Civil War sites
 

We are traveling from Los Angeles to see Civil War sites. We plan to drive from Dulles to Manassas, spend 1 night; drive to Gettysburg via Antietam, spend 2 nights; drive to Fredericksburg, spend 1 or 2 nights; on to Richmond for 1 night; then Williamsburg for 2 nights. Would you recommend 1 or 2 nights in Fredericksburg? How does the rest sound? Thanks for your help.

It sounds pretty doable. I'd make one suggestion. Plan on getting to Gettysburg a little later and make a stop at Harper's Ferry as well as Antietam. There's a lot of history there and is also a seriously scenic place. If it were me, I'd trade the second night in Fredericksburg for a night in the Antietam/Harper's Ferry area.

Second that about Harper's Ferry.

Besides being one of the most historic sites of the war, it's just a wonderful area. Believe it changed hands several times during the war. It's got a history that goes back to visits from Washington and Jefferson.

Also, there's a small, but interesting Civil War Medical Museum in Frederick, Md.

Agree about Harper's Ferry.

As a suggestion, you might include Appomattox Court House. Maybe an hour and a half west of Richmond, and nicely laid out by the National Parks people. There is also a real nice museum closer to Petersburg/Dinwiddie County called The Museum of the Civil War Soldier (or something very close). The emphasis is more on the individual soldier and how he lived/died and less on the overall strategic aspects of the war. It's just a few years old and very informative.

This area is so rich in history - I would agree with the stop in Harpers Ferry- worth spending the night at the Hilltop Hotel( I think that is what it is called. I would not spend the night in Mannassas- suburban sprawl hell. The battlefield was saved but that is all that was saved .In fact the developer Till Hazel pushed dirt until the 11th hour knowing he was going to have to stop the shopping mall (or whatever it was). He wanted maximum reembursment from the government. Consider a night in Loudoun County WEST WEST of Dulles- say Leesburg. Loudoun County was the base of Mosbys Rangers . These are the hills that our daddies died for. It is currently the fasting growing county in the nation and if we continue the county will be under pavement soon- come see it while it lasts. Many many small battlefields and sights of skirmishes are not protected. Easy access to Harpers Ferry (30 mins) Mannassass (40 mins) and Gettysburg(1 1/2 hour). A well educated history buff will be able to appreciate the area as much as the big battlefields. If I was after Civil war history I would not travel to Williamsburg. Check out Oaklandgreen.com ( a B and B)for good links to the area or a very unique stay in 7th generation Quaker farm

Thanks for all of your responses. I'm turning them over to my Civil War buff. Sandy

As I am married to a Civil War buff, may I suggest some lovely accommodations that we have stayed at that so that you might plan to include then in your itinerary? If you are traveling before the end of the year, you must stay at the Piper House! Located on the Antietam Battlefield, it served as Longstreet's headquarters during the engagement. Unfortunately, this privately owned B&B will close to the public on 12/31/04, so you may not be able to include it in your travel plans. See www.pathsofthecivilwar.com/piperhouse/ In Gettysburg, I would suggest staying at the Doubleday Inn. It is the only B&B on the battlefield and its location on Oak Ridge puts it in sight of Peace Monument and right in the middle of the first day's action. Go to www.bbonline.com/pa/doubleday/

Although I am not the Civil War expert in the family, my husband would certainly agree that your trip to Virginia would not be complete without spending some time in the Shenandoah Valley. Be sure to include the New Market Battlefield and Lexington for its connections to Lee and Jackson. Harper's Ferry is the site of John Brown's capture by Lieutenant Robert E. Lee. Its location between the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers and the railroad bridge made it a well fought over piece of ground throughout the war. I'd shorten your visit to Fredericksburg and add the night on in the Richmond, Petersburg area. That would allow you time to visit Appomattox Court House by following the path of Lee's retreat.

There was some Civil War action in and around Williamsburg, but I'd only allow a day for the penninsula unless you're also planning on doing the colonial period. If that is to be your focus there, you must stay in one of the colonial houses onsite.

