Tuesday, March 26 at 6:30 pm
Museum of the Mississippi Delta

Mary Carol Miller, noted historian, author and immediate past president of the Mississippi Historical Society delves deeply into the history behind the Star of the West. Considered the first ship fired upon in the Civil War, the ship was not a warship but a merchant vessel originally owned by Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt. While attempting to supply Federal forces at Ft. Sumter on January 9, 1861, cadets from the Citadel fired upon her in Charleston Harbor. She then was taken to the Gulf of Mexico near Galveston where she was captured by Confederate cavalry officers. The ship was brought upriver to Vicksburg, then to Yazoo City and finally to Greenwood where she was scuttled in the Tallahatchie River in 1863 during the Battle of Fort Pemberton.

The lecture is in conjunction with the exhibition War Comes to the Mississippi Delta, commemorating the sesquicentennial of the Civil War in the Delta. The exhibit is up through August 31, 2013. The exhibition tells the story of the Union forces’ attempt to navigate the intricate rivers of the Mississippi Delta during the winter of 1863. Known as the Yazoo Pass Expedition, the attempt ultimately ended in failure, as Confederate forces held strong at a hastily built outpost near Greenwood known as Fort Pemberton.

Admission is free and open to the public.

Encampment of Civil War Re-enactor at Fort Pemberton, 2 miles West of Museum
Friday and Saturday, March 8-9, 2013
Free to the public

In commemoration of the Battle of Fort Pemberton that took place in March of 1863, the Museum of the Mississippi Delta, in collaboration with Company K, 30^th Mississippi Infantry, will present an Encampment. On the evening of March 8, re-enactors will camp at the site of the original fort, located on Highway 82 West, just 2 miles west of the Museum of the Mississippi Delta. On Saturday, March 9, beginning at 9:00 a.m., Company K will be in camp portraying the daily life of troops garrisoned at Fort Pemberton with drills, musket demonstrations and cooking. Don’t be surprised if you see some Union soldiers show up and force the Rebels into a skirmish. The “Lady Polk”, a restored Blakely Patent no. 34 cannon, will be fired at 11:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m. and 3: 00 p.m. The cannon was manufactured by Fawcett Preston & Co. in Liverpool, England and is one of only 17 examples of the Civil War-era cannon left in existence today, and the only one that has been restored for firing. Visitors may view the exhibition “War Comes to the Mississippi Delta” at the Museum for FREE all day from 10:00 until 5:00.

The Encampment is a program in conjunction with the new exhibition, War Comes to the Mississippi Delta, which tells the story of the Yazoo Pass Expedition and the Union forces attempt to approach Vicksburg via the Yazoo River near Greenwood. The attempt ultimately ended in failure, as Confederate forces held strong at a hastily built outpost near Greenwood known as Fort Pemberton. The most noted aspect of the Confederate defenses was the ocean steamer Star of the West, originally a Union transport ship, listed as the first ship fired upon during the Civil War at Fort Sumter. After being captured by Rebel forces, the ship met her demise when it was sunk next to Fort Pemberton to block the passage of Union ships through the channel as they headed toward their destination: Vicksburg. Artifacts from the Star of the West and the U.S.S. Cairo as well many other original pieces will be on display at the Museum through August 31, 2013.

Tuesday, February 19, 2013  - 6:30 pm
Museum of the Mississippi Delta

In conjunction with the exhibition, War Comes to the Mississippi Delta, Minor Ferris Buchanan will present a lecture from his book Holt Collier, His Life, His Roosevelt Hunts, and the Origin of the Teddy Bear, Tuesday, February 19 at 6:30 p.m. at the Museum of the Mississippi Delta. Program is sponsored by the Mississippi Humanities Council and is free to the public.

Where

You are invited to the Oktoberfest Beer Tasting in partnership with Giardina's Restaurant. Josh Crump, Giardina's General Manager, will be back to tell us more about craft beer.

There is limited seating available so don't wait to register!

You can register and pay online by clicking the Register Now link below.

If you have any questions, please contact us at the Museum.

We cannot wait to see you at this great event and thank you for your continued support.

REGISTER

Contact

Join us at the Museum of the Mississippi Delta as we partner with Turnrow Books for a study of some of the characters who have made Eudora Welty an endearing Mississippi writer.

October 2
12:00-1:00 pm
Maude Schuyler Clay
"Why I Live at the P.O."

Please also see the event September 4, 2012.

You can call in your lunch order before 11:00 am to the Turnrow Cafe at (662) 453-5995 and it will be delivered for you at the Museum.

Check out their menu here.

Join us at the Museum of the Mississippi Delta as we partner with Turnrow Books for a study of some of the characters who have made Eudora Welty an endearing Mississippi writer. 

September 4
12:00-1:00 pm
Kelly Kornegay
Delta Wedding

Please also see the event October 2, 2012.

You can call in your lunch order before 11:00 am to the Turnrow Cafe at (662) 453-5995 and it will be delivered for you at the Museum.

Check out their menu here.