Note from Miss Smith: This letter must have been delayed in the mail. Sorry.
Day 54
December 4
Fort Benning, Georgia
My Dear Miss Smith,We are so busy these days and enjoying the time we are spending here in Georgia. At least Christian, Levi and I are, though I can’t be sure Amy still is since she has been so distracted. At least, now that arrangements have been made for her return home, the last few days should be quieter. Timber will be traveling back with some friends of Amy’s who we will meet in South Carolina. It will be sad to see him go as he has been a wonderful traveling companion for Nellie. Yes, Miss Smith, Penelope is now responding more to the name Nellie then to her real name. I suppose I must not complain for as Amy put it, “She’s too small a dog to carry around such a long name. And she’s so cute, she needs a cuddly sounding name.” As though names could really be cuddly!
This morning we drove up here to Port Columbus and headed to the museum. Our first stop was the Water Witch which is actually outside between the museum and the highway. This U.S. steamship served a surveying ship in South America before the Civil War. During the War between the States it was a supply ship, mail ship and then became part of the North’s blockade of Savannah, Georgia. However, in a daring raid one night, a group of Confederate Naval forces captured the Water Witch! But alas, Lt. Thomas Pelot, the leader of the raid, and Moses Dallas the new pilot, were both killed. Without the new pilot, the ship had to be kept hidden for months and at last sunk to prevent the Union from recapturing it.
Inside the museum we were able to see what part of the USS Hartford was like. That was the flag ship of Admiral David Farragut. It was quite fascinating, I assure you. There was a flag collection as well as many other exhibits including the CSS Jackson which is the largest surviving confederate warship! It was captured in Columbus in 1865 by General James Harrison Wilson. Perhaps you recall hearing or reading about Wilson’s Raiders, Miss Smith. This General Wilson was the same man. He ordered it set on fire so the Confederates wouldn’t be able to use it later. The blazing ship drifted for two weeks down the river before it finally sank nearly thirty miles down river. Ninety-five years later the citizens from the area banded together to pull it from the river during the Civil War Centennial. Imagine pulling a ship that had been sunk ninety-five years before, out of the Chattahoochee River!
After spending the morning at the Naval Museum, we headed to the National Infantry Museum. Yes, we are doing a lot of war things in this state. It’s because we have the boys with us.
Our first stop at the museum was the Fife & Drum restaurant. The food was delicious! We all enjoyed the Big Benning Burger, Chicken Brie Grape Salad and the Infantry Chili Cheese Fries. Miss Smith, those Infantry Chili Cheese Fries were the best any of us had ever had.
Once we had fortified ourselves we started our tour. First stop: Last 100 Yards. The life-size dioramas took us from Yorktown, to Antietam, Normandy to Iraq; we crossed Burnside Bridge where the Confederate soldiers held back the Union longer than anyone expected. Above our heads a WWII troop glider hung. We saw the D-Day landing, a Huey helicopter during the Vietnam war, a damaged Bradley Fighting vehicle along a bombed road in Iraq. The entire thing was incredible! We were all awestruck and even Levi was silent. An event that rarely happens.
We found out that the figures in the scenes were not just mannequins; they are actually sculptures of real active duty soldiers who auditioned to be the ones to represent their fellow soldiers.
A loud and somewhat intimidating drill sergeant’s voice pulled us into the Fort Benning gallery. That was the place that loosened Levi’s tongue again!
It would take me much too long to try and describe all the places and scenes we saw at the museum. One place that I have never seen before in a war museum was an entire gallery honoring the families of our military. It was quite refreshing to see that here at least, those who stay at home and wait are remembered and honored. Tell Bekah that if she ever comes to Georgia, she should do a book signing of her book “Home Fires of the Great War” here in the Soldier’s Store. It would fit right in.
One other place I must tell you about the World War Two Company Street. During the second world war Fort Benning had to expand rapidly to meed the growing demands of building a larger military. It was then that the “series 700” buildings were built. They were intended to last only as long as the war; however, they proved to be so well built and so solid that it wasn’t until the 90s that they began dismantling them. The Museum was able to rescue one of each kind of building. They even have the headquarters used by General George S. Patton before he was deployed to North Africa.
It has been a busy day and I am quite tired. The boys have gone to bed and even Amy has quit packing. She still has two more days before she leaves. Now I must get to bed. Tomorrow we drive up to Fort Tyler.
Love,
~Priscilla