Enjoy your time in Virginia!

If you have the time, there is a new National Park in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, the Cedar Creek Battlefield and Belle Grove Plantation NP. It is located on Route 11 between Middletown and Strasburg just off I-81 and I-66 merge. 143 acres of rolling farmland with the mountains in the background. It is also less than an hour north of the New Market site.
Virginia has an excellent road map showing all the Civil War battlefields in the state.

The Confederate Museum in Richmond on your way to Appomattox.
Just keep in mind this was a war fought with 1840's Infantry tactics which totally ignored (FR) Maj Andre Minie's rifle which resulted in wholesale slaughter on both sides.
Things seldom change.
M

I agree that Williamsburg is not worth the time if your are truly interested in the Civil War. I don't agree about Manassas, however. Yes there is suburban sprawl but it actually helps with the convienience factor. The hotels are just down the road from the museum but once you are in the park you can't see any of the suburban mess. The park does an excellant job of interpreting the two battles and you have to see where Stonewall got his name. There is also a nice museum in New Market that memoralizes the students at VMI that gave their lives in the battle.

Do visit Appomattox. It is preserved intact, as it looked the day of the final surrender. You'll be able to visualize the landscape nearly as Grant and Lee did that fateful day.

Part 1 of my post. Part 2 follows.

Obviously you are coming a long way and want to see as much as possible. I have visited most of the places you mentioned at least a couple of times (still planning my first Manassas trip but very familiar with the battles and battlefield layout).

I think what you planned will work, but I agree about skipping Williamsburg, unless you have always wanted to see colonial Williamsburg. Maybe it would be a break from the Civil War.

Here is my ideal Civil War trip covering Virginia, Gettysburg, and Antietam. I have listed the places in order of how interesting I found them (again, I am still planning to visit Manassas). I also recommend the length of stay.

1. Gettysburg - At least one night. You may want to try a guided tour of part of the battlefield with one of the park guides. For a serious Civil War buff, at least 1 1/2 to two full days are needed here, but even longer is not too much time. I still have much to see and do after two trips.

2. Antietam - You can easily see the battlefield in a half day. I usually tour the battlefield for half a day and spend the rest doing serious photography and grabbing lunch. Shepherdstown, WV is a nice nearby place to stay. The visitor center shows a great video on the battle, narrated by James Earl Jones, but save time by buying it online and watching before you go. http://shop.store.yahoo.com/antietam...docfildvd.html

3. Petersburg - A fantastic grouping of Civil War sites that are very different than what you will see elsewhere. Start early at the main battlefield park, which is quite interesting, especially the Crater and Ft. Stedman areas (see Cold Mountain movie if you haven't already). Visit Blandford Chapel to see its gorgeous Tiffany windows honoring each Confederate state. It also has a huge cemetery with 30,000 mostly unmarked Confederate graves. It is right next door to the battlefield. Then spend the rest of the day at Pamplin Park to see well-maintained trenches from the site of the final Union breakthrough, the Museum of the Civil War Soldier, and some of the living history offerings.

4. Richmond. The best sight is the Museum of the Confederacy, which is hard to beat for any Civil War museum, but the attached White House of the Confederacy is also highly recommended. Hollywood Cemetery and the Tredegar Iron Works are good too, and you may wish to start at Tredegar which now serves as the Civil War visitor center. The battlefield tour is highly interesting and can be done in half a day, ending with the battle of Malvern Hill and a few forts near the river, but it doesn't match the battlefields you will find elsewhere (it would be a lower priority for me on a first trip).

5. Appomattox - Allow 4-5 hours. The only negative is that it is a little off the rest of your tour unless you were visiting Monticello or the Shenandoah Valley.


On to part 2.

Part 2.

6. Fredericksburg - The battlefields are not as well preserved as at Antietam and Gettysburg, but there is such a concentration of history here. I think two days are required to really take it all in. Give one to Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville and one to the Wilderness and Spotsylvania.

My favorite sights are Maryes Heights at Frederickburg Battlefield (take the hour-long guided tour of the sunken road) and the Chancellorsville visitor center museum.

