Liverpool is a

ghost town Ghost Town(s) or Ghosttown may refer to: * Ghost town, a town that has been abandoned Film and television * Ghost Town (1936 film), ''Ghost Town'' (1936 film), an American Western film by Harry L. Fraser * Ghost Town (1956 film), ''Ghost Town'' ...

in Yazoo County, Mississippi, United States. Liverpool Landing, the settlement's port on the

Yazoo River The Yazoo River is a river in the U.S. states of Louisiana and Mississippi. It is considered by some to mark the southern boundary of what is called the Mississippi Delta, a broad floodplain that was cultivated for cotton plantations before the ...

, was located west of Liverpool. Liverpool Road runs through the former settlement, and

Mississippi Highway 3 Mississippi Highway 3 (MS 3) is a north–south Mississippi state highway, located entirely within the Mississippi Delta region, running from Redwood, Mississippi, Redwood to Lake Cormorant, Mississippi, Lake Cormorant, both at an intersecti ...

runs between the former settlement and its river landing.

History

During the early and mid-1800s, Liverpool Landing was "the hub of a bustling community, a steamboat stop and a shipping point for cotton". During the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

, Liverpool Landing's location at a bend in the Yazoo River made it an important defensive location for

Confederate Army The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...

forces. Rugged, brush-covered hills rose abruptly on the eastern bank of the river, and one hill named "Rudloff Ridge" was selected for a defensive position. In June 1862, Confederate forces constructed a log chain raft across the Yazoo River at Liverpool Landing, in order to obstruct the movement of large Union Army ships. The ''New York Times'' described the raft as "a perfect lock against ascending boats". The Confederate vessels ''

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the Osage ...

'', ''General Clark'', '' General Earl Van Dorn'', ''Livingston'', ''Mobile'', and ''

Polk Polk may refer to: People * James K. Polk, 11th president of the United States * Polk (name), other people with the name Places *Polk (CTA), a train station in Chicago, Illinois * Polk, Illinois, an unincorporated community * Polk, Missouri ...

'' were sent to defend the raft. Another notable river battle occurred at Liverpool Landing from May 20 to 23, 1863, when Confederate commander

William Wirt Adams William Wirt Adams (1819–1888) was a banker, planter, state legislator, and a Brigadier General in the Confederate States Army. Early life Adams was born in Frankfort, Kentucky, to Anna Weisiger Adams and Judge George Adams (a personal friend ...

engaged Federal Army gunboats there. The Confederate vessels ''

Ivy ''Hedera'', commonly called ivy (plural ivies), is a genus of 12–15 species of evergreen climbing or ground-creeping woody plants in the family Araliaceae, native to western, central and southern Europe, Macaronesia, northwestern Africa and ...

'' and ''Capitol'' were scuttled at Liverpool Landing in an effort to obstruct the river. Liverpool and Liverpool Landing declined following the Civil War, when railroads largely replaced riverboat traffic. The Liverpool Baptist Church and Cemetery is still located at the former settlement.

References

{{authority control Former populated places in Yazoo County, Mississippi Ghost towns in Mississippi