Today we spent our time touring the city of Vicksburg.  We first visited the welcome center and got an idea how the city is laid out.  When we got to main street we were pleasantly amazed at the music that was playing.  I couldn’t figure out where it was coming from and finally realized that the city had installed in- ground speakers the entire length of Main St.  I was in heaven as they were playing the coolest jazz/blues music.  After all Mississippi is the birth of the blues.

The city’s main claim is it is the site of a major battle during the civil war  which pretty  much decided the fate of our nation in 1863.  There were fierce naval battles on the Mississippi river and a horrendous land battle that ended in a stalemate.  The north (Union) laid siege to the city and the south (Confederates) held out for 47 days before surrendering.  Leo you would have been in hog heaven being here because of your interest in things involving the Civil War.  Wish you could have been here with us.

Prior to the war Vicksburg was a center for the southern aristocracy whose wealth was based on cotton and lumber.  Thus the many beautiful homes on the streets surrounding the city.  We had hoped to tour at least one of these homes but most are now restored as B&Bs.  We got some good pictures however.

The old court house was a beautiful structure (circa 1858) and was the site of Jefferson Davis’s last speech before he was removed as the President of the Confederacy.

The more I read and observe in this southern region the more I am convinced that cotton farming was the root of all evils for our nation.  It must have been unbelievably profitable but in order to harvest their product they needed cheap labor and that’s where  the scourge of slavery started.  Such a sad chapter in our nation’s history.

In some ways some of this is still going on.  All through Alabama we saw one large co. after another with manuf. plants.  Mercedes Benz and Nissan for example have operations in this area.  Also chemical companies are prevalent.  My sense is that it is all about cheap labor.  There doesn’t appear to be a middle class down here.  Just the workers on the bottom and management on the top driving their Escalades and Porsches.  On our travels through Baton Rouge there was the biggest BMW dealership that I have ever seen.  That tells you something.

Well enough of that.  Tomorrow will be a long day as we will cross Louisiana  and start our crossing of Texas.  Since it will be Sunday we hope to get through Dallas/Fort Worth before the work week starts.  That should be a 350-400 mile trip.  Wish us luck.