Some cool photos from Gettysburg yesterday

[VirtualCivilWar]

William42.....I actually northern by birth, southern by choice I live down in Richmond now. Thank you very much for your compliments, I really appreciate it.

M E Wolf, thank you very much for your compliments on my site. I came up with the idea back in '03 when I was doing my book and visiting so many sites. I wanted to share my passion with others with a similar passion with the Civil War. The site has grown quite a bit over the years and I have loved every minute of it. As much as it is focused on my photos, I wanted to make sure that I honored those who actually fought in the struggle. I had a lot of fun fixing the contrast of those original photos to try to make them look as good as they ever did. I hope you saw the "Honoring those who Served" section too. I am going to be adjusting the format of that gallery to bring it up-to-date with the other galleries and have the larger images, but it is worth taking a look at the faces of the young men that fought on both sides.

One other thing, I used to live over on Seminary Road, it is a beautiful area, and make sure you get over to check out Fort Ward!

Thanks again guys, I am really glad you liked my work.

Mike

[M E Wolf]

Dear VirtualCivilWar/Mike;

Fort Ward (Alexandria) is one of the total of 76 forts, batteries and out posts that created the 'circle forts' around Washington, DC.

Fort Stevens (Washington, DC) was the only fort to see a battle, and the only fort where a sitting President (Lincoln) was in the battle exchange, July 11, 1864--a Union officer next to Lincoln was killed and President Lincoln was unhurt. Fourty-one Union soldiers were killed repulsing General Early's attempt to enter the city and disrupt train services of the B&O Railroad.

Fort Leslie McNair, is the longest fort occupied--since 1791. It was known as 'The Washington Arsenal.' An explosion took place where 23 civilian women were killed, as they were making ammunition.

There are many other forts that still exist but, have been renamed over the course of the years.

Just some thoughts.

Sincerely,
M. E. Weyraugh

[VirtualCivilWar]

M E Wolf,

Oh, trust me, during my four years in Alexandria I visited them all. Actually I was a press photographer in DC, and I got to get on Fort McNair quite a few times. The people over in the museum at Fort Ward were always very nice to me and helped me with some questions over the years. It was close enough to my apt that my wife would go run there when she would come over and visit....she would jog to the fort, loop it, and job back to my apt.

Do you have the book "Mr. Lincoln's Forts"? That is a fantastic book on the subject of the Defenses of Washington. I picked it up a few years ago (on the advice of the people at Fort Ward) and love it....it gives turn by turn directions on how to get from one fort to the next. (plus is very useful for Google Maps!)

Mike

[Dred]

ME Wolf,
Just read your post and realized you live so close to where i use to be! I lived in Alexandria off Telegraph Rd On The Parkway.

[M E Wolf]

Neighbors!!!

Dear VirtualCivilWar/Mike and Dred--Pity we hadn't met prior to the moves you folks took.

I could have hitched my horse (now deceased) and wagon (circa 1870 Banner Wagon) and given you a horse drawn tour of Washington, DC and areas of interests. I can tell you the statues are proper proportions from the box of the wagon. Optically, they are not when sitting in a car.

I think it would have been wonderful if I could drive you with horse and wagon over the Manassass/Bull Run Battlefield as well.

I had taken a few handicapped individuals in my wagon and gave them an opportunity to enjoy a treat. [Ah..pleasant memories]

Telegraph Road is a very old road, which the first telegraph lines were set up. It really is a beautiful drive on the old road.

By the way--My father had saved his AAA (Triple A) maps from the 1950's. At one point, Little River Turnpike from where Shirley Highway is through the area of Pinecrest-- was named Lee-Jackson Hwy. [Chuckles]. A lot of our streets are named for Confederate Generals and notables.



Sincerely,
M. E. Wolf

[VirtualCivilWar]

Sounds like that would have been a blast! Have you been down on Telegraph here in Richmond? The JEB Stuart memorial where he was wounded is on old Telegraph Road.....it's only about 2 miles from where I live. Actually the sunken road in Fredericksburg with the stone wall was once part of the Telegraph Road. Those maps sound really cool, I didn't know about the Lee-Jackson Hwy......but of course Rte 1 is still the Jefferson Davis Memorial Highway. It's not called that here in Richmond anymore, although there are monuments along it still labeling it as such.

Mike

[M E Wolf]

Dear VirtualCivilWar/Mike;

Yes, I have been to 'Fredericksburg' and seen the battlefields, to include 'Bloody Lane.' But, I haven't been far beyond Carmel Church.

The city of Fredericksburg has plenty of building still standing that wear the scars of the Civil War. It really is a pity, that 'Gods and Generals' could use the actual city and buildings--as it would be more 'real' and can see these sites.

I think too many battlefields have been lost to development. I realize the need for land and covering expenses but, this is 'holy ground' to me. Just as Revolutionary battlegrounds should be preserved but, get less attention than the Civil War.

I saw somewhere, that the US Military in the 1950-1960s era, had conducted an actual 're-enactment' on Manassass/Bull Run Battlefield. I 'think' I saw someplace where West Point cadets were allowed to shoot live full measure weapons of the Civil War. Can you imagine having artilery field pieces going off full charge and live canons sail miles off?

Too bad I'm not a 'General' at the Pentagon who could command such to be done for civilians as to give that 'exclaimation point' as to what it might have sounded like during the Civil War. I think reenactors would be tickled to death to have their canons boom full strength, no holes bar. I'm sure tests done for each field piece could be done to scan for metal fatigue in period pieces would help. (Safety first).

Just some thoughts.

Sincerely,
M. E. Wolf

[VirtualCivilWar]

The Library of Congress has photos of Marines training on the Gettysburg battlefield. Can you imagine that today? I think it was too close to when it actually happened to be considered sacred ground....at least I hope so, otherwise I would really question what they were doing. As for Fredericksburg, I was told by a ranger there that after the Civil War one of the guys in Congress that was helping to preserve the battlefields was a former Union soldier and a G.A.R. member and he called Fredericksburg "The Union Graveyard" and he hated that city, that's why he didn't do anything to protect it. I don't know how true that is, but that's what I was told.

You should come this way and check out what we have in the Richmond area....all of the battelfields around here are pretty close to what they used to look like, all farmland, it's great driving around Cold Harbor, Gaines Mill, Five Forks, the outskirts of Petersburg (only 20 mins south of Richmond)...of course there is a lot that is gone here too, most of the 7 days battles locations are gone, but the Park Service has Chickhominy Creek, Bever Dam Creek, Malvern Hill and of course Cold Harbor preserved pretty well. We don't have the urban sprall problems of Manassas yet....yet.

Mike

[Dred]

M.E. Wolf

My parents still live in Alexandria, and I figure eventually we will be heading back that way for a visit. I'll have to keep you in mind for that tour when I do!