Corinth, Mississippi. My mother, Clara Galtney was born in Memphis in 1930 and grew up here. To many it is just a small Northeast Mississippi town but to me and many others it had great significance. My grandmother lived at 1503 Fillmore Street, a street lined with willow oaks. Corinth was at the crossroads of two railroads, the Southern and the Illinois Central. It’s 90 miles east of Memphis.
Twice a week a passenger train known as the City of Miami stopped in Corinth en route from Chicago to Miami. We would go up to the station and watch it come in, all black, orange and chrome. It only stayed about three minutes but we’d spend at least an hour preparing to go, getting there and waiting.
Corinth had a strategic role in the Civil War because of the intersection of the railroads. Two battles were fought there. The battle that probably caused the most bloodshed on American soil, Shiloh, was fought about twenty miles away. Grant ended up staying in Corinth awhile. Mom said that when she was growing up nobody mentioned the Civil War. There was embarrassment. They wanted to attract industry and didn’t want to be identified as losers. So the topic was off limits. But in the 70s and 80s tourism and history got more popular and Corinth decided to promote itself in that way. After several years of lobbying, Senator Lott was able to procure the money to build the Battle of Corinth interpretive center.
It is amazing how war grinds down the human spirit, not unlike poverty. But worse is to let it rob your life. The people of Corinth didn’t do that.
My friend Jody Hamrick played little league and was quite the hammer. It seemed like every other hit of his was a home run. Big lefty like Willie Stargell. After the game we would go get a milk shake. Then one year I came at Christmas and he had gotten into rock and roll. This would have been 1970. He had a Fender Stratocaster that plugged into his sound system in his garage. He would put on the James Gang Rides Again and play his guitar to it. You’ve seen the commercial of the guy sitting in front of the speakers with his hair being blown back? That was me as I got my Corinth Mississippi baptism into Joe Walsh.
I love Corinth.
(Editor’s note: I forget to mention fortuitously meeting N. S. “Soggy” Sweat, the famous Mississippi politician from Corinth. He is known as giving the famous “Whiskey speech” on the floor of the legislature. I felt I had arrived. This speech has been referred to by John Grisham, the novelist.)