Sunset on the Father of Waters

CaptureA view of the Mississippi from the bluffs at Vicksburg. This picture was taken from Battery Benton, which was manned by elements of the 1st Missouri Light Artillery and the 34th Iowa Infantry late in the Siege of Vicksburg. The Battery derived its name from its naval commander’s gunboat, the U.S.S. Benton. Master J. Frank Reed oversaw the Missourians and Iowans as they manned two 42 lbs. rifled guns.



5 Responses to Sunset on the Father of Waters

  1. Thanks for the photo. I’m a native of Hattiesburg, MS. and when I traveled to Dallas for college -’49- 52, I would cross the bridge over the Mississippi River at Vickburg. I vowed that I’d swim across one day. I had a friend who had always wanted to spend the night on one of the observations towers in the national cemetery there. So, both in our early 20s, we spent the night on an observation tower– only blanket for cover– The cement was hard!

    Next morning, we went to the river and found a gentleman guide on houseboat. Told him our quest.
    Hired him to take his boat along side when we swam across– we were not completely insane.
    He could rescue us if in trouble, make sure that we were not killed by a passing barge and then take us back from the Louisiana side. We didn’t want to have to swim both ways. We didn’t bring swim trunks, so swam in our jockey shorts. He took photos of us in the water and then on the mud bank on the Louisiana side. He also produced a typed document that he observed us in our feat of swimming across the Mississippi River. ( I carried this in my wallet for years– inadvertently lost somewhere along the way.) Photos are in an album, presumably owned by one of my children.
    Thanks for listening.

    Loved the photo. Brought back great memories!

    F. Norman Vickers
    5429 Dynasty Drive
    Pensacola, FL 32504
    B. 1931

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