Foot Traffic Only

No horses, mules, wagons or buggies allowed

 in the 1860's Merchant Town at last week's Battle of Selma.

Foot traffic only!

Linking to Signs, Signs

and City Daily Photo Blogs

Just Sending News from the Battlefield

"Selma has fallen!" is what I imagine these Civil War Battle of Selma

 reenactors are texting to relatives or friends on their phone! 

View a video of the 5th Alabama Infantry Regiment Band 

playing "Amazing Grace" during Sunday's closing ceremony.

Linking to Blue Monday

and City Daily Photo Blogs

The Battle Begins

So what would you do if invaders were about to storm your town?

Back in April 1865, there weren't many able-bodied men left to defend Selma 

from federal troops, but the city that supplied much of the Confederacy's munitions

 was surrounded with a three-mile long semi-circle of fortifications.

 After a hard-fought but brief battle led by wounded

 Confederate Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest,  Selma's arsenal, naval ordnance works

 and many private homes and businesses were burned. 

The 149th reenactment of the battle is this weekend at Riverside Park.

Blue skies are forecast.

Linking to Good Fences, Skywatch Friday and City Daily Photo Blogs

You Can Have Your Lemonade, and Take Home the Eiffel Tower!

Little John's is back at the Battle of Selma this year

 offering homemade lemonade and root beer in the Eiffel Tower!

But I'm sorry to say that after the first day of school tours,

 there weren't many towers left.  However, the usual blue

 and brown bottles are back as well as a few new fish-shaped ones.

Linking to City Daily Photo Blogs

Outhouse

O is for OUTHOUSE.

Its' ABC Wednesday, and the letter of the week is O, so here is one

 of the outhouses restrooms near  Confederate Headquarters 

at the Battle of Selma living history tour area. I am not sure

 if this conceals more modern conveniences or not, but the sponsors 

work very hard to keep everything as authentic as possible!

Linking to ABC Wednesday and City Daily Photo Blogs

Living History Lessons

This is Battle of Selma Week when living history tours and a re-enactment

 of the April 1865 American Civil War battle here take place in Riverside Park. 

Students from North-Central Alabama to Northwest Florida arrive for tours

 this Thursday and Friday to learn about 1860's music and games (pictured),

 clothing, medical care, blacksmithing, cannons, tent living and cooking,

 plus visit the sutleries and sample old-fashioned lemonade and root beer.

Linking to Our World Tuesday and City Daily Photo Blogs

Valley Creek View

Here's the covered-bridge view of Valley Creek when crossing

 from Valley Creek Park into Riverside Park. Hundreds of school children,

 battle participants and spectators will cross this bridge

 during Battle of Selma Weekend April 25-28. 

Linking to Rurality and City Daily Photo Blogs

Baker-Brooks House

If you have never visited Selma, Spring is a beautiful time of year,

 and Pilgrimage Weekend (March 15-16) is filled tours of historic homes,

 buildings, art shows and a cemetery "ghost" tour.

For the letter "B" over at ABC Wednesday, I chose a photo

 of the 1858 Baker-Brooks House. It was built by George Baker, 

a Philadelphia native who moved South and developed uses 

for cottonseed oil. He built Selma's first cottonseed oil mill 

and was a major financial contributor to many community projects.

During the Civil War, the house was in the flight path

 of Battle of Selma forces that fled to Valley Creek and the Alabama River.

 A mortally wounded Union soldier found refuge inside but died in the front hall.

 If you are very astute, you might be able to locate the area

 in the yard where a tunnel was dug to store food. 

Linking to ABC Wednesday and City Daily Photo Blogs

Fortifications

Selma is once again ready for the Yankees in this 147th year since the Battle of Selma.

 The annual re-enactment is this weekend, and the April 1865 Society has prepared fortifications.

 Unfortunately, on Sunday, the federal cavalry will burn the house 

and spill over the fences to capture the town in one of the last battles

 of the American Civil War. Selma was important to the Confederacy

 as a major manufacturer of arms and munitions.

Posted at Friday Fences

From Tannehill to Selma (Our World Tuesday)

We visited Tannehill State Park near Birmingham this past weekend and hiked trails that took us to old furnaces that produced iron for the Selma Arsenal and Gun Foundry. During the Civil War, Selma was second only to Richmond, Va., in the production of arms for the Confederacy. The ironworks at Tannehill were attacked by federal troops on March 31, 1865, and the Battle of Selma followed on April 2, 1865. The long war ended days later.

 

This weekend, re-enactors will once again portray the Battle of Selma with living history events for school children on Thursday and Friday at the battlefield and a Civil War Writers' Forum on Friday evening at Carneal Arts Revive.  One of the authors, James R. Bennett, wrote a book about Tannehill and the growth of the Alabama iron industry. 

