Day 2 - Poplar Bluff to Greenville

Watching the Weather Channel's tornado coverage and hoping the system falls apart before it reaches Warrensburg.  Left Poplar Bluff about 7:30 AM, heading south through eastern Arkansas on AR-1.  Much of the route followed Crowley's Ridge all the way to Helena, AR.  Passed through adjacent places called "Stonewall" & "Hooker" and wondered if the juxtaposition was intentional.  Also crossed several highways that we will see later in the trip (US-60, 64, & 70).

Helena was our primary (read 'only') sightseeing destination.  The town itself has seen better days (actually, better decades), and is one of the few significant battle sites involving Missouri Confederate troops that I had not yet paid at least a cursory visit.  A couple of Federal battery sites are marked and a fort reconstructed.  The Helena museum sports one intact battle flag for a local unit and a well-done diorama.

One thing I noticed in the diorama was the wide variety of battle flags for Confederate units.  Wonder if all those were really present.

Local streets lead to the Confederate cemetery high on a loess bluff, containing a monument as a number of grave. The monument was surrounded by Battle Flags - thisone seemed to be mourning:

And whose marker might this be?











Late lunch at a Lebanese cafe in Clarksdale, supper at an upscale restaurant in Greenville (we're staying at a Holiday Inn Express).   296 miles for the day, 634 for the trip.  Tomorrow we cross the river 3 more times, with prime stops at Poverty Point, Vicksburg, Champion Hill and the Natchez Trace Parkway, ending up at Alexandria.