October battlefield visit suggestions

NFB22

Sergeant Major
Joined
Jun 21, 2012
Location
Louisville, KY
I'm planning a few weekend trips next month before it cools off too much and was wondering if anyone had any other ideas that maybe near where I'm heading. I know @Buckeye Bill has traveled the region I plan to go pretty extensively. I know visitor centers/museums are still shut down but I haven't been out to explore any sites since the beginning of this whole COVID mess and I'm getting a little bit of cabin fever. Any and all suggestions welcome!

The first trip I'm heading south from Louisville with the ultimate destination of Fort Donelson. I'm thinking of making a side trip along the way to the reconstructed Civil War fort at Glasgow, KY (Fort Williams) since it's not far off I-65 which I will be taking to Bowling Green, KY before I cut west for for Dover.

My second trip I'm looking at heading to Tebb's Bend Battlefield Park. After that I plan to head west and check out what I can see at Munfordville although their website says access is more or less restricted right now, I'm assuming due to COVID. I also plan to stop in Shepherdsville, KY to see the site of a Civil War fort there that protected a rail bridge over the Salt River on my way back to Louisville.

(A few sites that aren't on the list: Bardstown and Perryville as I've been to both multiple times already and Mill Springs as I'm waiting for COVID to die down so I can visit their museum.)
 
Since you reside in Louisville, I would head east towards Richmond (The Richmond Battlefield). After Richmond, I would travel south to the Camp Wildcat Battlefield. It will be a great time of the year to walk the trails (less vegetation and snakes). Then I would travel southeast towards the Cumberland Gap National Park. In my opinion, this is an American Civil War site which is overlooked. The trails to Fort McCook and Fort Lyon (cannon might not be at it spot - renovation due to vandalism) are definitely worth the trek. After touring the gap, you could head east to Greeneville, Tennessee or south to Knoxville, Tennessee. There are plenty of ACW sites in these cities. If you decide to head west from the gap, there are tons of ACW battlefields in middle and western Tennessee. As you travel north towards your hometown, you can stop at Munfordville, Kentucky. Their tourist organization still does not have an official tour stop map. You can find the stops with markers on www.hmdb.org. Just punch in Battle of Munfordville. I wouldn't go out of my way to Glasgow unless you are in the vicinity. Fort Williams is neat but not a must see unless you want to cross it off your Bucket List.

I am very impressed with the ACW sites in the state of Kentucky!

Bill

* Feel free to send me a personal message or email.
 
I have thought about an October trip. As I drive to and from Michigan down to Florida and back I pass Camp Wildcat and have never stopped to see it. I always drive by at an inconvenient time to stop. If I do take an October trip I will have to decide on Tennessee or Kentucky as I could not do both. I am not sure how many things are closed due to COVID, so in the end I may just put the trip off to spring when more places are open.
 
Since you reside in Louisville, I would head east towards Richmond (The Richmond Battlefield). After Richmond, I would travel south to the Camp Wildcat Battlefield. It will be a great time of the year to walk the trails (less vegetation and snakes). Then I would travel southeast towards the Cumberland Gap National Park. In my opinion, this is an American Civil War site which is overlooked. The trails to Fort McCook and Fort Lyon (cannon might not be at it spot - renovation due to vandalism) are definitely worth the trek. After touring the gap, you could head east to Greeneville, Tennessee or south to Knoxville, Tennessee. There are plenty of ACW sites in these cities. If you decide to head west from the gap, there are tons of ACW battlefields in middle and western Tennessee. As you travel north towards your hometown, you can stop at Munfordville, Kentucky. Their tourist organization still does not have an official tour stop map. You can find the stops with markers on www.hmdb.org. Just punch in Battle of Munfordville. I wouldn't go out of my way to Glasgow unless you are in the vicinity. Fort Williams is neat but not a must see unless you want to cross it off your Bucket List.

Great suggestions. I feel like Richmond, Camp Wildcat along with a stop off in Frankfort to visit some sites there would be trip within itself. Maybe an early spring trip in 2021 when I try to make it to Mil Springs.

Glasgow I will probably only stop if I have time on my return from Fort Donelson to check out the fort and the monument they have in town. I'm pretty set on Fort Donelson as I have never been there. There's also a monument around Horse Cave, KY for an unknown Confederate soldier but it's on private property and I haven't been able to nail down the exact location and don't want to be trudging around someone's property searching for it. Also realized that Lincoln's birthplace would be along the way when I head to Tebb's Bend and/or Munfordville.
 
Great suggestions. I feel like Richmond, Camp Wildcat along with a stop off in Frankfort to visit some sites there would be trip within itself. Maybe an early spring trip in 2021 when I try to make it to Mil Springs.

Glasgow I will probably only stop if I have time on my return from Fort Donelson to check out the fort and the monument they have in town. I'm pretty set on Fort Donelson as I have never been there. There's also a monument around Horse Cave, KY for an unknown Confederate soldier but it's on private property and I haven't been able to nail down the exact location and don't want to be trudging around someone's property searching for it. Also realized that Lincoln's birthplace would be along the way when I head to Tebb's Bend and/or Munfordville.

I have visited Fort Donelson three times since 2009. Each visit opened my comprehension of this battle and especially battles which occurred along a river.

I would also recommend a tour of the Jefferson Davis birthplace complex in Fairview, Kentucky and the Columbus-Belmont State Park in Columbus, Kentucky. I was very impressed with both venues.

The Tebbs Bend Battlefield was a pleasant surprise. I included this battlefield on my John Hunt Morgan tour through the state of Kentucky in 2018.

Bill
 
Forgive me if I missed the follow-up to this, but I"m curious where you ended up visiting? Or did the covid surge keep you from coming East?
Sure did. Here a few of the threads I posted after my trip down. I also visited Munfordville but it was closed except for views from the road.

 
Near Dallas, Tx the battlefields/reenactment areas are few and far between. There are only 2 places within 1-2 days drive and both have cancelled the activities for this spring and early summer. Jefferson, Tx that does a great little reenactment of the battle that never was, and Ft Richardson is more of a CW fair vs a reenactment. No current info on the Battle of Palmito/Palmetto Ranch 2021 reenactment. From the looks of it, not much is scheduled for spring or summer of this year. The fall might present more opportunities. Prairie Grove, Arkansas has cancelled May and December's activities.

The state of Oklahoma has many places not showing cancelled, as of yet. Keep in mind some of these activities only take place every 3 years. This might be a place to consider in the summer - if you like hot and windy.

--BBF
 
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