A battle skirmish and Battle of Selma Ball follow on Saturday, and the main battle that destroyed much on Selma on Sunday afternoon.  

Posted at Our World Tuesday

The Old Road to Selma

Before there was a County Road 37, there was the old road that led to Selma

 from Summerfield, and Main Street was part of it. Back in 1865 at this intersection,

 Federal cavalry rode right by the antebellum house on the left.

 Many homes in the area were looted, burned or used to house troops.

Unfurling Old Glory

Union troops in Sunday's Battle of Selma Reenactment unfurl Old Glory prior to engagement. While the rifle shots, cannon blasts and burning of the businesses bring "shock and awe," I enjoy visiting the camps beforehand to get a sense of the anticipation. The reenactment debuted in 1987, and in a few more years, Selma will recognize the 150th anniversary of one of the last battles of the American Civil War.

See more photos at Selma NOW.

Homemade Root Beer

Looks like a good day to head out to the Battle of Selma and buy a bottle of homemade root beer or lemonade.

Little John's Homemade Root Beer is one of the most popular sutleries in Selma every battle weekend. The drinks are manufactured on site and served from wooden barrels into heavy, glass bottles that can be refilled at a discount. I still have my blue bottle from last year, and while root beer isn't my preference, the lemonade is the best you will ever find anywhere!

The Next Big Event

Southern Belles will be watching for their loved ones to return home from the battle again this weekend when the Battle of Selma reenactment returns to Riverside Park.

The event is in its 23rd year and features school tours, a memorial service, night cannon firing, antebellum ball to which even the "Yankees" are invited, a Saturday skirmish and full battle on Sunday afternoon.

Check out the Battle of Selma website HERE.
View the video from last year's reenactment.

Skywatch Friday (Battle Skies)

It's Skywatch Friday, and Southern belles anxiously watch the action as skies above the battlefield fill with smoke. The Battle of Selma reenactment was held last weekend and gave attendees an authentic demonstration of American Civil War battle tactics, fashion and lifestyle. The reenactment is held at Riverside Park where many soldiers in the actual 1865 battle fled or even swam across the Alabama River to escape.

To see more Skywatch Friday photos or to participate, click HERE.

Henderson House

The Spring greens can't be topped for bringing out the beauty
of Selma's antebellum homes!

Henderson House is yet another structure that was occupied by Union troops after the Battle of Selma when the 1853 Greek Revival home became a temporary hospital for the wounded.

Originally named "Fairoaks," it was built by a nephew of U.S. Vice President William Rufus King. According to the historic marker:
"In 1980, the house was in a poor state of repair and was acquired by the City of Selma as part of a downtown stabilization program. The Alabama Historical Commission provided U.S. Department of the Interior funds which assisted with the city's purchase and the later restoration. Circle "S" Industries, Inc., purchased the property in April, 1981, and restored the house and its original dependencies. On March 12, 1982, the mansion was officially dedicated in honor of Ethel Henderson Striplin, a long-time Selma resident.

The Petticoat Ghost

When news that Union Gen. J.H. Wilson's troops were headed to Selma back in the spring of 1865, Mrs. Frances John Hobbs set about to save the fine jewelry from her Confederate soldier husband's jewelry store. First, she hid silver in the walls of their house. Then, she stayed up late at night sewing the best pieces of jewelry in her petticoat. She deposited the least expensive pieces in the family safe. When Union soldiers knocked on her door, she welcomed them inside and pretended to be very reluctant about opening the safe. Of course, the Yankees took the jewelry, thinking they had made a great haul. They thanked her for her cooperation and did not burn the house.
Here, the "ghost" of Mrs. Hobbs returned from the grave last Friday to tell her story at Selma's Historic Pilgrimage.

Marshall's Grove

Marshall's Grove, an 1840's Greek Revival house, is among homes on tour during this weekend's Historic Selma Pilgrimage. The home was built by one of the town's first doctors, and after all these years remains in the same family. During the 1865 Battle of Selma, Union Gen. J.H. Wilson used the house for a headquarters. Then, as the troops started to burn it, changed their mind when they noticed a Masonic chart on the wall.

February Theme Day: When People Think of My City...

When people think of Selma, Alabama, USA, they think of "Civil War to Civil Rights" history. Our town is also known for its abundance of historic homes and structures.

At left, the Confederate Monument reigns over Old Live Oak Cemetery where numerous Confederate veterans, including a few generals, are buried. Confederate Circle is flanked by cannons and includes a bust of Nathan Bedford Forrest, the general who defended Selma in one of the last battles of the War Between the States. Selma played an important role in the war with its large foundry and navy yard, which supplied munitions and shipbuilding for the Confederacy.

At right, this window in the National Voting Rights Museum recognizes some of the voting rights leaders. Outside the window, you can see the Pettus Bridge. One hundred years after the Battle of Selma, the town became pivotal for its role in the Civil Rights/Voting Rights Movement.

