The Corinth Contraband Camp was established in the wake of the Battle of Shiloh and the subsequent occupation of Corinth by the Union Army. Enslaved people in the area fled behind Union lines, seeking safety from their masters with the Union Army. The army saw the strategic value in providing these people a safe haven. The former slaves were put to work to aid the war effort, and were paid for their time and allowed to pursue an education with missionaries who came from the North. They built homes and gardens for food and even planted cotton to aid the Union Army. Many young men who made their way to the camp enlisted in the army – first used as cooks and laborers and later armed as the 1st Alabama Infantry Regiment of African Decent (later the 55th U.S. Colored Troops). These troops were used in combat at Brices Crossroads and Waterford in 1864. The camp was a model for others of its kind springing up across the South. It was the first step for these people on their road to freedom. More than 6,000 people passed through the Corinth Contraband Camp during the year it was operational. The camp was abandoned in 1864 as Union efforts consolidated in Memphis, and not much remains there today. The open site is part of Shiloh National Battlefield, and the wonderful sculptures in these photographs were produced by Larry Lugar, a sculptor from nearby Memphis. I think they are wonderful depictions and show the determination these newly freed people showed under adverse conditions during their time there. It might not have been paradise, but for the first time in any of their lives, they were free.
The Battle of Shiloh took place on April 6th and 7th, 1862 in the woods near the Tennessee River just north of the Mississippi border. The battle takes its name from a log church which was there at the time and built by the settlers in the area. The word ”Shiloh” sadly comes from the Hebrew for “Place of Peace”, but in our history it will forever be remembered as a place of terrible, bloody conflict. The Union was moving down the Tennessee River with the hopes of capturing and controlling the Mississippi River Valley. One of the keys to that goal was the important railroad crossing in nearby Corinth, Mississippi, which linked the Mississippi and Charleston and the Mobile and Ohio Railroads. The first was the only rail link between the Mississippi River and the Atlantic Ocean. After a decisive victory at Fort Donelson and the subsequent falls of Nashville and Clarksville, the Union Army set their sights on Corinth, and the Confederacy rushed to reorganize and defend it…
Hey y’all,
I hope you’re all having a great 2020 out there and that the New Year has brought new plans and new hope. I know it has for me. I’m just checking in with you to let you know that I’m finally almost ready to get back on the road. I’ve been working hard these last few weeks to get everything done which needs to get done and leaves me with a clean slate as I head back down the highway.
First of all, my photo albums are almost all up to date. You can see these last four State Albums at the links below:
Hello Everyone! As I look ahead to 2020, I wanted to take a few minutes to look back at the years gone by and look ahead at what’s to come in the months and years ahead. Before I get into any of that though, I wanted to send a very big Thank You to all of you who have followed along on this adventure. It’s been a heck of a ride. Over the course of the last two years, I’ve learned a lot, seen and been to so many wonderful new places, made new friends and caught up with old friends I haven’t seen in many years. I’ve loved and lost and laughed and cried. There have been successes and failures, epic highs and tremendous lows. Through it all though, I know I wouldn’t have made it this far without my family, my friends and all of you wonderful people who have decided to come along for the ride. So thank you and a very Happy New Year to you all. I hope 2020 is a wonderful and prosperous year for us all.
The Good
When I set out on this journey, my hope was to be able to spend some real time in each state - to get to know it and find out what makes it tick. Each of our states is an island of sorts and while there are things that are common among them, each has its own history, characteristics, language, food and culture. Each is fascinating and different in its own way, and the best part of this trip for me has been figuring those things out. I would say that while I could have spent so much longer in each of the ten states I visited, I came away from each with a pretty good understanding of the things I went there to find. Not one has disappointed me and not one has failed to surprise me.
Hi Everyone,
I just wanted to wish all of you a very Happy Hanukkah and a Merry Christmas from me! I feel very fortunate to be home for the holidays this year and happy to celebrate with friends and family. I’ve got two new babies in my close friends network, so it has been amazing to see them start out on their journeys. I also had a great opportunity to go visit my brother for a week in New Hampshire and see his beautiful new home. We got two feet of snow when I was there, so I have gotten my shoveling in for the year. With any luck I’ll be very far south of where I am now before any more snow hits. It was truly beautiful and amazing to see, but I also remember why I tend to avoid the cold weather.
I’ve been home for a little over a month now and I’m finally starting to feel like I’m catching up on all the things that I need to do before setting out again. I’ve been to the doctor and the dentist, seen a lot of old friends and gotten to catch up with my family and help out around the house. I’ve also been hard at work on all of my projects and am starting to see a light at the end of the tunnel. You can check out these updated photo galleries to see some of the progress I’ve been making:
Long time, no see. Today marks the 2nd anniversary of me setting off in my van towards Harpers Ferry, West Virginia and the beginning of my life’s greatest adventure. The next 18 months brought me to 10 states which I explored in great depth, trying to gain a better understanding of the people, culture and history that make each special and unique. I was able to travel thousands of miles, take tens of thousands of photos, record 20 episodes of my podcast American Anthology and generally get a better understanding of my country and myself. It was by no means a vacation, nor was it an easy ride. I found myself working long days trying to publish on this blog as frequently as I could while constantly researching my next podcast episode, trying to eat well and get enough exercise and have a little bit of fun along the way. I battled deadlines, weather, loneliness and serious bouts with depression and self-doubt. But I came out the other side a better person with a better understanding of myself and the country I call home. Looking back, it was a hell of a ride.
