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Everyone seemed to stop and look at Mother Cahill, and apologized.
Beth led her off the boat then with ease.
The landing was packed with people too and getting through the crowds was no easy feat, but Beth managed. She noticed many flatboats and keelboats unloading freight, so this created a lot of traffic and people.
Along the riverbanks many homes could be spotted perched majestically high on cliffs above the river.
"Cotton and sugarcane are the biggest crops here, and there are many plantations built along the river in Mississippi, one reason it is so beautiful here. A lot of the homes are Greek architecture. Quite beautiful."
"I've never seen such huge homes in my life. I was out on deck admiring some of them before we docked."
"You must have gotten up early dear."
"Yes, I was excited about going inland this morning." Beth smiled at her.
"I'll admit, I was looking forward to this, myself."
"Does everyone here have so much money?" Beth asked.
"No…not at all. Mississippi has a lot of slave labor, that's the only way all this can be accomplished. The plantations are huge and it takes a lot of people to work them. But you'll find many nationalities here too, French, Indian, African, and Spanish."
"I didn't realize…"
"Oh my yes. A long time ago, the French and Indians dominated Natchez."
"You know so much about it…"
"I've been here often, in the earlier days." Mother Cahill explained wistfully. "The Choctaw Indians dominated this area until Andy Jackson had them put on reservation lands. And then back in 1840 there was a great tornado, killed over three hundred people, mostly people on the flat
boats, but it took a lot of lives. They still talk about it a lot, they called it "The Great Natchez Tornado".
"How awful. Well, I've witnessed a few back in Texas too."
"Yes, and this is a slave trading city. Forks of the Road Market is where many slaves were bought and sold. We won't be going around there."
"How terrible for them…" Beth whispered.
"Yes, I agree, Beth…" Mother Cahill glanced up at her and saw real tears in her eyes.
A group of young soldiers were standing on a street corner and Beth couldn't help but stare. They wore gray uniforms and looked quite happy.
She overheard some of their conversation as they passed.
"We'll whip Grant and his bunch in no time…"
"Yeah, he won't know what hit him. Yeah, I hear they want old Jeff Davis to run for President of the Confederacy."
"But ain't he the Senator here in Mississippi?"
"Yeah, but he resigned that position as soon as we seceded. He'll lick that Yankee General in no time, wait and see."
Beth wondered at their confidence.
Beth also noticed a strange flag, it looked a lot like the American flag, but had stars and bars, the stars in a circle.
"Let's get a buggy and ride around?" Beth suggested when she saw several ladies riding in them.
Mother Cahill nodded, "Over there…"
