Shiloh and the Civil War 24,000 dead

September/October 2016 continued

Just as the song says, the Old Man River 'keeps rolling along', a muddy rolling fast five knot current took us down river.  We left Kaskaskia Lock and quickly, at 12 knots, made our way to Little Diversion Channel anchorage, per Fern's directions.  Water was high this year, so we had swing room and good depth and shared this pretty anchorage with five other boats.

The Mississippi River and the Ohio River come together at Cairo, IL (pronounced Karo), a sharp left turn and start up the Ohio River, pushing against a 2 - 3 knot current.  The water has a sharp demarcation line, the brown muddy Mississippi and the clearer blue of the Ohio.

I was excited to be on the Ohio River since my  great grandfather, James Kern Francis, came down the Ohio River and Mississippi River to New Orleans.  He wrote in his diary, written in 1895, "In 1858 I took a trip down the Ohio and Mississippi River on a produce boat owned by O.P. Cobb and Co., from Aurora Indiana, going only to Natchez, Miss.  In the fall of 1860 I made another trip -- this time on a boat loaded with baled hay.  The only time the captain of the boat ever reproved or reprimanded me was for hollering: 'Hurrah for Lincoln!' while passing through a landing and country store in Arkansas. In New Orleans they were getting ready to secede, practicing with their artillery just across the river in Algiers, so we got back home."

He tells about his duty in the Civil War and seeing the Shenandoah River and the Nausamond River. As we  floated down the peaceful rivers, we thought about him and the others who fought along this waterway just 150 years earlier.

We anchored at Wolf Island, just north and east of Shiloh Battlefield.

Next day we went through Pickwick Lock and Lake.

We stayed several days at Grand Harbor Marina, a lovely marina and close to college friends, Mike and Sherry Beach.  They came for a visit and we all toured Shiloh and Hagy's Catfish Restaurant. What a treat to get to spend time with them.

At the Shiloh Interpretive Center we watched a documentary on the battle. We walked areas around the battlefield and saw Bloody Pond, where dying soldiers crawled to satisfy an unquenchable thirst. Also, the Hornets Nest, where Ulyssess S. Grant's forces held the line long enough against a fierce Confederacy attack to allow reinforcements to arrive via the Tennessee River.  We walked the cemetery with its row upon row of white markers and thought about those who died here.  We talked about the the vast destruction of American lives and property that happened right around us just 150 years ago.  With more than 600,000 dead in the Civil War and 24,000 in just this two day battle April 6th and 7th, 1862.

After minor repairs were made to the boat by Chief Engineer, King, we set off.  We had not intended to go to Midway Marina, a nine hour day, but the locks were open.  One lock can delay a boat for a long time.  Our longest delay was four hours (which in lock hours isn't really that unusual).  So... with locks open and three other buddy boats, we made it all the way to Midway Marina.

Fulton Lock was scheduled for maintenance the next day from 9:00 a.m. - noon.  So, we were up early and departed, making the lock before 9:00 a.m.  It was another long very hot day, arriving tired and ready for a rest at Columbus Marina at 5:30.