It looks like you are going through Jackson, Mississippi, so be on the lookout for an 1861 3" Ordnance Rifle by Phoenix Foundry at 654 Main Street. Trunnion marks are supposed to be visible.
With a slight divergence off the interstate you can see a very historic site of a major ordnance building foundry for the Confederacy and a double banded Brooke Rifle that was built there. Take the State Route 80 exit about twenty miles after Meridian, Mississippi and go about 35 miles due east to Selma, Alabama. There you will find the most famous gun foundry in the Confederate states outside of Tredegar Iron Works in Richmond, Virginia. There is a giant lathe there outside the only foundry building still standing at the site of the Selma Confederate Naval Ordnance Works run by CSN Commander, Catesby ap Roger Jones through the CS Navy’s Office of Ordnance and Hydrography Commanded by CSN Commander John Mercer Brooke in Richmond. There many heavy Naval and seacoast artillery pieces were turned out from 1862 until the end of the war. This site can be found at the intersection of Water Street and Sylvan about five blocks east of Broad Street which is Route 80, 22 and 8. AND nearby on Broad street, in the middle of the block between Dallas Ave. and Selma Ave. is the Brooke naval rifle which was served at the Battle of Mobile Bay in 1864 onboard the Confederate Ram, CSS Tennessee. The only crewmen killed on the Tennessee were serving this gun at the time of their deaths. Look for a large VII on one of the trunnion faces which designates the weapon’s caliber. This gun has also been reported at City Hall, so know where both locations are. After seeing all this history and a very rare cannon, you continue east on Route 80 to Montgomery, Alabama and then north to Birmingham, AL on Interstate 65.
There is also Lookout Mountain in Chattanooga, Tennessee. If you can stay somewhere secure and detach your travel trailer, I would see this very famous spot featuring the location of the Battle Above the Clouds. I would NOT drive up that road with any size trailer. The view from the top is spectacular, truly magnificent the way the river meanders through the City of Chattanooga and the topography is just about strait up and down. It’s almost unbelievable that some field pieces were dragged more than half way up the mountain. Out of time; I will check for others tomorrow.
Tracy & Mike
