Natchez Favorite Tips by Stephen-KarenConn Top 5 Page for this destination

From the Halls of Montezuma ....

Favorite thing: All of my life I've heard, and have even sung, the United States Marine Hymn, which begins with the line: "From the Halls of Montezuma ...." But until I visited Natchez, and toured Monmouth Plantation, I did not know the story behind those words.

Hanging in the study at Monmouth is this picture from the American-Mexican War. Conquering United States soldiers, whose rallying cry had been "Remember the Alamo!" are seen marching into Mexico City. On the morning of April 14, 1847, Major General John Quitman of Mississippi - the Master of Monmouth Plantation - formed his battle-scarred troops into a line before the Grand Plaza in the Mexican capitol. Limping along with just one shoe, Quitman led his Marines triumphantly through the Halls of Montezuma.

The soldiers hoisted a tattered American flag over the defeated Mexican General Santa Anna's palace while the Marine Band played the Star Spangled Banner. The men presented arms; the officers saluted. This was the first and only time that the American flag - alone - has been raised over the capitol of a conquered enemy country.

U.S. Marine Corps Hymn

From the Halls of Montezuma
To the Shores of Tripoli;
We fight our country's battles
In the air, on land and sea;
First to fight for right and freedom
And to keep our honor clean;
We are proud to claim the title
of United States Marine.

Our flag's unfurled to every breeze
From dawn to setting sun;
We have fought in ev'ry clime and place
Where we could take a gun;
In the snow of far-off Northern lands
And in sunny tropic scenes;
You will find us always on the job--
The United States Marines.

Here's health to you and to our Corps
Which we are proud to serve
In many a strife we've fought for life
And never lost our nerve;
If the Army and the Navy
Ever look on Heaven's scenes;
They will find the streets are guarded
By United States Marines.

Natchez City Hall and Live Oaks

Favorite thing: Natchez City Hall sits across the street from both the Adams County Courthouse and the Historic Natchez Jail. We did not go into this building, but enjoyed seeing the beautiful old Southern Live Oak Trees which grace its front, and also grow beside the courthouse.

We were in Natchez during winter and yet these live oaks were as green as if it were a summer day. The spreading branches and evergreen character of the the live oak make it one of the most beautiful of all trees.

On many of the horizontal spreading branches were great clusters of Resurrection Ferns. These small green ferns live on the bark of trees or even on rocks. During hot dry weather they shrivel, turn gray and appear to be dead. Then when the rains come the resurrection ferns spread their delicate leaves which once again become lush and green. Lucky for us, they were green on the day of our visit.

Click up the additional photos to get a better view of both the live oaks and the resurrection ferns on their branches.

The Mississippi River

Favorite thing: Natchez owes its existence to it's prime location on the Mississippi River.

The Mississippi, which takes its name from the old Ojibwe word "misi-ziibi" meaning "Great River" is the major artery of the largest river system in North America. If measured from the head of the Missouri, the length of the Missouri-Mississippi combination is approximately 3900 miles (6300 km), making the combination the 4th longest river in the world.

In a day when the rivers were the highways of a burgeoning new nation, the Mississippi was to become the major thoroughfare through which goods and people flowed into and out of the interior of the continent. Most of this trade, and the dollars behind it, passed through Natchez, helping to create the much of the wealth the city once knew.

Natchez is still very much a River City, even though that term has a different connotation than it did during the glory days of the steamboat. No matter where one is in Natchez, he is never far from the River, and the River is never far from the hearts and minds of the people of Natchez.

Interesting Facts about the Mississippi River

Old Natchez Jail

Favorite thing: Directly across the street from the Adams County Courthouse is the Historic Natchez Jail, which dates back to 1891. It is located at 314 State Street, across the street from the Adams County Courthouse.

The old jail is not a tourist attraction but a working office, currently the Board of Supervisors Building for Adams County Administration. The building is well preserved and still shows signs of its former use, with bars covering some of the upstairs windows.

Adams County, Mississippi

Favorite thing: Natchez is the seat of Adams County, named for John Adams, second president of the United States. It is the oldest of the 82 counties in Mississippi, having been created in 1799, eighteen years before Mississippi became a state. Four Mississippi governors have hailed from Adams County: David Holmes, George Poindexter, John A. Quitman, and Gerard Brandon.

The estimated population of Adams County in 2004 was 32,591. This was a decrease of -5.09% from the 2000 census. As in so many counties in Mississippi, people seem to be moving to other parts of the country to find jobs. Natchez is far from being the poorest county in Mississippi, yet the per capita income is only about 74% of the national average.

I find it interesting that this grand old city, once the most prosperous locale in America, has never recovered from the devastation of the War Between the States and the so-called "reconstruction." Yet other southern cities - Atlanta for example - was literally burned to the ground during the War, yet has risen like a Phoenix to surpass many cities in the North.

Adams County, Mississippi