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Camas Prairie, site of the Bannock War of 1878. My Confederate ancestor and his family settled there after the Bannocks were gone. (Did somebody talk about invasion on another thread??)
I have never been able to determine if I saw New Market or Manassas first. Both were about the same distance form my aunts house in Front Royal, and I remember them both as very young, maybe 6 or 7. Seems to me New Market may be the one because I remember the cyclorama they have in the museum of Richmond's burned husk. This would be when my mom told me the ground was red (Virginia clay) because of all the blood spilled by the soldiers during the war. After that I was hooked lol.
__________________ "In mortal combat, a man may and will become so infuriated by the din and dangers of a bloody fight that his heart will turn to stone and his every de sire [be] for blood."
John Hadley, 7th Indiana after the battle at Port Republic
The first battlefield I ever visited was Flodden Field near the Scottish border. This was the site of probably the second most bloody battle on English soil (Towton, during the Wars of the Roses is no. 1).
The first overseas field I visited was Arnhem, of A Bridge Too Far fame.
My first civil war field was Chancellorsville. I flew into Dulles, and stayed overnight near Fredericksburg. I was up early the next morning, and drove straight to Chancellorsville. My excitement grew as I passed the two cannons near the site of the Chancellor house. Unfortunately, I was so early the visitor centre was still closed.
Lexington and Concord Ma. Hitchhiked up from Boston while in school there on a Saturday in 1972. Saw the green at Lexington, then made it up to the bridge at Concord where "the shot heard round the world" was fired.
You have just upset all those nice people from Lexington, who say the "the shot heard round the world" happened on the Green. They have been arguing this since April 19, 1775.
__________________ "Those who forget to remember the past are condemned to repeat it", George Santayana.
To Freddy and everyone: Big mistake in my posts on this thread and I apologize. No excuses really to offer except it was in '72 when I was there ,and I haven't slept much in past 48 hrs due to what I'm starting to think is a terminal sinus infection. Deleted the posts. Freddy, of course you're correct - it was Lex then Concord, not vice-versa. Thanks.
__________________ "In this great struggle, this form of Government and every form of human right is endangered if our enemies succeed. There is more involved in this contest than is realized by every one." Abraham Lincoln - August 18, 1864 Speech to the 164th Ohio Regiment
Actually, the people of Concord agree. The two towns have had this debate over who really fired the first shot for 200 plus years. Concordites claim because they fired back at the British driving them back to Boston, while the Minutemen at Lexington broke and ran without firing a shot, the Militiamen at Concord fired the famous "shot". I find it hard to believe that not one of the 70 Minuteman on the Green fired his weapon. To this day no one knows who(British or Minuteman) fired the first shot that started the Revolution on the Green that April morning.
__________________ "Those who forget to remember the past are condemned to repeat it", George Santayana.
I find it hard to believe that not one of the 70 Minuteman on the Green fired his weapon.
I didn't know about the debate. Looking at a map of MA it's pretty easy to tell which town the British would have come to first, assuming they went west from Boston harbor. So....yes it's hard to believe that they weren't checked in some way at Lexington. I'm pretty sure I saw a "shot heard" sign somewhere. Thought it was the bridge, but who knows.
I do remember being at both places. I got there by the kindness of local Massachusetts folks, and caught a Trailways back to the city from Concord. And I did do the Freedom Trail through Boston in the spring. It was awesome.
Terry
__________________ "In this great struggle, this form of Government and every form of human right is endangered if our enemies succeed. There is more involved in this contest than is realized by every one." Abraham Lincoln - August 18, 1864 Speech to the 164th Ohio Regiment
Seems I didn't say Civil War Battlefield. That's all right; all the answers have been interesting.
In that spirit the hills over the Little Big Horn were awesome. And the battlefields near Buffalo, Wyoming were very nice. Zou, the part of the Camas Prairie I saw was the kickoff of "Chief Joseph's' Flight.
Envy the visit to Arnhem, Blockade. Is there much there to get a feel for the action?
ole
__________________ I never knew a man who wished to be himself a slave. Consider if you know any good thing that no man desires for himself. A. Lincoln
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