"Gone with the Wind" is one of my favourite movies which started my fascination with the American Civil War (1861 - 1865) So on this trip to the South, Julie and I decided to stay overnight at one of the most beautiful plantations on the River Road in Mississippi - Oak Alley Plantation. Two rows of centuries-old oak trees line the way up to a magnificent mansion, built by a rich Creole sugar king named Jacques Roman for his wife Celina Roman in 1837. After seeing the beautiful antebellum house with my own eyes, I am pretty convinced that the set of "Tara" - Scarlett o' Hara's home - was modelled on Oak Alley.
I also came upon a delightful surprise in the form of Andre Jacob, a civil war historian, who has set up a replica of a Confederate camp on the grounds of Oak Alley. In 20 spellbinding minutes, Andre told us the story of the capture of New Orleans and the major battles that took place around Louisiana in the early days of the Civil War. General Richard Taylor. General Benjamin Butler. President Abraham Lincoln. Such magnificent tales. Music to the ears of history buffs like me.
Aunty Jo Jo with Andre Jacob, who has set up camp on the grounds of Oak Alley
Replica of a Confederate General's tent
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