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I am looking for some local knowledge here. In a few weeks time, I will be travelling from the UK to North Carolina for a work placement. Whilst in NC, I am determined to take in a few civil war sites. I shall definitely be visiting Appomatox and think I shall even make an epic car journey (for a Brit), to Gettysburg. I have two questions. Firstly, where would contributors to this site recommend visiting – I am thinking that Manassas, Antietam, Fredricksburg and the ‘Seven Days’ battles are all ‘doable’ from Charlotte – but with limited time, which is best? Secondly, does anyone know of any good places to stay at Gettysburg (or any other site)
I don't have the local knowledge you seek, I have a few suggestions. When you know which National Military Parks you will visit and other areas of interest you will add to your intenerary, make sure to:
1) Familiarize yourself as much as possible with each area and the persons that were associated with it.
Because--
2) When you are visiting these places of interest, you will already have a foundation of the basic information which will allow you to get the most out of your trip. It would not be as rewarding if all you came away with was the basics.
3) I strongly suggest you hire a Park Guide or some such service at every opportunity. These folks are professionals of the history and details of the places they work. Definitely worth it.
4) Keep a simple journal day to day. It will be so much fun to have the enriching stories that can highlight and give details about your photos.
Antietam is a must. Far less touristy and overcrowded than Gettysburg in summer. Also, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Wilderness and Spotsylvannia are all within a few miles of each other. Another trip could take in part of the Petersburg lines and Cold Harbour.
Antietam is a bit far from NC, but is the best of those you've mentioned. There are monuments and the tower offers an excellent view of the sunken road. A bit closer to home is Ball's Bluff, which is very pristine and has the smallest National Cemetery in the nation. Harper's Ferry is worth visiting if you're at Ball's Bluff.
The old town of Fredericksburg along the Rappahannock is worth visiting as is the newly acquired Slaughter Farm, but Marye's Heights is overdeveloped. If you go there, be sure to visit the cemetary so you can have a commanding view that the Washington Artillery enjoyed. The nice thing about Fredericksburg is there are nearby battlefields including Spotsylvania Court House (with the mule shoe), the Wilderness and Chancellorsville. The view from Hazel Grove is excellent (and you'll understand why it became such a contested area). At the mule shoe, walk the ground and you'll see why the bloody angle was so bloody. There's a point where the attackers (Union) would literally sink from view because of a depression in the earth. From that depression, they would rise and in one rush storm the line with the defenders getting off only one shot. You'll also see why Upton's attack of a few days earlier was made where it was.
The Yorktown Peninsula has a lot of development but there still is a lot to see including Yorktown, Drewry's Bluff and nearby Petersburg. Yorktown is mostly Revolutionary War when we asked the British to leave in rather impolite circumstances unbefitting of dining room conditions. Parts of other battlefields there have been preseved including Cold Harbor, Malvern Hill (the best of the Seven Days battle IMO), Chicahominy Creek, Seven Pines, Savage Station, etc. If you hang around Petersburg, be sure to visit Five Forks and the Museum of the Civil War Soldier (a private museum that owns the ground where the break-through was made by Grant). BTW, if you're around Yorktown, you should head into Richmond to visit the Museum of the Confederacy, Tredegar Iron Works, Belle Isle, Chimborazo and the Virginia Historical Society. I won't recommend Hollywood Cemetery as I've never been there myself (I don't learn things from grave sites).
I'm sure you're aware that Appomattox is 90 miles away from Petersburg but en route you can visit Sayler's (or Sailor's) Creek. A couple of hours from Richmond is Lexington and Jackson's home and grave. VMI is also there as is Ezekiel Moses's statute, Virginia Mourning Her Dead. Lee was president of the adjacent college and you can visit his chapel (and his tomb). Traveller is buried outside. If you're into famous portrait paintings, they've got some Charles Wilson Peale paintings including the famous one of George Washington as a young man (42).
I live about an hour east of Charlotte (NC), near Winston-Salem.
From my house it takes me about 7 1/2 hours to drive to Gettysburg. A good place to stay is the Brickhouse Inn if you're into B&Bs, or the Holiday Inn just up the street if you want something less complicated.
About 6 1/2 hours to Antietam coming up I-81. Also reasonably close to Harpers Ferry. About 7 hours to Manassas. As you get closer to D.C., traffic becomes a real issue and could slow you down.
About 6 hours to Fredericksburg (which would put you in close contact with Chancellorsville, Wilderness, Salem Church and Spotsylvania). A lot to see depending on how much time you have.
About 5 hours to Richmond and its surrounding battlefields.
About 4 hours to Appomattox.
If you're coming out of Charlotte, add about an hour to those times.
Thank you all so much for your suggestions. I will certainly take the advice about Antietam and also Spotsylvania / Chancellorsville / Fredricksburg – Gary, your description of the ‘Bloody Angle’ very much inspired me to visit. Thank you for the detailed answers. Pvt Clewell, thank you for the journey times information – that will be very useful. It just amazes me – here, in 8 hours I can drive almost the entire length of the country; when I am in the US, I will only be in the next state!! But I am determined. And yes, I would love to drive with you if you were going up that way
Brit. The Farnsworth House is a good place to stay if you want to spend the evening in a building that was there during the battle. At least try to eat there. Some of the menu items include meals of the time period. Otherwise there are loads of motels to stay at. It depends on your finances. The Pound Sterling is pretty strong against the US dollar so you have a bit of an advantage there.
I know this is going back a few decades earlier, but as long as you will be practically going right by it during you travels in Virginia, Monticello (Thomas Jefferson's Home) is a very interesting visit. But again, it's all about how much time you have to spend.
Appomatox is pretty cool and you will go past Five Forks and Sayler's Creek if you plan your route.
VA is loaded with battlesites and it's almost everytime you turn around there is something to see!
Good Luck! http://www.farnsworthhouseinn.com/
__________________ I was gratified to be able to answer promptly. I said I don't know.
-Mark Twain
I found areas around Fredricksburg to be the most inviting to the civil war tourist though Manassas to be the most inspirational as I stood on the battlefield late in the evening. Although Virginia has more to see don't forget that Charleston is just 3 hours south of Charlotte if you're on a schedule. My wife and I are planning on going down for my birthday in Nov. Take 77South to 26South.
__________________ Ancestor CSA= 6th SCI, 26th Reg SCI / Descendant of Benjamin Franklin
For that matter, Charlotte's not all that far from the Atlanta/Chattanooga corridor (much closer than Gettysburg or most points in northern Virginia, I imagine - four hours from Atlanta at legal speeds - even Richmond's further than that, isn't it?), and you could get in a nice drive through the mountains. Been too long since I was further south than northern Virginia myself, but I noticed that that hadn't occurred to anyone. Enjoy your visit!
Edited to add, okay, the spelling I originally had would, strictly speaking, have been more correct than "further," but the forum's software (presumably) misunderstood and replaced the fXrt with asterisks. This is what comes of giving computers too much power! ;-)
Last edited by Michael19103; 08-24-2008 at 10:56 AM.
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