can't wait to see some of your pics. I checked out the website for the Starling properties and they look pretty good. Did you stay at Starling's Rest or Clifton House? We're still considering a trip there for Spring Pilgrimage this year and this looks like a possible option for us. Any info. will be appreciated.

I stayed at the Clifton House and I would definitely stay there again. Didn't think to take any pictures of the interior. Posted a coupla pics of the house upthread and 2 pics of the view of the river from the porch.

 

[Eleanor Rose]

I stayed at the Clifton House and I would definitely stay there again. Didn't think to take any pictures of the interior. Posted a coupla pics of the house upthread and 2 pics of the view of the river from the porch.

I though the exterior was of Clifton House. It looked very nice and the view was terrific!

 

[bdtex]

Okay...not gonna get around to posting pics today so I'll do a Civil War Traveler's Companion review of the lodging. As I stated in the opening post of this thread,I booked a room at a place called Starlings Hotel for a 2 night stay in Natchez. It was a B&B when it started but they do not now serve breakfast. Actually,it is a total of 6 houses that do not adjoin. I saw 2 of the houses for sure,including the one I stayed at. The main property is called Starling's Rest. That's where you check in and out.

https://www.starlingsrest.com/book-online

I stayed in The Clifton House:

https://www.starlingsrest.com/clifton-house

My room was the Big River Suite,North. The room and pics are as advertised on the website.

https://www.starlingsrest.com/big-river-north

The room was an upstairs room and was clean. It did have a mini-fridge. Never turned the tv on. The downstairs,except for the kitchen,the stairs and floors on the second floor were hardwood floors. The front door had a coded keypad entry system. The kitchen was a complete kichen and also had a Keurig coffee maker with pods and a microwave. The porch was covered and had very nice outdoor furniture. In this thread,I have posted pics of the exterior of the house and the view of the Mississippi River from the porch. I didn't think to take any pics of the interior. The other guests during my stay were as quiet as me. The first night there,I walked to the King's Tavern restaurant. The walk was about 15 minutes,partly along the river. My total cost for a 2 night stay was $188.80. I booked that on Wednesday and arrived on Thursday. I suspect that was a seasonal rate or they had lowered the rate. It was $84/night + tax. That same room right now is $119/night + tax. That's another reason,I travel in Jan-March as much as possible. Not sure that I would stay there for $119/night. My stay was great and great value for the dollar too.

 

[James N.]

Once, many, many years ago a reenacting friend of mine and I drove to Louisiana, arriving rather late in Friday night for what turned out to be an abominable event held on a cold, muddy ridge in the woods somewhere near Port Hudson where we were ominously Yankees #1 & #2. Looking around at these dreary prospects, without too much trouble I persuaded him to abort this farb-fest farce and drive north into Mississippi to Natchez. We wound up staying at Monmouth, the fabulous estate of Mississippi Mexican War-era General and Governor John A. Quitman. We stayed just behind the Big House in what had once been the slave quarters for the house servants, somewhat small but brick and nice! That also included breakfast, after which the serving lady showed us around the interior of the mansion. For a more substantial room rate one could actually stay there and sleep in the very same bed where Quitman had died in the 1850's after supposedly being poisoned by one of his house servants!

 

[Eleanor Rose]

Monmouth is still a wonderful, albeit pricey, option James N. They now serve dinner to the public and the food and surroundings are fabulous.

 

[bdtex]

Little slow getting this thread rolling again. Family and work beckoned upon my return. When I hit Natchez,I went straight to Natchez National Cemetery. The time on my first picture shows I got there at 4:50pm and had about an hour and a half before sunset. Not a breath of wind was blowing while I was there. Took a lotta pics and gonna post a lot before I move on to the next subject.

 

[bdtex]

Cemetery Rd. runs parallel to the river on the bluffs at Natchez and cuts Natchez National Cemetery into 2 parcels. The pictures above are the entrance to the southern parcel. I pulled in and drove in a ways and was stopped by a gentleman who must've spotted the Texas plates on my truck and was being hospitable. Turns out he was the owner of a company that had won a contract to re-sod the cemetery and had a crew there working. Folks visiting there next month oughta be in for a treat after the new sod gets watered a bit and takes root.

 

[bdtex]

I eventually parked my truck and just started walking and taking pictures.

 

[James N.]

I'm wondering how and why I've never visited this National Cemetery?!

 

[bdtex]

I'm wondering how and why I've never visited this National Cemetery?!

Yeah. Ida never guessed that.

 

[bdtex]

https://www.cem.va.gov/cems/nchp/natchez.asp

I printed that page from the VA website before I went and I'm glad I did. The Grave Locator at the cemetery allows you to print a cemetery map and I got one of those while there. There were a few gravesites in particular that I wanted to find. This was the first one. The only Medal Of Honor winner buried there.

"Wilson Brown was born into slavery in 1841 at Natchez, MS. During the Civil War, Brown escaped to the Navy gunboat USS Hartford and enlisted in 1863. Landsman Brown served until 1865, including aboard the Hartford, and returned to Natchez at war's end. During the Battle of Mobile Bay (AL) on August 5, 1864, Brown was knocked unconscious in the ship's hold by a shell burst. He regained consciousness and returned to supplying cannon ammunition. Brown was awarded the Medal of Honor for bravery. He died in January 1900 and is buried in Natchez National Cemetery (Section G, Grave 3152)."

 

[bdtex]

I kinda like this picture from the bottom terrace looking up. 5 terraces from top to bottom. The middle terrace is a single row of gravesites.

 

[bdtex]

Also from the VA webpage linked above:

"Union Navy soldiers re-interred in the Natchez National Cemetery. To cite a few:

• William Preston, Quartermaster on the USS Hartford, Section D Grave 459.
• John Keese, Seaman on the USS Osage, Section D Grave 423.
• T.W. Roberts, Acting Ensign on the USS Osark, Section D Grave 421."

Found all 3 of those sailors too:

 

[bdtex]

I don't recall seeing any other non-government issue gravestones there,which made this one stand out even more.

 

[Eleanor Rose]

I'm wondering how and why I've never visited this National Cemetery?!

@Southern Unionist and I made more trips to Natchez than I should admit before we visited the National Cemetery or City Cemetery. Now that we have, they will be on our list for return visits. I really want to visit the City Cemetery when they are doing Angels on the Bluff.

 

[bdtex]

I really want to visit when they are doing Angels on the Bluff.

That's at the City Cemetery,not the National Cemetery,right? I'll get to the City Cemetery pics way later in this thread.