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"The
Point"; The Confluence where the Mississippi & Ohio Rivers Meet |
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On April 23, 1861, the first Federal Troops arrived in Cairo via the Illinois Central Railroad, Nearly two thousand men, with ten pieces of artillery were encamped on the commons below the St. Charles Hotel. A battery was placed on the Point, for the purpose of calling in and examining all boats that were suspected of having on board troops or ammunitions of war for the Southern Confederacy. Troops were trained at this point for the duration of the war.
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Copyright© 2001 The Cairo Citizen, North Scott Publishing. All Rights Reserved. |
Most significant in Cairo's growth and development was
the Civil War. The rivers' confluence was considered crucial
to control of the waterways both north and south of Cairo. Union
forces immediately established a presence here. Fort Defiance was
established at the city's south edge where the two rivers meet.