Donna M. Byrne

In 1809, Meriwether Lewis - yes, the same Lewis of the famous Lewis and Clark Expedition in 1804 - was traveling to Washington on the Old Natchez Trace. It was not a pleasure trip. He was headed to DC to defend some bills he had submitted as the governor of the Louisiana Territory. If payment was denied, the 35 year old would have pay them himself.

Anyway - Lewis had a lot on his mind.

Meriwether and his traveling companions stopped at a log cabin lodging house called Grinder's Stand and sometime during the night someone shot and killed him. Most reports at the time claimed that the shots were self-inflicted, but mystery still surrounds the event.

They buried him here near the Grinder House and placed a stone monument over his grave with a broken shaft signifying a life cut short.

The foundation of the house still remains.

We left the modern day Trace and headed to the Shiloh Battlefield via a road that became known as the Trail of Tears. Thousands of Native Americans died along this road on their relocation trek west of the Mississippi.

They named this battle Shiloh after the small church where much of the fighting took place.

Shiloh is a biblical term for "Place of Peace "

General Grant wanted to cut off Confederate supplies which were traveling down the Tennessee River and also by rail from two different lines.

He almost didn't succeed. On April 6th, 1862 the day belonged to the Grays. But April 7th was a different story. The Blues prevailed and won the battle.

Many Southerners described the battle as a Defeated Victory for the South.

Unfortunately, this battle with its more than 23,000 casualties was not enough to end the war. It would drag on for three more long years.

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