I came across that quote in Doris Kearns Goodwin's 'Team of Rivals.' I read a chapter several months ago and then set the book aside, but thought it'd be appropriate to pick it back up again as I'm journeying through the South.

Yesterday I took the scooter and crossed a few miles of backroads to arrive at the Vicksburg National Military Park. They had a very interesting visitor center which had a display of the kind of cave that many of Vicksburg's citizens experienced during the siege. I watched a short movie that made me think the government needs to pony up a couple bucks to have something redone... ;)

Entering through the arch you embark on a 16-mile road through many key sites of the Vicksburg campaign. I was so glad to be riding the scooter rather than driving Bertha, even though it meant I couldn't listen to an audio tour as I went along. However, I did have a brochure that I sat on and pulled out to read every time I came to a numbered sign. ;)

I just putted along at 15-20 miles an hour, stopping when I wanted, head whipping back and forth to take in everything. It was an uncommonly pretty drive, very quiet as there weren't many tourists out. The majority of people I passed were runners, but most of the time I only heard the sound of my little buzzing engine.

In all honesty, I kept trying to imagine tens of thousands of men hunkered down all over that area, scrabbling to find enough food and water, constantly ducking the whistling of bullets and the boom of cannons. I tried to imagine the boys as they lay there for months on end, questioning whether their cause was worth it. We know now that it was, that slavery had to be excised in such a traumatic, nation-ripping fashion. But I found myself wondering what the approval ratings were at the time for President Lincoln...wondering how many people wanted to give up because the cost was too high.

There were loads of stone monuments, big and small, populating the park. This was one I thought was quite beautiful. Unfortunately the brochure names it both the Illinois Memorial and the Third Louisiana Redan...so I'm not sure what to call it. I went inside and sang Amazing Grace and listened to the most amazing acoustics I've heard outside of St. Anne's Church <I think> in Jerusalem.

This statue was, I think, my favorite of the whole park. There was something so noble about it -- the soldier fighting on for his cause, holding his tattered flag high even though he's about to fall from exhaustion.

The USS Cairo was the first ship sunk by a torpedo, although we'd call it a mine. On December 12, 1862 volunteers were hiding in the woods and they pulled a rope that exploded the 'torpedo' right under the ironclad's belly. It sunk in 12 minutes but noone aboard died. I think they said it was salvaged in the 50's and you can get a sense of the marvel it was just by what they managed to recreate.

17,000 soldiers are buried at Vicksburg National Cemetary. I found the inclusion of Lincoln's Gettysburg address as moving as I always find that particular speech. Also moving, the poem that they had scattered throughout the cemetary. Here was my favorite stanza.

I've often wondered what kind of man Jefferson Davis was, but I've never taken the time to read about him. I know it existed...but I just have never been able to imagine the justification of the Southern secession. State's rights and all that...to me never trumped the basic concern of the perpetuation of slavery.

Finally, a view of the mighty Mississippi. So mighty that I when I was crossing it on Friday I told the person on the other end of the phone that I must be crossing some other piddly little dirty river. Oops! I'm told it gets mightier the further South you go...