Remember me

[chilidog]

I just got home from a visit with my parents in East Texas. We went over to historic Jefferson. My wife perused through all of the antique stores and we all enjoyed seeing the historic b&b houses. I read a small advertisement about the "Battle of Port Jefferson." I had never heard of it. Thumbing through the antiques booklet, I saw an ad about another battle near Livingston. That is hardly 50 miles from where I grew up. I never heard of any battles around there. Looking through last Sunday's paper, I see an article about "Fort Butler." (near Baton Rouge) Another small battle. At first thougt, I thought it odd that people would be stirred up over such small battles, but then I thought about Port Hudson. I live about 8 miles from Port Hudson. It is probably the site of America's longest siege. The Confederates held the Mississippi river between Port Hudson and Vicksburg. Both places had to be held for it to be of any use. Port Hudson surrendered 2 days after Vicksburg fell since there was no point in holding on any longer. Vicksburg has a large, beautiful national park. Port Hudson has a dinky state park that covers only a small portion of the battlefield. Vicksburg has acres of beautifully manicured landscape; Port Hudson has a few hiking trails through the woods. Both places were equally important in 1863; both places had large battles. Why the difference now?

The people of Vicksburg invested in the battle site....their history. The river changed its course and moved away from Port Hudson. The town withered away in just a few years. It seems to me that the people of Jefferson, TX, Livingston, TX, and Donaldsonville, LA have remembered the same thing that the people of Vicksburg did......"LEST WE FORGET".


Chilidog