Park Day 2010

Park Day 2010

Friends of Raymond's (FOR) Annual Park Day on the Raymond battlefield was attended by over 50 volunteers on Saturday, April 10, resulting in a hugely successful day of varied activities to preserve and interpret the Raymond battlefield. "I could not have been happier with the results, and we made history today by establishing the gun positions on Artillery Ridge for the first time since May 12, 1863," beamed FOR president, Parker Hills. "We moved ten cannon carriages onto the ridge today, which is a very respectable start towards our goal of 22 cannon on this piece of hallowed ground."

All 22 cannon positions had been measured and flagged by Hills and Terry Winschel, historian at Vicksburg National Military Park the previous Monday, and on Friday, concrete cannon base pads were manufactured, delivered, and placed into line by Paul Gore of A to B Signs in Clinton. The cast-iron cannon carriages weigh over 2,000 pounds each, and were moved with loaders and trailers donated by Dick Kilby of Merchants and Planters bank, who ran the equipment expertly. The guns were then man-handled into position on Artillery Ridge, property which recently came available to FOR through the generous granting of a preservation easement by The Gaddis Farms. Mike Madell, Superintendent of Vicksburg National Military Park, was on hand to work and to witness history in creation, and commented, "I see that Friends of Raymond has put the old Vicksburg gun carriages to very good use."

But much more was accomplished, as "straw boss" Bonnie Menapace assigned tasks to volunteer workers, who cleared brush, mowed grass, trimmed weeds around cannon already in place, picked up trash, painted cannon barrels and cannon carriages, and gardened around the large Raymond Military Park granite marker. At 12:10 p.m. all sat down for a brief battlefield lunch, prepared by Mayor Isla Tullos and others, followed by an artillery lecture by Hills on the gun line.

At day's end the tired (and probably sore tomorrow) volunteers were delighted to see the results of their efforts. It's one thing to mow your yard and work around the house, and it feels good to see the job done. It's another thing to help build a battlefield and know that you are preserving history while honoring soldiers of the past--it feels great!

Photos from Park Day