The Civil War remains the central, most defining event in American history. – National Park Service
My wife and I have recently discovered a keen interest in Civil War history. Once we got started with our first visit to one of the battlefields in our area, we decided to see all the major ones within a two-hour drive of Washington.
Here’s a recap of our visits. I put them in chronological sequence, as opposed to the order in which we saw them. My main source for information is Jeff Shaara’s wonderful Civil War Battlefields. Any misinterpretation or misunderstanding of the facts is entirely my bad.
Manassas, Virginia
First Battle of Bull Run
July 1861
Second Battle of Bull Run
August 1862
In August 1862, Union and Confederate armies converged for a second time on the plains of Manassas. The naive enthusiasm that preceded the earlier encounter was gone. War was not the holiday outing or grand adventure envisioned by the young recruits of 1861. The contending forces, now made up of seasoned veterans, knew well the realities of war. - National Park Service.
Manassas is one of Washington’s fast growing exurbs. Once part of the area’s western boonies, it is witnessing what many consider too much growth as part of a continuing boom in Northern Virginia. Saturdays are still not too bad, however, as far as driving out there. We zipped along the fast lane on I-66 and arrived in about 40 minutes. (We live in Alexandria).
At the Visitor’s Center we saw a 20-minute film on the two battles of Bull Run. The first took place in July 1861 and was the first major battle of the war. Spectators from Washington picnicked and watched the beginning of the battle. Many thought the war would not last long. The film emphasized the “Loss of Innocence.”
The Second Battle of Manassas came a year later. Casualties were high with over 3200 dead and over 16,000 wounded. Note: As this website indicates, casualties “generally included anyone who deserted, was captured, missing, wounded, or killed. In essence, if a soldier was not present during muster,he could likely be counted as a casualty.”
The thing that struck me about this battlefield is the nearby growth. They can’t pour the asphalt fast enough on I-66. Traffic streams through parts of the battlefield and shopping centers nudge against its green edges. One can’t help but wonder if the development will eventually wrap around this sacred site.
Antietam
Sharpsburg, Maryland
September 17, 1862
Horror may seem to be an overused word to describe the Battle of Antietam, but there is no more appropriate description. In both the North and South, the newspapers report what occurs here to a public that absorbs the figures with utter disbelief. – Jeff Shaara, Civil War Battlefields.
Antietam rests comfortably in the mountains of western Maryland. The peaceful feeling you get looking at the rolling countryside lies in stark contrast to the carnage that took place here on September 17, 1862. The 22,700 casualties (3,650 deaths) came early in the war and are the worse in a single day in our nation’s history. For the first time, photographs accompanied the published reports in the newspapers.
We started with the film, which emphasized President Lincoln’s visit here after the battle and his strained relationship with General McClellan. The outnumbered Confederates held their own but the invasion of the North was stopped. General Robert E. Lee and his men retreated to Northern Virginia. Five days President Lincoln delivered The Emancipation Proclamation.
We then took the car tour, stopping at the Bloody Lane and the National Cemetery. Over 4,000 Union soldiers are buried there along with fallen soldiers from WW II and other wars.
Sharpsburg is a small town just down the road from the battlefield. We ate at the Antietam Café and Bar, a nice restaurant in a refurbished house next to a tavern on Hiway 34 (about 1/3 mile west of the turnoff to the battlefield).
Note: A word of caution for getting to Antietam. If you come in on Alt 40, there is no Antietam Battlefield sign to indicate a left turn on Hiway 34. It’s also a very small street so heads up.
Fredericksburg, Virginia
December 11-14, 1862
While the cost in human terms is (yet again) horrifying, the Union clearly bears the brunt of the loss. However, as has always been the case, the northern army draws manpower from a population source that far outweighs the availability of fighting men in the South. Thus, Lee’s loss of five thousand men is a price that Lee cannot afford to pay. - Jeff Shaara, Civil War Battlefields
Fredericksburg lies halfway between the nation’s capital and Richmond. Every day, thousands of cars on I-95 speed past the small city and cross over the Rappahannock River on their hurried way. In December 1862, General Burnside wanted the vehicles carrying the pontoon bridges he needed to cross the river to hurry up.
The Union leader had come to the riverside town of Fredericksburg on his way to Richmond and was stuck for days waiting. On our way down from D.C. we got stuck a few times in what has become one long bottleneck of traffic on the three-laned Interstate. (I rationalized that our poke along speed made things more authentic...)
The main Visitor's Center is in Fredericksburg. The film, narrated by the deep voice of James Earl Jones, echoes what the NPS website says about this area.
No place more vividly reflects the Civil War’s tragic cost, in all its forms. A city bombarded, bloodied, and looted. Farms large and small ruined. Refugees by the thousands forced to the countryside. More than 85,000 men wounded; 15,000 killed.
