The Battle of Fort Fisher, N.C.

Monday, April 27, 2009

Civil War on Road Trip-- Indianapolis

This past weekend, I was on the road with the American Road Magazine Forum and saw the grave of President Benjamin Harrison in Indianapolis, Indiana's Crown Hill Cemetery.

Already, a successful lawyer, Harrison raised the 70th Indiana regiment for his friend,the governor of Indiana. He turned down its colonelcy claiming that he lacked military experience. Instead, he was commissioned a second lieutenant, but became colonel anyway.

He first saw the elephant at the Battle of Perryville, and was in the Atlanta Campaign, and the Battle of Nashville. He was promoted to brigadier general in March, 1865.

I was amazed at how small the monument was and his grave only has a simple marker.

I also saw the Indiana Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument in downtown Indianapolis. This 284 foot tall monument is some sort of impressive. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. The Colonel Eli Lilly Civil War Museum is located at the base. At one time, it was illegal for any building in the city to be taller than it.

A Hoosier Civil War Experience. --Old B-Runner