Mississippi Civil War Inn!

Mississippi Civil War Inn!

Mississippi Civil War Inn!

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Mississippi Civil War Inn!

May 16, 2014 will mark 151 years since the Battle of Vicksburg, the last Confederate stronghold on the Mississippi River during the Civil War. It was the day that Union General Ulysses S. Grant surrounded the city. The elegant, white-columned Cedar Grove plantation home was built before the war and still retains one of the cannon balls lodged in a wall in remembrance of Vicksburg’s valiant stand against the Union army.

Many wonderful stories emanate from the South and have been the basis for a plethora of historical novels, but the real life account of John Alexander Klein and Elizabeth Bartley Day is exceptionally interesting and has strong ties to Cedar Grove, now an inn and restaurant. As the story goes, John Klein spied the beautiful child,

Elizabeth, when she was only 14 and he, a grown man of 28, was instantly enchanted by her beauty. Not being able to get her out of his mind, he waited for her to mature while he applied himself to building his exquisite mansion, now called Cedar Grove. In 1842, by the time she was 16 and he 30, they married and spent a year-long honeymoon taking the grand European tour. There they collected many furnishings for their new home, many of which still adorn the mansion today. Ten years after the start of the construction, in 1852 the home was finally completed.

In 1863, the Civil War came to Vicksburg and Cedar Grove saw many changes. It so happened that General Sherman was a relative of Elizabeth. He commandeered the mansion for a Union hospital and after the war, Elizabeth was snubbed by local society for her connection. It is said that, prior to occupation, the family fortune was successfully spirited away and concealed in the dining room sideboard for safekeeping.

Today, the almost 50,000-square-foot Cedar Grove with its 30 bedrooms is an inn and restaurant where many go for a romantic retreat, family celebration or long weekend. The inn can also be converted back to the original elegant, single-family residence of the past. Previously offered at $2.9 million, now priced at $2.495 million.

Source: www.sothebysrealty.com