Old Cahawba’s Civil War Walking Tour

Old Cahawba’s Civil War Walking Tour
Old Cahawba will hold a Civil War Walking Tour on Saturday, April 1 from 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. at the Old Cahawba Archaeological Park, Orrville (near Selma). The cost is $8.00 per person.
In the waning days of the Civil War, flooding pushed the waters of the Cahaba and Alabama rivers over the banks and across the town of Cahawba leaving over three thousand Union army prisoners standing for days in knee deep water. Finally released from captivity, many made their way to Vicksburg, Mississippi, and boarded the ill-fated riverboat Sultana only to perish on their way home in the worst maritime disaster in U.S. History.
This walking tour will visit Castle Morgan, the POW camp at Old Cahawba and explore the plight of these unfortunate soldiers as well as the hardships of the town’s confederate residents who suffered while their husbands, fathers and sons were off to war, many never to return.
Directions: From downtown Selma, take Highway 22 (Dallas Avenue) west 8.6 miles. Cross over the Cahaba River and turn left onto County Road 9 and follow this 3.3 miles until it dead ends. Turn left onto County Road 2 and follow this 1.5 miles until you see the Visitor Center on the right. Visitor Center Address: 9518 Cahaba Road, Orrville, AL 36767.
For more information contact Linda Derry at cahawba@bellsouth.net or call the park at 334-872-8058.
Old Cahawba lies at the confluence of the Alabama and Cahaba Rivers, and from 1819 to 1826 it served as Alabama’s first capital. Today, the Alabama Historical Commission owns and operates this significant archaeological site.
Find Old Cahawba on Facebook or visit http://ahc.alabama.gov/.