JeffFromSyracuse Goes South, May 2021

JeffFromSyracuse

Sergeant
Joined
Jul 6, 2020
Location
Philly Suburbs
It's been a couple of chaotic months at work, and I needed a break. Fortunately, the three day weekend and the proximity of Virginia battlefields within an easy drive gave me the opportunity to tour a number of fields I have never been to before and/or wanted to revisit. I made it to a total of 9 battlefields between Saturday and Sunday. The weather was... not ideal (rainy, mid-50s with a breeze), but conditions help up enough to keep most of me dry. Here's a recap of my trip.

1) I started my trip early Saturday morning at my MIL's in the Harrisburg area, and I was able to follow Route 15 most of the way down. My first stop was a wayside marker in Remington, formerly known as Rappahannock Station. (I didn't get a picture). The stop wasn't long - they're developing a park, but it's not open to the public yet.

2) I crossed the Rapidan and made the quick drive to the Kelly's Ford markers along Newby's Shop Road (Route 673). An operating sod farm keeps the fields wide open, and the open vista in front of where the interpretive markers are placed gives visitors a good sense of what the battlefield looked like.
Kelly's Ford 1.jpeg

3) The best part about battlefield in Virginia is how darn close together all of these sites are. Within ten minutes, I was at my next stop - Buford's Knoll, one of three trails on the Brandy Station battlefield. The hill was impressive for sure, but the interpretive signs on the trail are all worn out. Fortunately, I had downloaded the ABT app and was able to piece together the story of the area. The red clay was slick mud, and I had to be careful on my way back down!
Buford's Knoll 2.jpeg

4) Next was the St. James Church trail. Again, the interpretive signs were worn out, and the ABT app focused on the church that used to stand there, not
the fact that this was an important area of combat.
St. James Church 1.jpeg

5) My final stop at Brandy Station was at Fleetwood Hill. This was the best spot to visit of the three. The signs were in good shape and gave a clear sense of what occurred at the site. I had to sit in the car for a few minutes to let a rain shower pass. This was around 10:45, and it was fortunately the last significant rain of the day.
Fleetwood Hill 1.jpeg

6) After touring this field, I got back in the car and made a 20 minute drive to the Cedar Mountain Battlefield. It would have been faster, but I missed the exit to stay on 15 where it splits from 29 and had to turn around. Cedar Mountain is a nice field, well interpreted and preserved. It had several trail options that were well maintained. The namesake Cedar Mountain is behind the battlefield in this picture.
Cedar Mountain.jpeg
 
7) My next stop was the Payne's Farm battlefield. This was more of a trek to get to than I was expecting, a half hour drive across backroads. I passed Racoon Ford and Morton's Ford, but with little access to each site, I just drove past. Payne's Farm is a neat place, a well-preserved and interpreted field that is unchanged from how it looked 158 years ago. Most of the field is wooded - I just forgot to get a picture until I was late on my walk.
Payne's Farm.jpeg

8) After Payne's Farm was the Wilderness. The nature of the field makes it hard to digest and get a feel for. Interpretation is the most lacking of any of the four NPS sites here, but I made the most of it. I saw a few things I wanted to see, and I really liked the Brock Road defense trail at the end of the tour. That's where this picture is from.
Wilderness.jpeg


9) Next, I went to Chancellorsville. I was ahead of schedule and knew what I wanted to visit, plus it's super close, so visit I did. I visited the Jackson wounding site, then followed the trail from Hazel Grove to Fairview. Having just read Sears' book about the battle, I wanted to see how it turned into such a good day for Confederate artillery. I was stunned - such a beautiful platform for artillery. One of those places that you have to see to really believe.
Fairview.jpeg


10) My bivouac being in Fredericksburg proper, my final stop of the day was the Chancellorsville 1st Day site. An interesting place and well interpreted.
Chanc 1st Day.jpeg


Having walked ~15 miles on Saturday, I spent my evening sampling beers in Fredericksburg proper after a long shower and a change of socks. A cool little town!
 
11) My Sunday featured similar conditions - chilly and rainy. But that didn't slow me down - I value my time on the battlefield! I dug into Fredericksburg first thing. I'd done the Sunken Road before, but it's still amazing how close the swale is to the stone wall and how steep Marye's Heights are. This picture is from the top of the Lee's Hill trail. The view isn't great, but you can get a sense of why it was such a value position as an HQ. I also made it down to Prospect Hill and took the trail to Hamilton Crossing. I left with a better sense of the battle.
Lee's Hill.jpeg

12) I followed that up by walking the Slaughter Pen Farm. Such an open expanse that really helps tell the I Corps breakthrough story. (The 2017 Chevy Cruze is not a permanent fixture at the site.)
Slaughter Pen Farm.jpeg

13) My final stop was Spotsylvania. I started at the Harris Farm, which is now covered by a housing tract. Very odd - there's Civil War Trail signage there, but it appears to be landlocked by private property. Sorry if it was your yard I tried to walk along the perimeter of!
Harris Farm.jpeg

14) Next, after paying my regards to General Sedgwick's bad luck, I walked around Laurel Hill - a site that my regiment of interest made at least 4 attacks at, and is overshadowed by actions at the Mule Shoe. Spotsylvania is a hard place to get your bearings at - I think because the road doesn't follow the battle line, which turns me around. That's certainly the case on Laurel Hill, where I realized at the very end of the loop (I had to do it backward because I couldn't find the trailhead) that I had it backward which way the attacks were going. The ridge isn't all that impressive until you're on top of it. It makes you realize how a little elevation made all of the difference in Civil War combat.

Laurel Hill.jpeg

15) My last stop was the Mule Shoe. I walked out and back over the avenue of attack. Again, the roads don't line up with the army lines, so it's hard to find your orientation. But it's not hard to be struck by the sheer scale and trauma of the attack, especially as you cover the same open space that so many men did under the cover of fog and dim light.

Mule Shoe.jpeg


After Spotsylvania, I had intended to stop at Manassas on my way back to Harrisburg, but I was short on time (I said I'd be home for dinner), and concerns of a developing shin splint (my fault for wearing expired running shoes) prompted me to drive home and catch the second half of the Indy 500 on the radio.

I certainly hope this isn't my last Civil War battlefield trip of the year. I hope you enjoyed my recap!
 
Outstanding. You roll like I do on those trips. Hard marches just like Jackson's troops. :biggrin:
 
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