Port Hudson - 2013

Today we went on a field trip with our home school group from church.  We visited Port Hudson which is about 1/2 hour north of Baton Rouge.  

We got there early and some of us were a little tired still.  

The first thing they do is set off one of the big canons to begin the day.  Then we broke up into groups to visit different learning stations throughout the site.  

Our first stop had to do with ships used during the Civil War on the Mississippi River. 

A remote controlled model of the CSS Arkansas cruising in the pond beside us.

Think he's impressed?  I'm not sure. 

The next station dealt with cooking and what the soldiers ate. 

We learned about Johnnycakes and salt pork. 

Cooking salt pork over the fire.  

Afterwards we got to sample some of the food.  Most of the kids liked it, but the salt pork was too salty and the johnnycake had very little flavor.  

Next we moved to the Town Ball station. 

Jon

Town Ball is like baseball but with more bases and you only get one out.  You can also throw the ball at someone to get them out.  

James tried to hit the ball into Mississippi, but he didn't quite get it there.  

Jon

Andrew

Andrew got an RBI when he was up to bat. 

Then we moved onto the medical station where we learned a little bit about war-time surgery.  

Jon and his two friends were asked to pick a spot to get shot at.  Jon chose the tummy.  Turns out that the surgeon saved his two friends first, as back then a gun-shot wound to the tummy could not really be helped.   Jon's friends, who were shot in the arm and leg, had a better chance of survival - if they could survive infections.  Poor Jon!

Then we went to a musical station where these three men played some of the songs that the soldiers sang during the war. Southern soldiers, that is.  

Matthew listening to the music. 

Next we visited a canon where we learned that a good canon crew could fire three rounds in a minute. 

Matthew found a friend. 

Their first attempt was a misfire. 

So we had to wait three minutes for them to try again. 

Matthew and his friend waiting. 

Second time's a charm.  

Our final station was a talk with a Union soldier.  

He said they marched for five days from New Orleans to Port Hudson in their woolen clothes in the summer of 1863.  He also loaded his musket and fired a shot off for us.  

The kids learned a lot about the Civil War.  But they were hungry!

It was time for lunch!

We had a picnic on the grounds with our friends.  

Then we took a short (long) walk through the woods on the trail. 

Peter is way up ahead. 

Friends 

Alyssa explored the area and took the following photos. 

We want our property back ;)

There is a museum on-site also. 

The kids did some more running and jumping before it was time to pack up. 

Rolling down the hill.

And then we headed home - it was a fun day!