"Our National Battlefields" Topic

For anyone in wargaming, I heartily recommend visiting one of our many National Battlefield Parks and walking the ground upon which the men trod. Terrain is an essential component of interpreting a battle and translating that experience onto the terrain of a miniature wargame.

Great battlefield maps which so many of the parks carry provide detailed information on fence rows, and crop cover, all of whihc influenced maneuvering upon the field.

I am biased toward Antietam but since the park has opened so many terrific interpretive trails it has created a tremendous opportunity of the historian and the gamer.

This is an invitation to walk our national treasures and see them as the men saw them. Thanks.

I've gotten a different perspective on Gettysburg since the trees were cut back to the 1863 lines.

You really get a feel for what happened at Devil's Den and Little Round Top.

I've been to more National and State battlefields than I can count now. Enjoyed myself at each one.

Yes and this is very eye-opening at Antietam. The rolling hills seem to have little difference in games but when you go there is it a HUGE deal. You will understand why things happened the way they did. You can NOT get that understanding just by looking at a map.

I'll second what avidgamer said. The gentle rolling at Antietam is something most would never model on their table but it had a huge impact on the battle.

I enjoy Antietam very much. I have walked from one end to the other and back twice now, once while dragging my girls along. Actually, they rather enjoyed it. I love Antietam because it is not covered in memorials. My kids loved Gettysburg as well. I also have walked Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville in the last couple of years, and dragged my Dad, my BIL, and my nephew to Olustee last Christmas. I've done quite a few others, but those were in the last 2 years. A flat map does not show you all the little rolls in the landscape.

My mother took a couple of Civil War classes at the community college in Texas (free for senior citizens) and she and my father went all over the place to different battlefields.

There are some areas that had major action and while there you can't even see another close section of the battlefield. You feel almost cut-off from the rest.

Our?? Not if you are in the UK or Australia, or Europe?

> Our?? Not if you are in the UK or Australia, or Europe?

Geez, always have to have at least one in every thread…

Yep. And rightly so when you start that vaguely. :-)

Although I too have brought my small son along on my travels, I've always found that i get the most out of touring a battlefield when I do it on a weekday, by myself.
The quiet gives one a chance to appreciate both the gravity of what went on years ago, and a chance to aborb the impact of the ground on the battle.

That's nice if you live in traveling distance of a national park battlefield. Most of the battlefields I visit are on private land. They are overgrown with mesquite and other shorter grasses taking over where once the tall prairie grasses grew. There's always a barbed wire fence to contend with & maybe a curious old cow. Sometimes there's a small sign on the side of the road that says such & such engagement took place near here. There's usually litter in the ravines & dry creek beds where men took shelter & sometimes died.

Yet, if you listen closely, you can still hear the thunder of hooves & Comanche war cries. Men doing brave things & men doing foolish things. Somehow the McDonald's wrapper fades away & you can see Texas Ranger David Bailey riding for his life from the Kiowa or you can see Quanah Parker charging Lt. Carter's skirmish line with only a revolver.

I also appreciate Sharpsburg (Antietam)…sad that the neaby town is such a dump…

Also, may I recommend Stones River? Not as big anymore as some of the Eastern battlefields, part of it is now a housing area, but you can still get a good idea of it…

Gettysburg has to be one of my favorite places, partly because of the history and partly because it's in such a lovely part of the country. I have little difficulty in persuading Mrs. Mad Doctor to visit the area with me. I'm lucky in that it is only two hours from my home.

At the other extreme, we took a trip to Virginia a few weeks back, and Fredericksburg proved to be a grave disappointment. The stone wall is there, but the sprawl of the town has crept up Marye's Heights, completely covering the ground on which so many Union soldiers died. It's a wake-up call to preservationists--once gone, it's very difficult to reclaim sacred soil.

