War is hell, as Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman was credited as saying, but the Museum of the Mississippi Delta’s exhibit, “War Comes to the Mississippi Delta,” has proven to be quite popular.
“We’ve definitely seen an increase in visitation and we’ve definitely seen an increase in the sales at our gift shop,” said Cheryl Taylor, the museum’s director.
Taylor said while there has been a general increase in attendance from Civil War buffs, churches, schools and tour buses — including a literary group from the University of Mississippi — what has been most gratifying is that the exhibit has attracted the interest from residents of Greenwood and Leflore County.
The exhibit, which focused largely on the Civil War Battle of Fort Pemberton, fought in Leflore County in March 1863, opened on Jan. 26.
The Battle of Fort Pemberton was the culmination of the Yazoo Pass Expedition, a failed Union attempt to attack the Confederate stronghold of Vicksburg by sending a naval flotilla down the Tallahatchie River.
On Saturday, admission to the museum will be free.
The last day of the exhibit will be Aug. 31.
A number of events are planned for the final day, which begins at 10 a.m. and runs through 5 p.m.
A few highlights for Saturday include the unveiling of an officer’s sash worn by Capt. William Ray, who served in Company K, 30th Mississippi Infantry, two performances by the Carrollton Dulcimers, and a lecture on the Star of the West, a ship scuttled by the Confederates, by local historian Mary Carol Miller.
The Star of the West, captured by the Confederates, had the distinction of being the target of the first shots of the Civil War. Confederates fired on the ship when it tried to take supplies to Fort Sumter in Charleston, S.C., in 1861 at the start of the war. It was captured later that year by the Confederates.
The ship was sunk in the Tallahatchie River by Fort Pemberton to block the Union flotilla’s advance.
The exhibit was aided by a $3,000 advertising grant from the Greenwood Convention and Visitors Bureau, Taylor said.
That enabled the museum to purchase ads in Civil War magazines as well as newspapers and generate a far larger turnout than otherwise would be expected.
In addition, the exhibit received free coverage from the Commonwealth as well as from local TV and radio stations.
One element of the exhibit, the Civil War symposium and banquet, which was well received in April, will continue as an annual event, Taylor said.
The symposium in April featured Bertram Hayes-Davis, the great-great-grandson of Confederate President Jefferson Davis.
The Civil War seems to be another aspect of Greenwood tourism, much like the blues or civil rights, that has caught on.
“It’s a topic that people enjoy. People spend the night here, they spend money here,” she said.
Taylor said the museum has been aided by the generosity of local collectors who have loaned highly valuable pieces to the museum’s exhibit.
For example, the sash worn by Capt. Ray has been loaned by his great-great-granddaughter, Betty Ray of Carrollton.
Taylor said Civil War exhibits will be a part of the museum’s future plans.
For more information on “War Comes to the Mississippi Delta,” call the museum at 453-0925.
• Contact Bob Darden at 581-7239 or bdarden@gwcommonwealth.com.
