Day 3 Natchez Trace & Shiloh

The Natchez Trace Parkway follows the original trade route from Nashville, TN to Natchez, MS.
The Trace began as an Indian trade route and the American settlers expanded the path to an improved route of commerce.

Midwest farmers & merchants, including a young Abe Lincoln, floated their goods on flatboats down the Miss. River to New Orleans, sold their goods & the flatboats for the lumber & made their way back north.

There are quite a few original sections of the trace along the Parkway. Gen. Andrew Jackson & his Tenn. Volunteers ( that's where the Univ. of TN gets it's sports team name) marched down the Trace to fight the British at the Battle of New Orleans in 1815 .

Merriwether Lewis died at one of the roadhouses along the Trace on the way to Wash.DC.

I've read that the circumstances are still questionable -was he murdered or commit suicide ?

After the Expedition, he was appointed Gov. of the Louisiana Territory, had a hard time dealing with administration and apparently suffered from some mental issues.

A sad end to an important person who greatly changed the face of American Geography & History.

State Line along the Parkway- I told Wanda we can't always stop for a picture at every state we visit...

but a few miles after we got of the Parkway we stopped for the pic as we headed west to Corinth MS. to visit the Civil War Interpretive Center. They have a nice little center that focuses on strategic importance of Corinth as a Railroad junction and near the Tenn. River. We added 3 NPS stamps to our passports.

Shiloh was the largest 2 day battle of the Civil War fought in April 1862. The Rebels under Gen. Albert Sidney Johnston pushed the Yankess back to the bluffs overlooking the Tenn. River on the first day.

The fighting was hottest in an area called the Hornet's Nest and the Peach Orchard.

During the night Union Gen. U S Grant received reinforcements from Gen. Don Carlos Buell & drove the Southerners back all the way to Corinth.

On a side note, the orientation movie was terrible! Made in 1956, they had very bad fake beards & the uniforms looked like polyester leisure suits, we actually were laughing it was so bad. Afterwards, talking with one of the rangers, she said they were planning a new film for the 150th Anniv. , but they are short of funds & they couldn't get reenactors! I told her I knew 100's of guys who would love to be part of a reenactment movie.

This was the location of a mass grave of Southern soldiers

Gen. A.S. Johnston was the highest ranking Southern Gen. to be killed during the CW. he was shot in the leg and severed the major artery and he bled to death afterpreviously sending his surgeon to help wounded soldiers.

We were surprised at the large Indian mound complex that is on the bluffs along the river. I stopped at the VC after the driving tour to get additional info & a map of the mounds. Wanda asked " How did they move so much dirt?" I wonder what she's going to say when we get to the west and see the cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde, Montezuma Castle, etc. ?

It was mid-high 90's all day, so by the time we got to Memphis, we decided not to do downtown, Beale St. etc. but crossed the Mississippi River to get a shower and an early start for a very long driving day tommorrow.
By the way, you can click on any picture to enlarge it and a 2nd time to magnify even more.