Very long XC Story

Sure Jay.

The battle field is filled with markers from the states that sent units
there. Iowa had quit a few people there and consequently a lot of markers
there are from Iowa. My wife ancestors are from Iowa so we searched for the
35th Infantry regiments markers and were not disappointed. We found where
the 35th encamped (marked), put their picket lines (again marked) and lastly
where snipers were located (also marked). This meant we walked away really
feeling we were following in their footsteps and helped us to imagine them
at this location during that time. The Illinois memorial is very large and
contains the names of all those form Illinois that were killed during the
siege. Many of the other memorial only list numbers. Several of the memorial
and markers have their own stories too. For instance the Wisconsin memorial
is topped with a bald eagle named Old Abe. Old Abe has a very interesting
story that is still being written today as it is he who is pictured on the
101st Airborne Divisions 'Screaming Eagles' unit patch.

In addition to the markers there are also a lot of color coded signs
detailing what happened at each location. Blue for the North and Red for the
south. On these markers there is placed a description of the events that
happened in that general vicinity. These help visualize what occurred, which
at sometime can be hard due to the changes in the topography from a siege
that took place 140 years ago. There are now many more trees than were there
originally. In fact, many of trees that were there were removed by the
armies to help set up the various fortification that were needed. Those
markers I also mentioned do outline the directions the troops took during
attacks so that you can actually follow in their footsteps and see the folly
of some of the actions.

There is also one marker near the 'Surrender Oak'. It was here that
Confederate General Pemberton met with Gen Grant to discuss the terms of
surrender on 3 July 1863, the next day was when the actual surrender took
place. A drive through the park or a combination drive and hike will allow
you see all the most famous parts of the siege and will be a good several
hours long. We ended up spending most of Saturday and half of Sunday
visiting and looking up various pieces of info.


--
------------------------------------------------------------------
Scott F. Migaldi, K9PO
MI-150972
PP-ASEL-IA

Are you a PADI Instructor or DM? Then join the PADI
Instructor Yahoo Group at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PADI-Instructors/join
-----------------------------------
Catch the wave!
www.hamwave.com


"Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we.
They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country
and our people, and neither do we." - George W. Bush

-------------------------------------
"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
news:yLPfd.258195$wV.206582@attbi_s54...
The town was great too and we even found where on the
battlefield my wife's
relatives had encamped and fought.

We've talked about going to Vicksburg to visit the battlefield memorials
there.

Can you talk about them a bit more? We drove through there 20 years ago,
and I remember quite a few monuments, but we didn't really have time to
poke
around much...
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Civil War my Butt.... It was the War of Northern Agression.

But did you make it to the Casinos?


"SFM" wrote in message
...
Sure Jay.

The battle field is filled with markers from the states that sent units
there. Iowa had quit a few people there and consequently a lot of markers
there are from Iowa. My wife ancestors are from Iowa so we searched for
the
35th Infantry regiments markers and were not disappointed. We found where
the 35th encamped (marked), put their picket lines (again marked) and
lastly
where snipers were located (also marked). This meant we walked away really
feeling we were following in their footsteps and helped us to imagine them
at this location during that time. The Illinois memorial is very large and
contains the names of all those form Illinois that were killed during the
siege. Many of the other memorial only list numbers. Several of the
memorial
and markers have their own stories too. For instance the Wisconsin
memorial
is topped with a bald eagle named Old Abe. Old Abe has a very interesting
story that is still being written today as it is he who is pictured on the
101st Airborne Divisions 'Screaming Eagles' unit patch.

In addition to the markers there are also a lot of color coded signs
detailing what happened at each location. Blue for the North and Red for
the
south. On these markers there is placed a description of the events that
happened in that general vicinity. These help visualize what occurred,
which
at sometime can be hard due to the changes in the topography from a siege
that took place 140 years ago. There are now many more trees than were
there
originally. In fact, many of trees that were there were removed by the
armies to help set up the various fortification that were needed. Those
markers I also mentioned do outline the directions the troops took during
attacks so that you can actually follow in their footsteps and see the
folly
of some of the actions.

There is also one marker near the 'Surrender Oak'. It was here that
Confederate General Pemberton met with Gen Grant to discuss the terms of
surrender on 3 July 1863, the next day was when the actual surrender took
place. A drive through the park or a combination drive and hike will allow
you see all the most famous parts of the siege and will be a good several
hours long. We ended up spending most of Saturday and half of Sunday
visiting and looking up various pieces of info.


--
------------------------------------------------------------------
Scott F. Migaldi, K9PO
MI-150972
PP-ASEL-IA

Are you a PADI Instructor or DM? Then join the PADI
Instructor Yahoo Group at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PADI-Instructors/join
-----------------------------------
Catch the wave!
www.hamwave.com


"Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we.
They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country
and our people, and neither do we." - George W. Bush

-------------------------------------
"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
news:yLPfd.258195$wV.206582@attbi_s54...
The town was great too and we even found where on the
battlefield my wife's
relatives had encamped and fought.

We've talked about going to Vicksburg to visit the battlefield memorials
there.