At all the sites we visited, guided tours are available. You have to, of course, weigh the benefits of in depth learning versus the cost in time. This one lasted about 30 minutes, which fit our needs nicely.
Our guide took us along the hill and stone wall where General Lee’s men had an incredible advantage. As he explained how the Union forces tried to advance toward the hill, I began a thought process I would have many times on our visits and reading Shaara’s book.
On the one hand you just shake your head at what seems like sheer stupidity or unnecessary bravado by a general who orders his men to attack a fortified location. On the other hand, you think about the bravery of the men who advanced knowing the odds were not in their favor. And of course, it’s easy to have hindsight.
Gettysburg
July 1863
As Lee returns to Virginia, the cost of what happened at Gettysburg reverberates throughout the entire nation… In three days, more than fifty thousand men are killed, wounded or missing, nearly 60 percent of them Confederates. - Jeff Shaara.
Gettysburg is, of course, a must see. Over 150,000 troops fought in a three day bloodbath that is seen as the turning point. Casualties of over 50,000 are the worst of the war.
The drive up did not take as long as I originally thought. I remembered from our trip to Cooperstown how long of a drive Pennsylvania could be. But Gettysburg is only 10 miles from the Maryland border. And unlike our getaways that stalled on I-95, we zipped along I-270 through Rockville which gave way to scenic Hiway 15 past Frederick.
We started as we always did with the film. The ranger behind the information desk seemed like he was trying to dissuade us from seeing it. It was 50s-60s vintage, probably a disappointment to most. But I had read up on the battle and the film makes good points.
After the film, we walked over to the National Soldiers Cemetery where Lincoln gave the Gettysburg Address. There is only one known photo of his visit there. It can be seen at the LOC.
It was time for lunch so we drove into Gettysburg. From looking at the signs and bumper stickers, the pressing issue in this town of about 7500 is whether or not casinos should be allowed in. I later thought to myself that they might prove to be a good thing if more people coming there translated to more people learning about the Civil War. But I’m sticking with my initial reaction. The idea sounds terrible!
After lunch at the Farnsworth Restaurant on Baltimore Avenue (two thumbs up for the authentic building and dining), we took the car tour and stopped at the North Carolina and Virginia memorials. This is where Lee’s men prepared to charge eastward across the large field towards the Union army. The statues and monuments are outstanding and a must stop and see. We continued our drive to the other side of the battlefield and stopped and took in Little Round Top and the middle of the line where General Meade’s men fought off Pickett’s charge. I stood there and tried to imagine the bravery of those men and how they gave their lives.
Richmond
May-June 1864
As the industrial and political capital of the Confederacy, Richmond was the physical and psychological prize over which two mighty American armies contended in bloody battle from 1861 to 1865. - NPS
Richmond is a place where time is your enemy. The sites include the Visitor’s Center (Site of Tredegar Iron Works), the Chimborazo Medical Museum, the Museum of the Confederate, Cold Harbor, Malvern Hill and 80 total miles of battlefield touring.
The Visitor's Center is located downtown on the banks of the James River. Unlike the other battlefields we visited, this one is not located on a battlefield. It seems to me the public might be better served if this were located at Cold Harbor. But then again, Richmond was the capital of the South.
The film was excellent and they had items on display. The old brick foundry has a great feel for being something different from the Visitor's Centers one typically sees.
The part of downtown Richmond we were in seemed too quiet. We searched for a lunch spot but came up empty. Headed back on I-95 and stopped at a Cracker Barrel Restaurant south of the city. Everybody and their brother had the same idea. 45 minute wait the lady said. Our growling tummies said no way so we got back in the car and drove down the road a mile or so to an Uno.
Petersburg
June 1864-April 1865
Though the war is not yet officially over, the end of Lee’s army means the end of hope for the Confederacy. - Jeff Shaara.
Petersburg is about 20 miles south of Richmond. It served as a major supply depot for the capital of the South. The key to understanding what took place here is to understand The Siege and how Grant forced Lee’s men to stretch out their lines south of the city. The Visitor’s Center zeroes in on this and does a good job of showing how Grant was able to wear Lee down. Like the war, it became a matter of attrition.
About 25 of us sat on padded benches that circled around a table. The troop movements were shown. Over a period of 10 months, Grant kept pushing his men east to west in the southern part of the town. Eventually, they captured the vital railroads and Lee was forced to retreat to Appomattox.
Conclusion
We might make some revisits, but for now, that is a wrap for our tour of the Civil War battlefields in our area. In looking back, I am reminded of that first film we saw in Manassas. The story told of the death of one young soldier. When the narrator spoke of his passing, a tear trickled down my cheek.
In the United States Civil War, over 600,000 died. Standing on those battlefields where so many gave their lives moved us deeply.
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