Tennessee Williams Boyhood Home - Columbus, Mississippi

Tennessee Williams Birthplace & Boyhood Home
Columbus, Mississippi

The famed American writer Tennessee Williams was born in this Victorian home in Columbus, Mississippi. The house today serves as the city's official welcome center.

Tennessee Williams was born as Thomas Lanier Williams on October 26, 1911. His grandfather, Rev. Walter Dakin, was rector of St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Columbus and his daughter and son-in-law were then living in the rectory as well. Thought to have been built in around 1875, the charming and colorful Victorian home served as home for the future playwright and writer for three years.

The Pulitzer Prize winning writer lived here for 3 years.

Adopting the name Tennessee, Williams of course went on to write two Pulitzer Prize winning plays, "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" and "A Streetcar Named Desire." He noted in a letter to his grandfather once that much of his writing was based on Columbus, Mississippi. Scholars also agree that he relied heavily on his own family for the characters in his plays and books.

Columbus is unique in that it has had close associations with two Pulitzer Prize winners. Novelist Eudora Welty attended what is now Mississippi University for Women (lovingly called the "W") in Columbus. She received a Pulitzer in 1973 for The Optimist's Wife.

When the Tennessee Williams Birthplace was threatened with demolition in 1993, the community came together and the home was relocated to 300 Main Street in the city and beautifully restored to its 1911 appearance. It is now open to the public and has been designated a Literary Landmark by the Friends of Libraries, U.S.A.

To learn more, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/tennesseewilliams.

Stephen D. Lee Home & Museum - Columbus, Mississippi

Stephen D. Lee Home in Columbus, Mississippi

Stephen D. Lee was a remarkable soldier, political leader, preservationist and educator. At the age of thirty, he became the Confederacy's youngest lieutenant general. Wounded twice in combat, he fought on fields ranging from Second Manassas and Antietam to Tupelo and Nashville.
His home is a treasured museum today in Columbus, Mississippi. Inherited by his wife, the beautiful old brick residence was General Lee's home after the War Between the States (or Civil War) when he did some of his most noteworthy public service.



Lt. Gen. Stephen D. Lee, CSA

Born in Charleston in 1833, Stephen Dill Lee entered the U.S. Military Academy at West Point when he was 17 years old. He graduated in the Class of 1854 alongside J.E.B. Stuart, G.W. Custiss Lee and John Pegram. An outstanding artilleryman who had served in the Third Seminole War, he resigned his commission and entered the service of the South after his home state of South Carolina seceded from the Union.

Serving in the East until 1863, Lee rose to the rank of Brigadier General while fighting with noted heroism at Malvern Hill, Second Manassas, Antietam (Sharpsburg) and Fredericksburg. Ordered to Mississippi to assist in the defense of Vickburg he was wounded at Champions Hill and was captured when Union forces took Vicksburg on July 3, 1863.

Stephen D. Lee Home & Museum

Exchanged after four months, he was promoted to major general and then to lieutenant general. In July 1864 he fought alongside Nathan Bedford Forrest at the Battle of Tupelo. He went on to serve under John Bell Hood in the Franklin and Nashville Campaign, during which he was wounded again while commanding a rear guard action during Hood's retreat out of Tennessee. He recovered in time to take part in the Carolinas campaign and was among the officers and men surrendered at Bennett Place in North Carolina.

Still in his early 30s when the war came to an end, Lee went on to serve his adopted state of Mississippi with great distinction. He was the first president of today's Mississippi State University, a leader in the effort to create Vicksburg National Military Park, a state legislator and the President of the Board of Trustees of the Mississippi Department of Archives & History. From 1904 until his death in 1908, he was national Commander of the United Confederate Veterans (UCV), of which today's Sons of Confederate Veterans (SCV) is a successor. The Official Charge of the SCV is taken from one of his speeches.

To learn more, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/stephendlee.

Waverly - Mississippi's Haunted & Historic Mansion

Waverly Mansion

An architectural wonder, Waverly Mansion was once the center of a vast Mississippi cotton plantation. Still a private residence, the home is open to the public daily and is located between the Mississippi cities of Columbus and West Point.
Designed during the 1840s, the house took several years to construct and was finished in 1852. The octagonal cupola, its distinguishing architectural feature, offered Col. George Hampton Young a 360 degree view of his plantation and the surrounding countryside. It also was part of a unique 19th century "air conditioning" system.

The Gates of Waverly

The interior of the house is open from the cupola down to the ground floor and when the windows are open, it generates airflow that moves warmer air up and out of the cupola as cooler air flows in through the downstairs window. The resulting "breeze" helped cool the house during the hot Mississippi summer and was a remarkable innovation for its day.

