Stepping back into history

[Craig Miller]

Did the Confederacy not allow a man to "buy out" of the war? Or was cash too scarce? Teddy Roosevelts dad paid another man to fight for the Union, and historians say that scarred T.R. Anyway, this is fascinating. Stills still recognizable after 150 yrs. Sure you haven't been doing some maintenance?

No buy outs for the common man. By the end of the war the confederacy was drafting men up to 60 years old. There is a pretty good book that offers a lot of insight into how it was to live in North alabama during the war called "Tories of the Hills". It was written I think in the fifties. The writer interviewed people that lived through it before he wrote. It's all true.

 

[Jogeephus]

Dr. Palmer, I'll keep posting anything of interest. I wanted to go back this week but we had a lot of rain. With the moon nearing full I want to set some crawfish traps in the sloughs so I hope to get back next week. I should be working here on and off for the next few years so I hope to get to know the place well and hopefully find the old campsite if there is one. I love to collect relics and this has potential I think. Its just a huge place. I flew over it the other day trying to get a feel of the lay of the swamp. There are several hills and I'm sure one or more of these is where the camp will be but its a big place but at least if I can identify these spots I can narrow my search area.

 

[Commercialfarmer]

I was going to post an online topo map link that has pretty decent detail, but then I remembered who I was talking to and figure you have all the maps you need.

 

[Jogeephus]

Thanks, I do have topos of the property but they don't show much due to the subtle elevation changes with most being less than 10 feet so they don't show up on the topo. What I've found most useful are color infrared photos. With these I'm able to identify plant species cover type changes and with these I can identify where the hills are due to the tree species growing on them.

I went there yesterday and spent about two hours trying to get to where I was the other day but the rains had filled the sloughs with water and I was only able to get within a mile of where I wanted to go. I could have taken the plunge but I'll be patient and wait for warmer weather. Did get one trap set but not in the honey hole I had found. I may try again this week because I've really got my mind set on some crawfish and I've never seen as many crawfish in one spot as I have here.