- Outdoor columnist Ben Smith says take some trips this summer but go off the map once you get to where you’re going. You never know what you’ll find if you’re looking.
It’s not too often I get to mix work with pleasure, but every now and then the opportunity is just there for the taking. So, when I decided to go and watch William Carey Baseball play in their conference tournament in Jackson, Tennessee I started looking for opportunities. Don’t tell my boss, but I went ahead and packed my fishing gear for the trip. The guys were scheduled to play each day at 4:00, and those games never start on time, so I knew there would be plenty of time during the morning for a little exploring.
My research led me to a lake about fifteen minutes outside of Jackson, Lake Graham. And by the way, if you’ve never been to Jackson, Tennessee, go ahead and make plans to take a trip. Lake Graham is a 500-acre lake nestled in some of the prettiest countryside I’ve been through in a while. You can fish for largemouth bass, crappie, bream, catfish, and even trout. There’s plenty of space for anglers to fish from the bank along with several piers, a couple of them even covered. It’s incredibly clean, which was a nice surprise. The grounds are very well kept. And best of all, there’s a no wake rule allowing for a peaceful experience void of water skiing.
The only thing that frustrated me was on the ride into the lake. Just before I got to the lake, I passed a couple of fields to my left and noticed something out of the corner of my eye. I slowed down to look and sure enough there he was. There was a giant gobbler strutting along the edge of the field. Turkey season had just finished in Mississippi, and I was beginning to accept another season of not killing a bird. Then this sucker had to flaunt it in front of me.
I drove on to the lake and immediately googled “Tennessee turkey season” from the parking lot. I may, or may not, have already dropped a pin at the location that I saw the bird. Sure enough, the Tennessee turkey season lasts through May 25th. I thought about how neat it would be for this to work out in my favor. Of course, I’d have to go buy a shotgun and camo, but that’s pretty much how desperate I am right now. I went ahead and started fishing but thought about turkeys almost the entire time. The only thing that took my mind off of it was catching my first ever bass in Tennessee. It was tiny, but I liked being able to mark off another state on my list of catching a fish in every state I visit.
On the drive back I stopped at a house on the property where I saw the turkey. Remember, I told you guys I was desperate. I held my fingers crossed that they’d give me permission to hunt the gobbler for the week. Unfortunately, nobody came to the door, but I planned to come back the next day and try again. I hopped back into the car and headed on down the road with visions of beards and spurs dancing in my head.
The trip along this little backroad took another unexpected turn that got me excited. I’m a little bit of a history nerd, especially when it comes to Civil War stuff, and Tennessee has plenty of it. But my next find was something completely unexpected. I stumbled onto a Civil War Battlefield. A small skirmish, but significant, nonetheless. Tucked in a little grove of trees along the side of Cotton Grove Road was an old cemetery with a sign that read “The Battle of Salem Cemetery.”
This was even better than turkeys! I pulled the car into the tiny gravel parking lot and started to explore the area. I’d studied plenty of Civil War battles in college, and even afterward, but this was a battle that I’d never heard of. There were information bulletins underneath a small pavilion and a couple of monuments toward the front of the cemetery. There were even a couple of old canons on the property. Who doesn’t get fired up about old canons? The big picture of Nathan Bedford Forrest under the pavilion really piqued my interest since the county that Hattiesburg lies in bears his name. Here’s how the battle played out.
On the morning of December 19, 1862, Confederate troops led by General Forrest rode toward Jackson. They were unaware that Union Colonel Adolph Engelmann’s troops lay in wait. Pretty soon, over 1,000 total soldiers were engaged in battle that lasted for several hours. Engelmann’s troops suffered very few casualties (less than 10), while Forrest’s troops suffered around 65 killed, wounded, or missing. Technically, the Union could claim this as a victory since they stopped Forrest’s troops from advancing toward Jackson. However, the entire battle was a cover-up for Forrest. He didn’t even go to the battle. Instead, he and several other men sidestepped the Union troops, went into Jackson and destroyed a vital section of railroad all the while keeping the Union troops busy at Salem Cemetery.
As I walked around the cemetery, noticing the unmarked graves of Confederate soldiers, I imagined what this area looked like 163 years ago. Today it’s fairly grown up around the cemetery and I wondered if the landscape was similar then. I thought about the terror of the Confederate troops as they approached the Federal position and were fired on out of nowhere. I thought about the Union troops having cannonballs explode in the trees above them as the Confederates fought back, but were inexperienced in the use of artillery. Not another car passed on the road while I walked around, which created an eerie silence. This was a lonely place.
I walked back to the car satisfied with my adventure for the day. Unfortunately, it poured the next morning, and I didn’t get to go back to ask about the gobbler in the field. And as much as I wanted to hunt that bird, I couldn’t help but leave Jackson excited about my finds. Since we are fast approaching summer, I encourage you to take some trips. Do a little planning but go off the map once you get there. You’ll never know what you’ll find if you’re looking.
Ben Smith
