Windsor Ruins
The only remains of a Civil War era plantation house

March 12, 2020 - Thursday morning

60 degrees/clear skies/calm winds

Laurel, MS

I'm sitting here early this morning with over eighty pictures in front of me, all worthy of making today's blog. Which ones to use? I guess we'll see.

Miss Jody, Mississippi Brother Garry, Miss Sargie, and I, took off early yesterday morning for the Port Gibson Battle Field, about two hours north and west of the Laurel. Rather than attempt to explain all the history of the area, I'll simply try to include web links for anyone wishing to find out more of the area.

Talk about yard art! Check out this mule that, we believe, was fashioned out of metal of some kind. From the highway, it looked like the real thing.

After a two hour drive, it was time for lunch. Garry took us to The Old Country Store in Lorman, Mississippi.







Initially, the building, store, and restaurant, looked a bit suspect, but any doubts were quickly extinguished once we entered. It was like turning back the clock a hundred or more years.



The owner, Mr. D, was about the nicest man I've met in a long long time. 

I later learned that he's a celebrity, not only in the deep south, but world wide as well, and has been featured on the Food Channel.



Talk about eat. The all you can eat buffet was out of this world and there aren't enough words to describe how good the food was.

Mmm, fried chicken with all the fixings, all topped off with black berry cobbler and ice cream for desert. If you weren't sitting with us Wednesday at noontime, you were truly one of the poor people of the world.

Remember I said it was all you can eat? This was the first helping.

And where else in the world can two beautiful women be serenaded by a renown owner of a famous restaurant?

There is quite a collection of name and business cards adoring the walls.

Not to be outdone, Sargie dug deep in her purse so our family could be represented. Niece, Ashly, Macrea, and an old card of mine from UAS are forever enshrined on the walls of the Old Country Store.




We left the Old Country Store with full bellies and made our way to the Bethel Presbyterian Church, just a few miles down the road. For more history, click the above link.

The most impressive sight of the day was the Windsor Ruins. In some respects, they are almost breathtaking. 

Occupied by both the Union and Confederate forces during the Civil War, its history is long and almost painful. 

Much like the pyramids of Egypt, one has a difficult time wondering how the beautiful plantation home with all the columns was constructed without the aid of power tools or modern machinery.

Almost as impressive is the large live oak tree in, what used to be, the front meadow of the plantation.

I stood under its branches and wondered how many children, black and white, those of slaves and free persons, had climbed the tree that was hundreds of years old.

 We left the Windsor Ruins and made our way to the Fort Gibson Battle Field.

A beautiful park along with historic buildings and artifacts are located just outside of Port Gibson. The entire complex is located not far from the banks of the Mississippi River.

Mortar shells among other things

 

".... died of cholera..."

"... murdered by six blacks in Louisiana on this river.
Aged 23 years..."

"... killed on the steamer Louisiana...
November 15, 1810"

"... died from wounds received by the explosion of the Steamer Augusta. Died 1838. 22 Years."

I told Sargie maybe we ought to sell our home on Pentoga Road and most of our worldly belongings and call an elevated fish camp our new home.
Yeah, we won't be doing that.

 

CSA - Confederate States of America

The beauty of the Natchez Trace

 It was a very happy, yet tired, group who arrived back home on Meador Road last evening. Wanting to take advantage of the beautiful weather, Garry brought out his Xmark zero turn mower and since Sargie has become the Superintendent of Lawn Mowing on Pentoga Road, gave her lessons and let her pilot his mighty machine.

I'm not certain what's on today's agenda and honestly, I don't really care. I know we'll be doing a bit of shopping and of course, Garry and I will be in the shop off and on. Miss Jody and Miss Sargie are going to a Chonda Pierce concert this evening. Garry and I have been informed its a women's event only. Just our luck.

Sargie and I will be flying out Friday afternoon for Harlingen, Texas, via Dallas/Ft Worth, to spend several days with Yooper Brother Mark and Sheri, before flying back to Laurel and eventually making our way back to Pentoga Road.  

After all, a man's work is never done.

So are the tales from Pentoga Road by way of Laurel, Mississippi...