Waverly also had interior lighting powered by gas manufactured on the grounds and then piped into the house. An exterior ice house was dug 20 feet deep and provided storage for blocks of ice brought in from Northern climes. The natural insulation provided by storing the ice so far underground helped keep it from melting for weeks at the time and allowed the residents and their guests to enjoy chilled beverages.

The home's original owner, Col. Young was a friend of Confederate general Nathan Bedford Forrest and the "Wizard of the Saddle" once spent three weeks at Waverly recuperating from battlefield wounds.

And then their are the ghosts! The 20th century restoration of Waverly apparently awakened quite a collection of them, ranging from a young girl who cries for her mother to a mysterious horse and rider that appear in the yard. Waverly is traditionally said to be one of the most haunted houses in the South.

To learn more, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/waverly.

Columbus, Georgia - Historic City on the Chattahoochee

Columbus, Georgia, has been visited by untold thousands of Americans over the years, many of them because they were stationed at the U.S. Army's famed Fort Benning.

Thousands of new visitors, however, are learning the Columbus is realizing its potential as a major heritage tourism destination. Noted for its multiple historic districts, Riverwalk, museums and more, the city has placed major emphasis on its historic resources and the results are stunning.

From its revitalized downtown area with the River Center for the Performing Arts and allegedly haunted Springer Opera House, the city spreads out along the Chattahoochee River from Lake Oliver on the north to Fort Benning on the South. Founded in 1828, Columbus was a major riverboat port and manufacturing center during the antebellum era.

The Confederate Navy built the ironclad C.S.S. Jackson here and the city was home to one of the South's few major industrial complexes during the Civil War. The Battle of Columbus, fought on Easter Sunday in 1865, was the last major land battle of the war.

Columbus rebounded from the destruction dealt it by Union troops following that battle and today is a progressive and modern city. Its past, however, remains very much alive. The main Columbus Historic District preserves a stunning area of historic and restored homes, including two that once housed the family of Dr. John Pemberton, the inventor of Coca-Cola. The Columbus Riverwalk links a variety of historic sites and points of interest, among them the National Civil War Naval Museum, which houses two original Confederate warships as well as reconstructions of the U.S.S. Hartford, U.S.S. Water Witch and C.S.S. Albemarle. Near the entrance to Fort Benning is the National Infantry Museum, which relocated last month into a stunning new facility.

To learn more about historic Columbus, Georgia, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/gacolumbus1.

Springer Opera House: Georgia's Haunted Theater

The historic Springer Opera House dominates a city block in downtown Columbus and is one of the most beautiful buildings dedicated to the arts in Georgia. It also is reputedly one of the most haunted.

The Springer is unique because it opened in the midst of the turbulent Reconstruction Era as a tribute to culture and arts in a time of great violence. Over its long and storied history it has hosted such luminaries as Oscar Wilde, Will Rogers, Edwin Booth, John Philip Sousa, Ethel Barrymore, William Jennings Bryan and Franklin Delano Roosevelt. It is a true landmark of Southern history and heritage and, if stories told around Columbus are to believe, at least one of the finest actors who performed there is still hanging around.

According to Columbus legend, the Springer Opera House is haunted by the playful ghost of noted 19th century actor Edwin Booth. Sort of the Brad Pitt or George Clooney of his day, Booth was one of America's most famous actors until a fateful day in 1865 when his brother, John Wilkes Booth, shot and killed President Abraham Lincoln.

The assassination forced the entire Booth family into self-imposed seclusion. But in the 1870s, as animosity over the assassination began to fade, Edwin Booth began an effort to salvage is career. As part of this move, he came to Columbus to perform "Hamlet" at the Springer Opera House. The performance was warmly received and did much to help Booth redeem his career.

Legend holds, though, that Edwin Booth promised to haunt the theater after his death until it staged a performance of "Hamlet" once again. Strange events began in the theater after Booth passed on from this world and continue to this day.

To learn more, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/springerghost.

Linwood Cemetery - Columbus, Georgia

One of the most significant burial grounds in the South can be found in the downtown area of the historic city of Columbus, Georgia.

Established in 1828, Linwood Cemetery is the burial place of a number of individuals who contributed significantly to Southern history. Among them are General Henry "the Rock" Benning, the Confederate general for whom Fort Benning is named; Lizzie Rutherford Ellis, the leader of the group of Columbus ladies who started the tradition we recognize today as Memorial Day; Dr. Francis Oray Ticknor, author of the famed Civil War poem "Little Giffen," and Dr. John S. Pemberton, the Georgia druggist who invented Coca-Cola.

In addition, more than 200 Confederate soldiers are buried at Linwood, including men who died in the Battle of Columbus (Girard), considered by most authorities to have been the last major land battle of the Civil War.

