Driving towards Vicksburg today we leave the Interstate and are on single lane roads for the first time. Fields of cotton stretch as far as the eye can see and white tufts gather like snow drifts along the roadside where the harvesters have gone through. Clouds of dust way out in the field indicate where the tractors are, when they move along the road to the next paddock they are gigantic close up, half the size again as the actual width of the single lane road.
Vicksburg it self is a wealthy town and always has been, all through out history it has been a major port on the Mississppi for the transportation of cotton and goods up and down the river by barge and steamboat.
The streets are lined with age old trees and the houses are large and grand. The small shopping centre is full of well built red brick veranda styled shops. The town sits on a 300 metre high bluff that separates it from the water…
It still floods, as this level indicator shows the floods of the past. This is the first levee we have seen to stop the floodwater, should the water rise. The whole levee wall has been painted in historical and local paintings along its length, a children’s park also borders this area.
Vicksburg’s fame lies in the Battle and Siege of Vicksburg, one of the longest running battles in the Civil War and the turning point that led to the Norths victory.
Vicksburg sits high on the bluff and was a natural fortress high above the river, whoever controlled the river controlled the South, Vicksburg was the last place the North needed to overtake in order to stop the Confederate supply lines which ran up and down the river.
In one of the boldest moves by the north General Grant took his troops deep into southern territory to gain a surprise advantage and come up behind the town, a distraction on the river was also put into play to get the troops closer. It worked, kind of, the Norths lines were right up under the bluffs, the closest they had ever been, they had surrounded the town but they still couldn’t get in.
The North lay siege to the town for 47 days, effectively starving the town into submission and surrender. With the Mississippi River in Union hands, the Confederacy’s fate was all but sealed.
Rosie wont starve…lunch sees us take an elevator up to the top floor of the highest building in the town.
The view up the Mississippi is great and over town just as good. The rooftop of this building is a restaurant, so, of course, Rosie and The Operator stop for lunch, it is shaded and pleasantly cool there…. and the view, well, it is amazing.
Nick is our server and he gives us a run down of the specialties…as a starter it would be rude not to try the Fried Green Tomatoes…Rosie thought green tomatoes were picked before they are ripened…not so, that is the matured tomato varieties ripe colour, green.
They were slices of tomato, battered and fried with a creamy tomato sauce on top and chunks of shrimp also. Rosie had the coconut crusted shrimp with a side of cajun beans and The Operator had the house favorite crumbed chicken on a sweet potato waffle, it had maple syrup drizzled over it and it was lovely.
Rosie and The Operator cruised around town for a look at the shops….did you know that Vicksburg was the the first place in the world to bottle Coca Cola, prior to that Coke had only been a fountain drink. This is the building that the coke was bottled in, it was bought into town as a syrup, then mixed with the fine artisan Vicksburg water and carbonated. The Coca Cola was doubtful and didn’t think bottles were going to be a hit….
We went to check into our B&B for the night, it was certainly different to where we had stayed the night before!
The Anchuca, which translate as ‘happy home’ in the local Indian dialect is an elegant lady built in 1830 and was owned, of course by a wealthy local merchant by the name of Wilson, who ran a coal and ice business.
The Wilsons had six children and all survived the siege of Vicksburg, however three of the children died soon after followed by Mr Wilson after never having recovered from illness due to malnutrition and dysentery that was rampant during the siege. Mrs Wilson faced economic ruin and was forced to sell the house. Joseph Davis, a wealthy plantation owner bought the house.
His brother was the Confederate President….we stayed in the Owners room (above), The Davis Room at the top of the stairs overlooking the street. It was grand and very comfortable, we had the use of the parlors and rooms to look at all the antique furniture and artifacts from back in the day or just chill out.
We also had a wander around the gardens, they had heaps of tail less meowing cats that were flopped around the garden in the shade. The pool house was lovely and the water still felt to cold to hop in…even though it was 28c outside. We had dinner in the restaurant and enjoyed a fine plantation breakfast there the next morning.
Sorry for the short post…Rosie is having an early night…Tomorrow we will traveling to Natchez , a short drive away and another fine ole Mississippi dame of a town to show you around…..there is also the tale of the drunken local elephant and Rosie will introduce you to Randy and Champ who showed us around town.
