FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                               

Contact: Carmen Yelle  

334-872-8058

March 21, 2022

OLD CAHAWBA HOSTS CIVIL WAR WALKING TOUR

(Orrville, AL) Saturday, April 2, at 10am, Old Cahawba Archaeological Park, a historic property of the Alabama Historical Commission, invites visitors to take part in a guided, one-hour walking tour on the grounds of Castle Morgan, Cahaba Federal Prison. Park guests will hear harrowing accounts of soldiers from both Confederate and Union armies who called Cahawba home during wartime. 

Participants will learn about the waning days of the Civil War, at a time when flooding pushed the waters of the Cahaba and Alabama rivers over the banks and across the town of Cahawba - leaving nearly 3,000 Union army prisoners standing in knee deep water for days. Upon release from the prison, many were sent to Vicksburg, Mississippi where they boarded the ill-fated riverboat Sultana which exploded and sank in the Mississippi River.

The plight of these unfortunate soldiers will be explored on the site of their Cahawba prison, known as Castle Morgan. “Visible reminders still survive from that era” says Jonathan Matthews. “We'll get to trace the actual outline of where Castle Morgan stood.” Other stops on the tour will illustrate the hardships of the town’s confederate residents who suffered while their husbands, fathers and sons were off to war, many never to return. 

Tickets are $8 and available at the Old Cahawba Visitor Center or by calling 334-872-8058. The tour is allotted for a maximum of 15 participants to accommodate social distancing. Interested parties are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance.

Old Cahawba lies at the confluence of the Alabama and Cahaba Rivers, and from 1819 to 1826 it served as Alabama’s first capital. 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.

Old Cahawba is a historic property of the Alabama Historical Commission. To learn more about Old Cahawba, or the Alabama Historical Commission, please visit www.ahc.alabama.gov.

About Old Cahawba

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.

About the Alabama Historical Commission

Located in historic downtown Montgomery at 468 S. Perry Street, the Alabama Historical Commission is the state historic preservation agency for Alabama. The agency was created by an act of the state legislature in 1966 with a mission to protect, preserve and interpret Alabama’s historic places. AHC works to accomplish its mission through two fields of endeavor: Preservation and promotion of state-owned historic sites as public attractions; and, statewide programs to assist people, groups, towns, and cities with local preservation activities. For a complete list of programs and properties owned and operated by the AHC, hours of operation, and admission fees please visit ahc.alabama.gov   ###