The Montgomery Advertiser from Montgomery, Alabama · A8

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WWW.FRAZER.CHURCH MaundyThursday 7:00PMHolyCommunion FRAZERATLANTAHIGHWAYAdramaticpresentationofJesus’lastsupper CAHAWBA - The Civil War’s worst POW camp was located in Andersonville, Ga., but Castle Morgan in rural Dallas County had its own problems at times with fair and proper treatment. Captured Yankee soldiers manage to survive under filthy conditions, often standing elbow-to-elbow up to their waists in water during frequent flooding when the Alabama and Cahaba rivers overflowed their banks. Then, just as it seemed nothing worse could happen, tragedy struck as never before — the worst maritime disaster in U.S. history. Adangerously overweight steamboat with more than 2,400 passengers, including some of Castle Morgan’s former POWs anxious to get home to their families, blew apart and sank in the Mississippi River near Memphis. It may never be known exactly how many freed federal troops had spent time at Castle Morgan, but even one would have been too many considering what they all had gone through. Linda Derry, who directs the Old Cahawba Archeological Park, mentioned the Sultana riverboat tragedy Saturday, but said there could be no comparison between Castle Morgan and Andersonville. “If I had been a captured Union soldier I would want to come to Cahawba because it was the healthiest of the (POW) prisons,” said Derry, who led a guid- ed tour of what once had been Castle Morgan. The walking tour of the long-vanished Confederate prison camp was held under a cloudless blue sky, mild temperatures and details provided by Derry who has been the leader of the facility for the past three decades. Other tours in the past have focused on houses and businesses at Cahawba, but, most important is the distinction of being Alabama’s first capital city. Derry said there were so many Yankee prisoners at Cahawba that bunks had to be stacked on top of each other to provide sleeping accommodations. Confederate troops and other personnel stationed at Castle Morgan in support of the POW camp were ordered to help find food to feed the Union soldiers in the facility’s cramped quarters. Derry said some of the Yankee troops remained at Castle Morgan six months to a year before being moved to Andersonville. She said some only stayed for “a few days.” She was not sure how Castle Morgan got its name but said it might have been made “in jest” by Union prisoners as a way to mock them. Derry said some historians and archivists at desks far from Alabama apparently may have drawn conclusions about Castle Morgan without having solid evidence to support them. “Do you see any mountains here?” she asked rhetorically as she held up a drawing apparently made by “experts” who had never been in the area. “There are no mountains here.” In Derry’s case, she could not only talk the talk, but also walk the walk and that’s why she is held in such high regard by tour groups that have her in the lead. She has conducted many tours in the past including some in which descendants of Civil War soldiers come to Dallas County to visit Cahawba and ask questions about ancestors. “We try to have at least one Civil War tour each year,” said Derry, who has been compared to Mary Ann Neely, Montgomery’s legendary cemetery tour guide. “That would be an honor,” Derry said, breaking into a big smile. Tour examines history of POW camp Castle Morgan PHOTOS BY ALVIN BENN/SPECIAL TO THE ADVERTISER Civil War tourists learned how cramped the Castle Morgan POW camp was at Old Cahawba during a visit Saturday. Alvin Benn AL BENN’S ALABAMA Ken and Joanna Nichols, left, join Fran Pearce in examining a scrapbook during Saturday’s tour of a Civil War POW camp in Dallas County. Autism Crawfish Boil PHOTOS BY ALBERT CESARE / ADVERTISER People prepare crawfish at the 13th annual Autism Crawfish Boil on Saturdayin Montgomery. Last year the Crawfish Boil raised more than $30,000. All the proceeds of the boil are donated to Easter Seals of Central Alabama’s Autism services. Two tons of crawfish were boiled and served. Crawfish boiling at the 13th annual Autism Crawfish Boil on Saturdayin Montgomery. Blackberry Breeze member Trey Foshee sings while performing at the 13th annual Autism Crawfish Boil on Saturday. Find more photos from the 13th annual Autism Crawfish Boil on our website. pnj.com