To learn more about this fascinating place where history is written in stone, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/linwood.

National Civil War Naval Museum - Columbus, Georgia

One of the most fascinating historical exhibits in the nation stands by the Chattahoochee River in Columbus, Georgia.

Originally established to preserve the wrecks of the Confederate warships C.S.S. Jackson and C.S.S. Chattahoochee, the National Civil War Naval Museum has grown into a magnificent facility that interprets the history of both the Confederate and Union navies with artifacts, displays and full-size reproductions of Civil War ships.

The most stunning artifact in the museum is the wreck of the C.S.S. Jackson, a massive ironclade built at Columbus for a planned effort to break the blockade at Apalachicola Bay, Florida. The huge ship was 225 feet long, 54 feet wide and weighed an estimated 2000 tons. Captured by the Union army as it was nearing completion, the ship was set afire and burned to the waterline before sinking into the soft mud on the bottom of the Chattahoochee River. Raised in 1961, it is now part of a remarkable exhibit.

In addition, the museum offers visitors a chance to explore a partial reconstruction of Admiral David Farragut's famed flagship, the U.S.S. Hartford, and to experience a Civil War battle aboard the noted Confederate ironclad C.S.S. Albemarle. A full-size reproduction of the U.S.S. Water Witch, captured near Savannah by Confederate forces in 1864, will open to visitors in April.

Other artifacts on display include the original flag from the C.S.S. Arkansas, uniforms, weapons and even a massive cannon from the Jackson that is fired on special occasions.

If you would like to learn more about the National Civil War Naval Museum, please visit our new page at www.exploresouthernhistory.com/navymuseum.

Suwannee River State Park - Live Oak, Florida

This beautiful and historic state park is nestled along the banks of the picturesque Suwannee River near Live Oak, Florida.

Located within the borders of the park is the site of the lost Florida town of Columbus. A prosperous community during the antebellum area, the town was an important riverboat port and commercial center. At its height it was home to more than 500 people, but not a single building remains today. Only an old cemetery along one of the park's hiking trails has survived.

The park is also the site of a Confederate fort built to protect the railroad bridge over the Suwannee River during the Civil War. Union troops named this bridge as one of their key objectives during their East Florida invasion of 1864, but were soundly defeated by a Southern army at the Battle of Olustee and turned back to Jacksonville without ever approaching their planned target on the Suwannee.

To learn more about Suwannee River State Park, please visit our new page on the park at www.exploresouthernhistory.com/suwannee1.

The First Memorial Day - Columbus, Georgia

In honor of Memorial Day, I thought I would pause our series on Spring Travel Destinations to share some information on the origin of our nation's Memorial Day tradition.

Although there are several claims to the contrary, the first Memorial Day was observed in Columbus, Georgia during the spring of 1866.

The ladies of the community, many having lost husbands, sons, fathers or brothers in the Civil War, wanted to create a day of remembrance to memorialize the sacrifices of those who died in service to the South. They met at the Tyler House in Columbus in March of 1866, less than one year after the end of the war, and formed a committee with the responsibility of hosting and promoting an annual Memorial Day.

The idea caught on and soon swept through other communities across the South. By the time General John Logan of the Grand Army of the Republic (Union veterans) issued his General Order Number 11 proclaiming Memorial Day in 1868, observances had been underway across the South for two years. Even so, the national media generally credits Logan with originating the concept. In fact, though, he simply helped in the growth of an idea originated by the women of Columbus.

A monument to the first Memorial Day stands in downtown Columbus, marking the site of the Tyler House where the original committee held its meetings.

Memorial Day is now a day of remembrance for American servicemen who gave their lives in the line of duty. Although the holiday now often takes on a festive appearance with cookouts and trips to the beach, the true meaning is well worth remembering.

I hope you will join me in pausing tomorrow to remember the supreme sacrifice given by so many of our fellow citizens.

Have a safe Memorial Day.

Columbus, Georgia and the Last Major Battle of the Civil War

It is a little known fact that the last major battle of the Civil War was fought for control of the city of Columbus, Georgia.

The last major Southern industrial center, Columbus was attacked by Union forces on Easter Sunday, April 16, 1865. Confederate forces fought to defend the city and a major battle erupted.

The battle was fought after both the surrender of Robert E. Lee and the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln.

Also called the Battle of Girard, the Battle of Columbus was a Union victory and resulted in the fall of Columbus and destruction of the nearly-finished ironclad C.S.S. Jackson. Although several smaller encounters took place over the following weeks, the fight was the last major battle of the Civil War.

If you would like to learn more, our new Battle of Columbus page is now available at www.exploresouthernhistory.com/battleofcolumbus.