Civil War Battlefields

Started by JTA, July 25, 2013, 06:09:24 PM

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JTA

Hey guys, I'll be driving through VA via I-95 in a few weeks and was thinking about taking a quick detour to visit a civil war battlefield. I was thinking about checking out either the Petersburg battlefield or the Fredericksburg battlefield. I won't have time for both though. Have any of you visited either of these battlefields? If you had to choose one to visit, which would it be?

Partisan62

Quote from: JTA on July 25, 2013, 06:09:24 PM
Hey guys, I'll be driving through VA via I-95 in a few weeks and was thinking about taking a quick detour to visit a civil war battlefield. I was thinking about checking out either the Petersburg battlefield or the Fredericksburg battlefield. I won't have time for both though. Have any of you visited either of these battlefields? If you had to choose one to visit, which would it be?

JTA, I have visited both and had ancestors in both battles. 

The Petersburg battlefield is more open and you can see the remains of the crater as well as several redoubts and markers. It's larger and can be driven through to tour.

Fredricksburg is interesting because the areas preserved are the Confederate positions  during the battle.  The main park is at Marye's Heights and the wall at the sunken road where the Confederates made their stand.  Unfortunately, in front of this park the once open fields used by the Yankees to attack are now housing and streets; you can't see what Lee and his army saw.

If I had to choose one to visit for the first time, it would be Fredricksburg, just to get a sense of the futility of those doomed Yankee assaults against such a strong position.  If I get to go back, I hope to also visit the area known as the Slaughter Pen Farm.  South of Marye's Heights, Stonewall Jackson formed the right wing there and had a tougher fight that day.

Next time I go back to Fredricksburg, however, I will go in late fall or winter to see it as it would have been in December 1862.

Other battlefields close to I-95 would be the Wilderness/Chancellorsville/Spotsylvania.  Spotsylvania is interesting for the Bloody Angle, a salient in the CSA lines and site of some of the bloodiest fighting of the war.

One more recommendation...if you ever get a chance to see Gettysburg or Sharpsburg (Antietam), take it.  The Antietam battlefield is especially well preserved and worth the trip.

Hope this helps.


JTA

#2
Quote from: Partisan62 on July 26, 2013, 07:15:39 AM
JTA, I have visited both and had ancestors in both battles. 

The Petersburg battlefield is more open and you can see the remains of the crater as well as several redoubts and markers. It's larger and can be driven through to tour.

Fredricksburg is interesting because the areas preserved are the Confederate positions  during the battle.  The main park is at Marye's Heights and the wall at the sunken road where the Confederates made their stand.  Unfortunately, in front of this park the once open fields used by the Yankees to attack are now housing and streets; you can't see what Lee and his army saw.

If I had to choose one to visit for the first time, it would be Fredricksburg, just to get a sense of the futility of those doomed Yankee assaults against such a strong position.  If I get to go back, I hope to also visit the area known as the Slaughter Pen Farm.  South of Marye's Heights, Stonewall Jackson formed the right wing there and had a tougher fight that day.

Next time I go back to Fredricksburg, however, I will go in late fall or winter to see it as it would have been in December 1862.

Other battlefields close to I-95 would be the Wilderness/Chancellorsville/Spotsylvania.  Spotsylvania is interesting for the Bloody Angle, a salient in the CSA lines and site of some of the bloodiest fighting of the war.

One more recommendation...if you ever get a chance to see Gettysburg or Sharpsburg (Antietam), take it.  The Antietam battlefield is especially well preserved and worth the trip.

Hope this helps.

Thanks! Fredericksburg it is.

I almost visited Gettysburg last year when I was staying out in Lancaster PA, but poor weather cancelled those plans.

They're not battlefields, but if you're ever in the area and want to check out a few neat civil war forts/POW camp, check Fort Mott and Fort Delaware:

Fort Delaware:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Delaware
http://www.destateparks.com/park/fort-delaware/

Fort Mott:
http://www.nj.gov/dep/parksandforests/parks/fortmott.html

Confederate Memorial at Ft. Mott:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finn%27s_Point_National_Cemetery

You can catch a ferry from Ft. Mott over to Ft. Delaware or vice versa, so there's tons of things to see in a day. Definitely a good bargain if you're into civil war era forts.

JTA

Quote from: Partisan62 on July 26, 2013, 07:15:39 AM
JTA, I have visited both and had ancestors in both battles. 


Awesome.

Were any items from that time period handed down to you? I've got one Union foot soldier sword handed down from my mom's side of the family, and my pops has what we think to be some kind of officer sword that's been handed down. One of our ancestors was pretty high up in the Union military and was involved in several battles, so there's speculation that it was his, but we don't really know for sure.

My fiancee's dad supposedly has some confederate money, I haven't seen it for myself though, although it would be pretty interesting to see.


Partisan62

Quote from: JTA on July 26, 2013, 05:33:54 PM
Awesome.

Were any items from that time period handed down to you? I've got one Union foot soldier sword handed down from my mom's side of the family, and my pops has what we think to be some kind of officer sword that's been handed down. One of our ancestors was pretty high up in the Union military and was involved in several battles, so there's speculation that it was his, but we don't really know for sure.

My fiancee's dad supposedly has some confederate money, I haven't seen it for myself though, although it would be pretty interesting to see.

Just one rusty bayonet that I can't confirm belonged to my ancestor. We have a few pictures and letters, but not enough.

At one time, I was just a casual reader of Civil War history. When I started a genealogical study of my family and found out about the specific units in which my ancestors served, it became a goal to visit the actual places where they fought. I have enjoyed this far more than just an interest in the general history of the war. I suggest researching your ancestors and follow their paths in the war...it's well worth it. And it can take you to some of the smaller but vital battlefields which few ever see.

Thanks for the suggestions for sites to visit....one of my ancestors was paroled out of Fort Delaware after being captured in the Battle of Bentonville, NC in March 1865.  He had to walk home afterward.