On March 30th, we travelled down to Corinth, Mississippi & went to the Corinth Civil War Interpretive Center.
This center is part of Shiloh National Military Park.
Corinth is important because of its location.
Corinth was a railroad town. Whoever controlled the railroads would control the war.
Because of the railroads, troops could be easily restocked here.
After the battle of Shiloh, Corinth became a hospital town. Unfortunately, the war came to them.
As the Union Army approached Corinth they built several entrenchments to protect themselves.
Corinth was an important location not only because of the railroads, but also because a Union win here would open the way to Vicksburg for Grant.
After the Union won possession of Corinth they set up a camp for slaves who came to them seeking freedom. They set up farms & at one point the former slaves were clearing $4,000-$5,000 a month combined.
For the first time, many former slaves went to school. Learning opened the door to the future!
Behind the interpretive center was an impressive water feature. This piece of art told the history of our country.
The fountain at the beginning symbolized our jump from Britain into freedom! Every 3.5 inches represents a year until the it widens & divides.
This section divides into 2 streams just like our country did in 1860. Each big black block marks a year of the Civil War. The red blocks in the center represent 56 of the most significant battles of the war.
The size of each block represents the number of casualties in that battle. The names of the battles may be different on each side due to the fact that the Union & Confederate Armies often had different names for the same battle.
The 3 big blocks at the end of the fountain stand for the 13th, 14th & 15th amendments to our Constitution. The reflecting pool at the end represents our nation today.
The leaves at the end of the fountain each stand for the states the fought in the Civil War. Indiana is represented by a Tulip Leaf. Can you find it?
The other neat feature of this center was the artifacts found around the pathway from the parking lot.
These bronze pieces represent the items one might find on this battlefield after the war.
The wagon wheel was a favorite of Jessica.
Here's a soldier's haversack.
Bullet shells & a boot print.
David loved the gun. He tried to pick it up!
This bronze relief was located right outside the front door. Overall, the kids learned a lot here. I did too!
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