There are well over 100 other City Daily Photo Blogs participating in this month's Theme Day. Be sure to check them out!
Portland (OR), USA - Menton, France - Monte Carlo, Monaco - Memphis (Tennessee), USA - Manila, Philippines - San Diego (CA), USA - Anderson (SC), USA - New York City (NY), USA - San Diego (CA), USA - Mexico City, Mexico - San Francisco (CA), USA - Mumbai (Maharashtra), India - Mainz, Germany - Weston (FL), USA - Minneapolis (MN), USA - Turin, Italy - Las Vegas (NV), USA - Hobart (Tasmania), Australia - Bicheno, Australia - Durban, South Africa - Joplin (MO), USA - Nashville (TN), USA - Stockholm, Sweden - Kyoto, Japan - Tokyo, Japan - Brussels, Belgium - Chicago (IL), USA - Montpellier, France - Seattle (WA), USA - Mazatlan, Mexico - Saint Paul (MN), USA - Sharon (CT), USA - Sesimbra, Portugal - Toulouse, France - Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina - Susanville (CA), USA - Maple Ridge (BC), Canada - Saint Louis (MO), USA - Prague, Czech Republic - Helsinki, Finland - Pilisvörösvár, Hungary - Lisbon, Portugal - Mexico (DF), Mexico - Trujillo, Peru - Dunedin (FL), USA - Albuquerque (NM), USAPort Angeles (WA), USA - Cottage Grove (MN), USA - Saint-Petersburg, Russian Federation - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - London, UK - Baziège, France - Jefferson City (MO), USA - Greenville (SC), USA - Selma (AL), USA - Mumbai, India - Naples (FL), USA - Norwich (Norfolk), UK - Silver Spring (MD), USA - Setúbal, Portugal - Stayton (OR), USA - Bellefonte (PA), USA - Sofia, Bulgaria - Arradon, France - Montego Bay, Jamaica - Athens, Greece - Austin (TX), USA - Singapore, Singapore - West Sacramento (CA), USA - Jackson (MS), USA - Wassenaar (ZH), Netherlands - Budapest, Hungary - Rotterdam, Netherlands - St Malo, FranceChandler (AZ), USA - Melbourne, Australia - Port Vila, Vanuatu - Cleveland (OH), USA - Nottingham, UK - Kansas City (MO), USA - The Hague, Netherlands - Crystal Lake (IL), USA - Wrocław, Poland - Chateaubriant, France - Cheltenham, UK - Moscow, Russia - Monrovia (CA), USA - Saigon, Vietnam - Toruń, Poland - Grenoble, France - Lisbon, Portugal - New Orleans (LA), USA - Sydney, Australia - Boston (MA), USA - American Fork (UT), USA - Boston (MA), USA - Montréal (QC), Canada - Wichita (KS), USA - Radonvilliers, France - Buenos Aires, Argentina - Christchurch, New Zealand - Rabaul, Papua New Guinea - Wailea (HI), USA - Aliso Viejo (CA), USA - St Francis, South Africa - Port Elizabeth, South Africa - Seattle (WA), USA - Pasadena (CA), USA - Vienna, Austria - Orlando (FL), USA - Torun, Poland - Delta (CO), USA - Santa Fe (NM), USA - Minneapolis (MN), USA - Haninge, Sweden - Paris, France - Stavanger, Norway - Niamey, Niger - Le Guilvinec, France - Bogor, Indonesia - Saarbrücken, Germany - Auckland, New Zealand - Wellington, New Zealand - Budapest, Hungary - Juneau (AK), USA - Bucaramanga (Santander), Colombia - Glasgow, Scotland - Chicago (IL), USA - Jakarta, Indonesia - Adelaide (SA), Australia - Sydney, Australia - Riga, Latvia - Subang Jaya (Selangor), Malaysia - -

St. James Hotel

Union troops slept here.
It seems those Yankees had headquarters all over town when they took Selma during the final days of the War Between the States. Back then, in 1865, the St. James Hotel was known as The Troupe House. Today, it is said to be the only existing antebellum riverfront hotel in the Southeast.

Between then and now, however, this structure was a bit of everything, including a tire-recapping company. A public/private partnership funded extensive renovation, and the structure reopened as a hotel in 1997. The ballroom, which opens onto a terrace overlooking the river, is used for parties, weddings, banquets and reunions.

While legend has it that outlaw Jessie James also visited here, I think its most interesting moment came during the "War of Northern Aggression" when the owner went off to fight. He left his slave, Benjamin Sterling Turner, in charge of the hotel. After the war, Turner opened a livery stable and became wealthy. In 1870, he was the first black Alabamian elected to Congress where he worked for amnesty for the Confederate leaders and civil rights for the black race.