Decatur--A Hard Nut to Crack, But a Great Place to Visit

Sitting on the banks of the Tennessee River, Decatur, Alabama played a strong but largely ignored-until recently-role in the Civil War. Now, the visitor can walk the path the troops followed, view a large concentration of historic homes, and shop in a restored district where the old trolley tracks are still visible in the middle of the street.

Decatur is a monument to the effects of the Civil War on the Deep South. A booming, relatively important town by all accounts, Decatur was left in tatters at the end of the War. Historians say that only three or four buildings in Decatur were still intact by late 1864, following a lengthy Union occupation and an intense battle in October of that year.

The Decatur Convention and Visitors Bureau has established a Civil War Walking Tour that covers the area where the majority of the October battle took place. The tour starts with the Old State Bank, which sits not far from the Tennessee River and still bears the scars of the gunfire that raged around it. Eleven markers lead the visitor to a series of locations, spelling out the events that led Confederate General Hood to declare Decatur "a hard nut to crack" before moving downriver in search of another place to ford.

The forced move delayed Hood's troops long enough to prevent them from achieving their goal, which was to cut off supplies to Union General Sherman. Supplies continued to flow, Sherman continued his march to the sea, and the South lost the War.

Along the route of the tour is Decatur's Bank Street shopping district, which houses a number of antique and unique gift shops, as well as a great restaurant and other shops. Because of the way the street is laid out, walking in the area is easy, and parking is generally ample. For overnight visitors, Country Inn and Suites is between the Old State Bank and the shopping area, giving easy access to both.

One of the places you don't want to miss is Sam Frank & Moore, a wonderland of gifts, china, glassware, jewelry-in fact, according to Mary Locklear, who has the good fortune to work there, "If you want something and it's not here, it can't be found."

Across the street and down few steps is Hummingbird Antique Mall. I've been in a lot of antique malls, but I don't remember one quite this interesting. Walk across the creaking wood floors-the real thing for sure-and you'll find everything from antique clothing and Civil War uniforms to gourmet coffee.

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