Iluminating Corinth

A Mississippi town remembers its Civil War history by lighting 12,000 luminaries each November. by Debi Lander This Saturday, the city of Corinth, Mississippi, will recall its history with the staging of the Grand Illumination: the fourth annual lighting of 12,000 luminaries on the battlefield and throughout historic downtown venues. Hundreds of volunteers will assemble to light candles in honor of the men, from both the South and North, who lost their lives during the Siege and Battle of Corinth in 1862. Rows and rows of flickering candlelight resembling tombstones will materialize across the poignant landscape like a haunting sunset view of Arlington Cemetery. The Illumination and events throughout the weekend associated with it have been named a Top 20 Event by the Southeast Tourism Society. On both Saturday and Sunday, attendees can visit with living history enactors who will camp and give demonstrations at the Civil War Interpretive Center. Cannons will also be fired at different intervals throughout the day on Saturday and once on Sunday afternoon. A special, and surprising, guest, former zookeeper and Texan Doug Baum, will be the highlight of the weekend when he arrives with a camel to re-enact the part of Old Douglas, the mascot of the 43rd Mississippi Infantry. How