My vacation for my 40th birthday

gentlemanrob

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Apr 11, 2016
Location
Upcountry South Carolina
so after switching places about 4 times due to weather and distance we have booked the vacation for my 40th birthday trip. We are heading back to Virginia around Springfield. I have been to all the sites in DC and Gettysburg as well as Antietam. I am going to seek the smaller battle areas outside the national parks so any ideas would be helpful even its just a sign that says the battle was fought there. We also going to head up to Philadelphia one day of the trip as well as the Gettysburg area. We leave on July 23rd thru July 27th
 
Is there anyway to visit the following battlefields:
Battle of Cockpoint Point – Prince William County Virginia

Battle of Hancock – Hancock Maryland

Battle of Drewry’s Bluff – Chesterfield County Virginia

Battle of Hanover Court House – Hanover County Virginia

Battle of Seven Pines – Henrico County Virginia

Battle of Oak Grove – Henrico County Virginia

Battle of Gaines Mill – Hanover County Virginia

Battle of Garnett’s and Golding’s Farm – Henrico County Virginia

Battle of Savage’s Station – Henrico County Virginia
 
Is there anyway to visit the following battlefields:
Battle of Cockpoint Point – Prince William County Virginia

Battle of Hancock – Hancock Maryland

Battle of Drewry’s Bluff – Chesterfield County Virginia

Battle of Hanover Court House – Hanover County Virginia

Battle of Seven Pines – Henrico County Virginia

Battle of Oak Grove – Henrico County Virginia

Battle of Gaines Mill – Hanover County Virginia

Battle of Garnett’s and Golding’s Farm – Henrico County Virginia

Battle of Savage’s Station – Henrico County Virginia
Drewery's Bluff and Gaines Mill are preserved by the Richmond NMP - Gaines Mill has a couple miles of trails. I think Oak Grove is under Richmond International Airport, and there's not anything to Seven Pines.

Also, here's an interactive map for Civil War Trails: https://www.civilwartrails.org/map.html
 
I mean I am willing to take pictures of a single sign if nothing else is left. To me its about honoring the veterans. I am going by Hollywood cemetery if anyone needs a picture of a grave let me know
The map I added above is accurate for their signage, especially for non-preserved fields.

There’s also the Virginia database for Historical Markers, which may be helpful for small fields. https://vcris.dhr.virginia.gov/HistoricMarkers/

Side note, I’m slowly trying to build a centralized list for info on battle sites and how to visit, to better questions like this.
 
Battle of Gaines Mill – Hanover County Virginia
Absolutely doable. Might as well go to Cold Harbor and Cold Harbor National Cemetery right down the road.
 
I am planning to visit every small battlefield I possibly can. I finally made a listing but I am not 100% sure if all able to be visited but I am going to look for signs and monuments or basically anything. If you have any knowledge of the below please let me know what is left and if there is nothing left I will mark the battle off my list. Here is my listing below:
Battlefields in Virginia:

1861:
Battle of Aquia Creek – Stafford County Virginia
Battle of Blackburn’s Ford – Blackburn’s Ford Bull Run Creek
Battle of Ball’s Bluff – Loudoun County Virginia
Battle of Dranesville – Fairfax County Virginia – Intersection of Georgetown Pike and Leesburg Pike in Herndon historic marker and Dranesville Tavern
Battle of Cockpoint Point – Prince William County Virginia
1862:
Battle of Hancock – Hancock Maryland
Battle of Drewry’s Bluff – Chesterfield County Virginia
Battle of Hanover Court House – Hanover County Virginia
Battle of Seven Pines – Henrico County Virginia
Battle of Oak Grove – Henrico County Virginia
Battle of Beaver Dam Creek – Hanover County Virginia
Battle of Gaines Mill – Hanover County Virginia
Battle of Garnett’s and Golding’s Farm – Henrico County Virginia
Battle of Savage’s Station – Henrico County Virginia
Battle of Glendale – Henrico County Virginia
Battle of White Oak Swamp – Henrico County Virginia
Battle of Malvern Hill – Henrico County Virginia
Battle of Manassas Station Operations – Prince William County
Battle of Thoroughfare Gap – Fauquier County Virginia
Battle of Chantilly – Fairfax County Virginia
1863:
Battle of Salem Church – Spotsylvania County Virginia
Battle of Aldie – Loudoun County Virginia
Battle of Middleburg – Loudoun County Virginia
Battle of Upperville – Loudoun County Virginia
First and Second Battles of Auburn – Fauquier County Virginia
Battle of Bristoe Station – Prince William County Virginia
1864:
Battle of Port Walthall Junction – Chesterfield County Virginia
Battle of Fort Stevens – Silver Spring Maryland Monument
 