The rest of the Fredericksburg tour takes you to an old home and artillery position, crossing points on the river, and a beautiful but long drive to the Confederate right where Jackson fought. The Wilderness battle takes relatively little time to cover.

The Bloody Angle trenches at Spotsylvania are largely eroded, but it is a haunting spot for me and otherwise well-preserved. Hazel Grove is good at Chancellorsville, and you can visit Ellwood (where Jackson's arm is buried). The Jackson's flank march drive is mostly just a bunch of dirt roads and can be long and dusty, but it really puts the geography of the battle into perspective. I was glad I did it. The site of Jackson's flank attack is anti-climatic even if a must (a modern cemetery). A drive to Guiney Station where Jackson died is good if you have time. If not, that's ok.

7. Harper's Ferry - It is so close to Antietam that I have to agree with others about trying to spend a few hours there if possible. The John Brown museum is particularly interesting, and these events were so important to bringing on the Civil War. Quite appropriate to visit Antietam next, given that the Emancipation Proclamation followed this 1862 battle. Regardless, Harpers Ferry is a nice break from battlefields and is beautiful even without the history.

8. Manassas - Supposed to be a great battlefield (well, actually two battlefields), and I would think one day at most would suffice.

Honorable Mention but out of the way -

Lexington, VA - VMI, where Jackson taught (his horse and rain coat are on display), Jackson's grave, Jackson's only house, Lee's tomb.

To conclude, as I mentioned I am an avid photographer. You can see many of my battlefield photos at www.oneeyed.homestead.com.

If you stay overnight in Gettysburg, I enthusiastically recommend the Battlefield B&B (http://www.gettysburgbattlefield.com/). It is unique for its morning presentations. The innkeeper is an engaging expert who makes even munitions interesting. One morning we all fired muskets. Another day was devoted to uniforms. One night a local doctor (in Civil War uniform) gave a presentation about medical practices. Our stay there helped the battle come alive. They even hooked us up for a guided tour of the site with a Ranger who'd written a book about the Chamberlains.

Along with other posters, I recommend the museum outside Petersburg, the Civil War Museum in Richmond and the Museum of Civil War Medicine in Fredericksburg.

fyi ... that's Frederick, Md., for the Medical Museum.

Also the Confederate White House is a nice stop when you're at the Richmond, museum. I can't recall if there's a combined entrance ticket with the museum. The State Capitol is worth a quick side trip as well.

Sluggo, thank you for informing us that the Battlefield B&B is still open. We stayed there in July of '98, but were told that the Tarbox family had sold it when we were in Gettysburg last summer. It is a wonderful facility...... but some distance out of town past the Eisenhower farm if memory serves me well. While the Doubleday Inn does not offer the 'extras' found at this establishment, there is something to be said for location, location. My thoughts, as the wife of a Civil War enthusiast, are that Sandy would probably be able to 'do her own thing' more easily if they were to stay at the Doubleday Inn. Don't get me wrong, I love history... but I can only appreciate a battlefield for a few hours a day. When I start getting sent 100 yards down into a ravine so that the guys can check line of sight, it's time to go shopping! :)

I can't thank you all enough. You've had a huge impact on our trip. We are picking up another CA couple at Dulles, so you've impacted their trip as well. Thanks for your time and information. Sandy

The reason we're going to Williamsburg is to see the Penninsula battlegrounds. Are these not worth seeing? If Gettysburg is a 10, where would you put the Penninsula battlegrounds? Thanks again, Sandy

Sandy, my husband relays the following information: "The penninsula battlefields are much smaller than Gettysburg as little successful attempt has been made to preserve them until recently. There are some unique areas scattered throughout the penninsula near Richmond. I'd suggest that you stay in the Richmond/Petersburg area as opposed to further down the penninsula at Williamsburg as there is only one small site on the outskirts of Williamsburg and several trenches that are located near Yorktown to the best of my knowledge." Using your rating scale, he gives the Williamsburg / Yorktown area a 3 and the total penninsula a 7.