After 18 months alone on the road, it was time to take a break. While not gone, my savings were seriously depleted as I hadn’t been able to make as much money as I had hoped while on the road. In addition, I desperately needed some conversation and companionship - something more than the fleeting conversation of a roadside tavern could provide. I found during my 18 month stretch that it was often harder to stop and see friends than it should have been - that while it was always wonderful and joyful to catch up with them, it sometimes brought me back lower than I had been when I arrived at the thought of being on my own again. It was almost as if sharing time with my friends reminded me of just how lonely the open road is. I think anyone who has done some any long-term solo travel would agree with that. It’s not the external world that gets you, but the one that revolves solely within your own head.
Hello Everyone!
I’ve had a wonderful week to myself here in Salt Lake City. It has been a week mainly of catch-up, on my work, on my sleep, on my photos, on my correspondences. I would like to think I’ve caught up to some degree, but I know I still have a podcast painfully half-complete and other projects I just didn’t get to. But, I feel rested and ready to set out on a new tour starting tomorrow.
Tomorrow I will set out with 7 people: 2 Americans, 4 Brits and 1 German and head back into the Rocky Mountains. We will be out for 12 days, spending 2 in Jackson and the Grand Tetons, 4 in Yellowstone, 3 in Glacier and then one in Ceour d’Alene before making our way on to Seattle. It’s a great trip full of mountain splendor, fascinating thermal features in Yellowstone, wonderful hikes and hopefully some great animal encounters. I met the group tonight, and they are very excited for the trip. I always take my energy from the group, and this one has gotten me excited to be heading back to the mountains.
During my month in Hawaii I visited Oahu twice, but only for a total of four days. I enjoyed a lot of the historic buildings in Honolulu, especially Iolani Palace. Pearl Harbor was fascinating and heartbreaking, the North Shore was full of amazing scenery and cool places to stop and poke around, and Waikiki had a beautiful beach and some wonderful recreational opportunities and nightlife. It was always hectic when I was there as I was running around trying to get trips started and dealing with taxis and rental cars, but when I finally had a little bit of time and space to breath, I really enjoyed my brief visit to Oahu. Although I didn’t have time to take a lot of photos there, I quite like some that I did take. I hope you do too.
Kauai was the island I spent the least amount of time on during my month in Hawaii, having only been there for a scant 48 hours. I was still very happy I made it to this distant and quiet island, as any time on Kauai is better than no time there at all. Arriving in tiny Lihue Airport, we seemed to be a world away from the sparkle and noise of Honolulu. With a population of just 72,000 people, about the same as tiny Lake Charles, Louisiana, Kauai sure does pack a punch. With lovely beaches, a rugged north coast and incredible Waimea Canyon, the Grand Canyon of the Pacific, tucked into its interior, anywhere you look you’re bound to see something beautiful. The towns are all small and quaint, the beaches almost deserted, and there was hardly a car on the road. We even made it to a luau on the beach. I hope you enjoy these photos from the lovely “Garden Island” as much as I enjoyed taking them.
I got to visit Maui twice during my month in Hawaii, and what a beautiful island it is. It seems like each time you turn the corner the view is somehow more stunning than the last. The beaches are beautiful and inviting, the locals are friendly and quick to offer advice, and the landscape is amazingly diverse for such a tiny island. This post will start with the amazing journey down the Road to Hana, one of America’s greatest road trips. Although short in miles, it’s long on beautiful views and sites to see. Then I’ll take you to the summit of Haleakala in the National Park of the same name, to gaze out over this amazing volcano, high above the clouds. Finally, we’ll go on a sunset stroll around the beautiful town of Lahaina, where whalers, missionaries and Hawaiian royalty once mingled. Even though these photos only scratch the surface of what Maui has to offer, I’m sure you’ll understand what all the fuss is about.
During my month in Hawaii I had the pleasure of spending more time on the Big Island than anywhere else. It became my home base in the state and I really enjoyed exploring all the little off-the-beaten-path places as I made my way around. From the awesome Green Sand Beach near South Point to the breathtaking Waipi’o Valley in the far north, the Big Island has such a diverse landscape and personality. And best of all, there weren’t the big crowds I ran into on Maui and Oahu. It’s a relatively quiet little corner of paradise. I hope you enjoy these photos from my two and a half weeks exploring Hawaii’s Big Island. I can’t wait to go back!
It’s been a crazy busy few weeks out here on the road. It’s the peak of the summer season, and I’ve been working hard trying to show people some amazing and beautiful parts of the United States. Time and internet have been scarce, but I promise I haven’t forgotten you all and I’ve been taking plenty of beautiful photos out here.
I returned from an amazing month in Hawaii about two weeks ago and then headed north to Seattle where I picked up a two week tour into the Rocky Mountains. We got to spend a good amount of time in the amazing national parks of Glacier, Yellowstone and Grand Teton, three of my favorite places on earth. We did some great hikes and spotted a ton of wildlife including at least a dozen bears and a pack of wolves hunting a fully grown bison. It was a pretty awesome trip.