Drewry's Bluff is definitely worth seeing. Highly recommend it. Then take short drive to Fort Harrison. Explore the fortifications there. You won't be disappointed. From there a short drive to Malvern Hill. Lots to see there. You can knock these out fairly quickly if you are short on time. These three sites will impress you.
 
I am planning to visit every small battlefield I possibly can. I finally made a listing but I am not 100% sure if all able to be visited but I am going to look for signs and monuments or basically anything. If you have any knowledge of the below please let me know what is left and if there is nothing left I will mark the battle off my list. Here is my listing below:
Battlefields in Virginia:

1861:
Battle of Aquia Creek – Stafford County Virginia
Battle of Blackburn’s Ford – Blackburn’s Ford Bull Run Creek
Battle of Ball’s Bluff – Loudoun County Virginia
Battle of Dranesville – Fairfax County Virginia – Intersection of Georgetown Pike and Leesburg Pike in Herndon historic marker and Dranesville Tavern
Battle of Cockpoint Point – Prince William County Virginia
1862:
Battle of Hancock – Hancock Maryland
Battle of Drewry’s Bluff – Chesterfield County Virginia
Battle of Hanover Court House – Hanover County Virginia
Battle of Seven Pines – Henrico County Virginia
Battle of Oak Grove – Henrico County Virginia
Battle of Beaver Dam Creek – Hanover County Virginia
Battle of Gaines Mill – Hanover County Virginia
Battle of Garnett’s and Golding’s Farm – Henrico County Virginia
Battle of Savage’s Station – Henrico County Virginia
Battle of Glendale – Henrico County Virginia
Battle of White Oak Swamp – Henrico County Virginia
Battle of Malvern Hill – Henrico County Virginia
Battle of Manassas Station Operations – Prince William County
Battle of Thoroughfare Gap – Fauquier County Virginia
Battle of Chantilly – Fairfax County Virginia
1863:
Battle of Salem Church – Spotsylvania County Virginia
Battle of Aldie – Loudoun County Virginia
Battle of Middleburg – Loudoun County Virginia
Battle of Upperville – Loudoun County Virginia
First and Second Battles of Auburn – Fauquier County Virginia
Battle of Bristoe Station – Prince William County Virginia
1864:
Battle of Port Walthall Junction – Chesterfield County Virginia
Battle of Fort Stevens – Silver Spring Maryland Monument
There is only a cw trails sign for port Walthall junction in a Wendy’s parking lot. The battlefield is gone.
As an alternative for Bermuda hundred sites go to the ware bottom church battlefield, it is maintained by chesterfield county and has a short walking loop with interpretation and part of the howlett line is there to see. Parker’s battery is right by it and also battery dantzler is less than a mile away. You can do all 3 of those sites in an hour.
 
Blackburn's Ford has a couple of Civil War Trails markers.

Ball's Bluff is a pretty big park, and a .8 mile trail that is interpreted.

At Cockpit Point, the Confederate batteries are preserved - not sure how big the location is, but I don't think it's all that extensive.

There's a small park in Fairfax County that preserves a part of the Chantilly/Ox Hill battlefield, plus there are a couple of markers.

There are a couple of markers in the Thoroughfare Gap, and I think there's a small trail. Just stick to the local roads, not Interstate 66.

Salem Church is owned by the NPS and has a small trail with interpretation.

Aldie has a monument and two Civil War Trails markers.

Upperville has a bunch of spread out markers.

Middleburg has a park at Mt. Defiance - trails and interpretative signs.

1st and 2nd Auburn has a white historical sign or two. Think the area is all in private hands otherwise.

Bristoe Station has a big park that interprets both the 1862 and 1863 battles.

Fort Stevens is a part of the NPS, and there are remnants / rebuilt parts of the fort to see.
 
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