Top 10 American Civil War Battlefields and Sites

Buckeye Bill

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Here are my Top 10 American Civil War battlefields and sites I have visited.

1) Pea Ridge National Military Park
2) Shiloh National Military Park
3) Perrysville Battlefield State Historic Site
4) Museum of the Confederacy
5) Mill Springs Battlefield
6) Vicksburg National Military Park
7) Antietam National Battlefield
8) Fort Sumter National Historic Site
9) Appomattox Courthouse National Historic Site
10) Gettysburg National Military Park
 
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Interesting list, I need to get busy travelling.

Been to Gettysburg as a child and with CWT members, a couple times, as an adult. Went to Vicksburg with CWT last month. Both are great places to visit, learn about and understand.

Honestly, I was underwhelmed visiting Sharpsburg. The Antietam National Military Park in my view is a shrine to the Union Army. There are only a couple of Confederate monuments there, placed relatively recently.

The Confederate side of the story is told in dry language on markers placed around the park, but oh, those Union Heroes have obelisks every thirty yards, marking their glorious......stalemate.

It was not a decisive victory but you would think the War ended at Sharpsburg from the way it's presented. Seeing the terrain is definitely worth the visit, but I wish they'd made a better effort when they laid the place out. Just my two cents.
 
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I've only been to four of your sites but can certainly see why many of them are on your top ten. Not having seen that many sites I can only say that right now Cold Harbor and Spotsylvania are close to the top for me. They were both real shootouts and they both have a lot of trench work remaining. I liked Fredericksburg, too, because of the significance of that battle and because you can walk along the stone wall and, if you take a drive, also see a lot of trench work.
 
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I will give my top ten, but remember I like uniforms and such so my list might be bias.

1. Gettysburg National Military Park
2. Battle of Chickamauga, the muskets and rifles collection is impressive, the battlefield is interesting
3. Antietam National Battlefield, for some reason this is one battlefield I really enjoyed, perhaps there was a certain sad feeling there.
4. Bull Run/ Manassas, two battle for the price of one.
5. Shiloh National Military Park
6. Vicksburg National Military Park
7. Museum of the Confederacy
8. Tennessee State Museum, great uniforms , I was allowed to tour the storage area and view the Confederate battle flags.
9. National Civil War Naval Museum, but only if you also spend a day at the nearby Infantry Museum
10. Civil War Museum Kenosha Wisconsin, You walk through the War and get to "interact" with motion activated Civil War manikins. Also you get to stand in the center of a battle and have a 360 degree view.

Some others can make the list: Appomattox Courthouse National Historic Site, this probably need to find a spot on the top ten. Battle of Kennesaw Mountain, you get to see the mountain and the view from the mountain is great. Pea Ridge National Military Park an ancestor with my last name won a Medal of Honor and promoted to general, so I had a personal connection. Harpers Ferry, important site, a lot to see and beautiful place.
 
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Had to first write down ten. Then reorder. I need to get out more...

Antietam
Gettysburg
Spotsylvania
Franklin - admittedly snuck away from work one day to see this. Needed more time but was impressed with what I saw
Monocacy
McDowell - really enjoyed the hike and serene setting
Bull Run
Malvern Hill
Cold Harbor - not much field is protected, but I really enjoyed walking through the earthworks.
Civil War Museum - Bardstown, KY - if ever in the area this is an outstanding museum
 
1. Antietam and South Mountain (the three gaps)
2. Vicksburg (including Grant's advance from Jackson, especially if you've got Alan Polk for a guide)
3. Gettysburg (been there at least half a dozen times, but always something new to discover)
4. Pamplin Historical Park
5. Fredericksburg town and battlefield park (especially walking the Slaughter Pen up to the railroad)
6. Driving Lee's Retreat route
7. Spotsylvania
8. Petersburgh siege routes using the CWT Battle App driving tours (from City Point to Five Forks).
9. The catfish po'boy at The Tomato Place near Vicksburg
10. Appomattox park (disillusioning that not much is original, but still...) including the new museum (amazing uniforms)
 
My goal with this thread is for others to list THEIR Top 10 ACW battlefields and sites.

Bill
Top 10 that we have been to? There are quite a few places I have not been that might jump into the Top 10 were I to visit them.
 
I have been to many Civil War sites but don't think I made it up to 10 battlefield parks.

Great non-battlefield sites:

1) Ford's Theater, Washington DC
2) Plymouth Church, Brooklyn NY
3) National Portrait Gallery, Washington DC
4) Hampton Plantation, Towson, MD

...

5) Fort Monroe, Va.
6) Lexington, Va.
7) Middletown, MD

...
 
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OK. Here are my 10 top battlefields, not necessarily in ranked order.

Gettysburg
Antietam
Chancellorsville
Port Republic/Cross Keys
Shiloh
Franklin (in its present configuration)
Shy’s Hill
Spring Hill
Anthony’s Hill and Sugar Creek (Forrest’s last 2 stands covering Hood’s retreat from Tennessee).
Second Manassas campaign.
 
9. National Civil War Naval Museum, but only if you also spend a day at the nearby Infantry Museum

This, this, this. I drove through Columbus, Georgia on my way home from the CWT Vicksburg muster. I'd an eye to visit the Naval museum and really enjoyed it.

I called an uncle (an Air Force guy, ironically) who knew the Navy museum and told me to get myself over to Ft. Benning's Infantry Museum. I took the advice and am really glad I did - it is a top shelf museum. Anyone travelling through the area should go and see it.
 
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