Can you talk about them a bit more? We drove through there 20 years
ago,
and I remember quite a few monuments, but we didn't really have time to
poke
around much...
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

"Gig Giacona" wrote in message
...
Civil War my Butt.... It was the War of Northern Agression.

My ancestors were from Kentucky and Maryland so I hear ya' but since Jay is
a yankee I was typing so's he could understand ;-)

But did you make it to the Casinos?

Nope, hate that stuff


--
------------------------------------------------------------------
Scott F. Migaldi, K9PO
MI-150972
PP-ASEL-IA

Are you a PADI Instructor or DM? Then join the PADI
Instructor Yahoo Group at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PADI-Instructors/join
-----------------------------------
Catch the wave!
www.hamwave.com


"Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we.
They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country
and our people, and neither do we." - George W. Bush

-------------------------------------


"SFM" wrote in message
...
Sure Jay.

The battle field is filled with markers from the states that sent units
there. Iowa had quit a few people there and consequently a lot of
markers
there are from Iowa. My wife ancestors are from Iowa so we searched for
the
35th Infantry regiments markers and were not disappointed. We found
where
the 35th encamped (marked), put their picket lines (again marked) and
lastly
where snipers were located (also marked). This meant we walked away
really
feeling we were following in their footsteps and helped us to imagine
them
at this location during that time. The Illinois memorial is very large
and
contains the names of all those form Illinois that were killed during
the
siege. Many of the other memorial only list numbers. Several of the
memorial
and markers have their own stories too. For instance the Wisconsin
memorial
is topped with a bald eagle named Old Abe. Old Abe has a very
interesting
story that is still being written today as it is he who is pictured on
the
101st Airborne Divisions 'Screaming Eagles' unit patch.

In addition to the markers there are also a lot of color coded signs
detailing what happened at each location. Blue for the North and Red for
the
south. On these markers there is placed a description of the events that
happened in that general vicinity. These help visualize what occurred,
which
at sometime can be hard due to the changes in the topography from a
siege
that took place 140 years ago. There are now many more trees than were
there
originally. In fact, many of trees that were there were removed by the
armies to help set up the various fortification that were needed. Those
markers I also mentioned do outline the directions the troops took
during
attacks so that you can actually follow in their footsteps and see the
folly
of some of the actions.

There is also one marker near the 'Surrender Oak'. It was here that
Confederate General Pemberton met with Gen Grant to discuss the terms of
surrender on 3 July 1863, the next day was when the actual surrender
took
place. A drive through the park or a combination drive and hike will
allow
you see all the most famous parts of the siege and will be a good
several
hours long. We ended up spending most of Saturday and half of Sunday
visiting and looking up various pieces of info.


--
------------------------------------------------------------------
Scott F. Migaldi, K9PO
MI-150972
PP-ASEL-IA

Are you a PADI Instructor or DM? Then join the PADI
Instructor Yahoo Group at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PADI-Instructors/join
-----------------------------------
Catch the wave!
www.hamwave.com


"Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we.
They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country
and our people, and neither do we." - George W. Bush

-------------------------------------
"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
news:yLPfd.258195$wV.206582@attbi_s54...
The town was great too and we even found where on the
battlefield my wife's
relatives had encamped and fought.

We've talked about going to Vicksburg to visit the battlefield
memorials
there.

Can you talk about them a bit more? We drove through there 20 years
ago,
and I remember quite a few monuments, but we didn't really have time to
poke
around much...
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Civil War my Butt.... It was the War of Northern Agression.

My ancestors were from Kentucky and Maryland so I hear ya' but since Jay
is
a yankee I was typing so's he could understand ;-)

To a northerner, the Civil War is ancient history, in the same category as
Troy and the Roman Empire. It just has no relevancy to us.

In Vicksburg and Biloxi (our destination on that trip, some 20 years ago),
it was like the war had just ended a couple of years ago. That was a very
strange thing for Mary and me.

But did you make it to the Casinos?

Vicksburg was starkly impoverished looking when we visited in the 1980s.
It's sad to think that they've been forced down the "Road of Economic
Desperation" that seems to inevitably lead to casinos nowadays.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
news:sBcgd.331435$D%.185590@attbi_s51...
Civil War my Butt.... It was the War of Northern Agression.

My ancestors were from Kentucky and Maryland so I hear ya' but since Jay
is
a yankee I was typing so's he could understand ;-)

To a northerner, the Civil War is ancient history, in the same category as
Troy and the Roman Empire. It just has no relevancy to us.

In Vicksburg and Biloxi (our destination on that trip, some 20 years ago),
it was like the war had just ended a couple of years ago. That was a very
strange thing for Mary and me.

You just didn't spend enough time down here. If you did you would find a
number of people who aren't sure it is over yet.



But did you make it to the Casinos?

Vicksburg was starkly impoverished looking when we visited in the 1980s.
It's sad to think that they've been forced down the "Road of Economic
Desperation" that seems to inevitably lead to casinos nowadays.
--

Most of the Mississippi River Valley looks like that in the South. There are
a few exceptions but not many. Driving through, Vicksburg actually looks
better now since the casinos have come to town.


Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Sure Jay.

Thanks for the travelogue, Scott. We're hoping to get down there next
summer to visit friends -- and the battlefield will definitely be a "must
see" for us.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"