Day 9: 139 Miles
Starting location: LeFleurs Bluff State Park, Jackson Mississippi – 38 degrees
Ending location: Poverty Point State Park, Delhi, Louisiana – 62 degrees
Major Stops: Vicksburg National Battlefield
UNESCO World Heritage site – Poverty Point
Weather: Rainy early am, clearing and sunny by 10am
As I pulled stakes and started to drive out of Le Fleur Bluff State Park, I realized I had forgotten to take any pictures. So, here are two pictures showing what it looked like the morning we left. One of the more interesting things, is that the state park was a gated park. I was feeling pretty big for my britches, until my sister told me that we were gated IN to keep the riff raff within the park. It was true! The code was to exit the park, not to get in! The other interesting thing is that the comfort station was built on stilts. I image that was a a flooding issue. Nonetheless, it was a pretty park and a quiet night.
Back to the Trace and on to Vicksburg
Making our way back to the point where we left the Trace, we headed south about 40 miles to our turn towards Vicksburg. The weather was improving as we drove. I will share only one of the stops along that way, because it is directly related to the Civil War Siege at Vicksburg.
Getting troops to Vicksburg was a difficult endeavor and took many battles to get there. Here is a copy of the map from the NPS brochure that shows the path to even get to Vicksburg. The red curves are the Confederate resistance that they found along the way.
Vicksburg was like a citadel on a hill. The terrain was open and easily defended, assuming you could remain supplied. Both sides considered it the key to winning the war because it was the place that would control the Mississippi river. Moving commerce down the Mississippi was important to both sides for getting goods to market. Thus, control of the inland waterways and their linked rail lines were the drivers of Shiloh, Corinth and the Vicksburg campaign.
Here are some other resources, if you are interested. This is the National Park video shown in the visitors center. There are also tour apps for each battlefield. Here is the one for Vicksburg that you can download and read much more. They are well done and interesting if you are a history buff.
I will let the pictures tell the rest of the story of my visit.
Vicksburg Images
UNESCO World Heritage Site – Poverty Point
Further to the west, is Poverty Point a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Quoting from the Google synopsis from Wikipedia, “A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, scientific or other form of significance.”
So, leaving the battlefields of the Civil War, I now come to a place where a group of hunter/gathers (not agricultural folks) worked together to build an amazing series of structures around 1650 BC. It is refreshing to think about people working together for a common cause after so much thinking about war.
It is estimated for the entire site that they moved over 750,000 cubic meters of earth in baskets or skins each weighing about 50 lbs. My pictures will not give you the understanding of the entire site, so here is a link to a wikipedia page with a great image that will help you to understand the magnitude of the effort.
Dottie and I had a blessed 2.5 mile hike around the entire site and here are a few images from it.
Clarifying….have a sliver of internet
I have a little internet where I am. It comes and goes, but I wanted to get a post out if I could. I do not expect to have internet after tomorrow. And it takes forever to load pictures… no promises on any other posts before I return to civilization.
Karen your blog is amazing. I am catching up after a busy week and am truly in awe. The pictures are majestic! Very envious of the journey you’re on. BTW, I think you missed your calling – you should be a professional blogger. Love and miss you friend 😘
Thanks for your very kind words, Deb! I miss you, too, my dear friend!
I hope you are starting to wind down and pass on the baton officially. I’ve been thinking of you.
Found you and your adventures through Ellen M. So happy to hear about your adventures. Can’t wait to see what happens next for you!
Hi Jill! Thanks so much for your kind words. Hope life is treating you well!