I was lucky enough to spend a little time in the States a few years ago and managed to see most of the 'bigger' Eastern battlefields, from Gettysburg to Petersburg. Very impressed, bought it to life. Really liked Pamplin Park as well.
Came away with a bag full of information leaflets, guides and lots of photos.
I'm trying to convince my wife that I'd like another trip to see more, but I'd understand if she'd rather stay on a beach.

Some years back I took a drive in tour of the Atlanta Campaign from start to finish. I had a book that marked all the areas near the roads and explained what happened where. I did encounter a Southern Bull with one almost centered horn lurking low in the brush that hated Yankees and was ready to continue the War Between the States if I would just step over the fence….

I found a bridge where one of my ancestor's Cavalry unit fought an engagement. Odd thinking that if I could have just gone back in time I could of reassured the young whippersnapper that he would survive.

One of the coolest things about Gettysburg are the left and right flank markers. The Virginia and Antietam battlefields are great because they are not wall to wall monuments. Someday I'll see more of the western battlefields than what I have.

I'm walking Brandy Station in a couple of weeks in prep for fielding the fight in 3 parts come September.

One of the coolest things about Gettysburg are the left and right flank markers. The Virginia and Antietam battlefields are great because they are not wall to wall monuments. Someday I'll see more of the western battlefields than what I have.

Agree on the monuments. Over the past few years my son and I have been revisiting many of the battlefields I first saw when I was a teen. Gettysburg has a good deal going for it, but the overabundance of monuments is something that turned both my son and I off.

I've been partial to Chickamauga, but a lot of that has to do with the fact I've been able to visit it many times. The main thing to remember, especially with southern woods, is they appear much denser today that they appeared during the ACW. This is mainly due to kudzu and some forms of honeysuckle which had yet to be introduced to North America. In particular Chickamauga woods had much less undergrowth than they do today. Taking a tour makes you realize the importance of the various fields that were fought over. And it is a real revelation to view the small ridge that runs north-south through Brotherton Field such that units on the western edge could not see units 50 yards away on the eastern edge and vice versa. You seldom see this on maps of that battlefield.

The rangers at Chickamauga have been clearing the underbrush from various sections of woods on the battlefield lately.

Undergrowth in the woods is a major problem on a lot of fields. During the ar domesticated pigs often had free range which kept the vegetation down. Cow herds often had free range of sorts also. It probably would not be a good idea to turn pigs loose on the fields. Imaging hog crossing signs along 50 mph roads.

My daughter and I will be visiting Manassas this summer. She's graduating from high school and still likes to visit ACW sites.

We'll also visit with my wife Antietam as well. Great park that one is.

Joe

JMP,

The number of deer at most NBPs seem keep vegetation down some too. from the ground up to about as hight as a deer can raise its head there are no leaves, weeds, etc in areas that aren't fenced off or are otherwise inaccessable. Deer aren't quite as ravenous as pigs, sheep, cows or other domesticated farm animals, but they do a pretty good job still!

See picture #8 in this link which is a nice little picture site that someone built.

cabin4clw,

When you visit, make sure to bring your walking shoes, and be prepared for bugs. Unlike Gettysburg or Antietam, there is a much more limited road network supporting navigation of the park, particularly for the areas where the 2nd battle was mostly fought.

Yet, if you listen closely, you can still hear the thunder of hooves & Comanche war cries. Men doing brave things & men doing foolish things. Somehow the McDonald's wrapper fades away & you can see Texas Ranger David Bailey riding for his life from the Kiowa or you can see Quanah Parker charging Lt. Carter's skirmish line with only a revolver.

Yes, there are places like that from the Nez Perce War, too. Whitebird Hill makes you think "who in their right mind would fight here". 10 miles of ~15% slopes.

@Gravett Islander: have you been to Virginia Beach? The wife can park herself on the shore or go shopping, you can go exploring some of the closer battlefields (both Revolution and ACW).

The National Park Service has been for a number of years returning the military parks to their condition at the time a battle took place. Park service employees and volunteers have been working diligently to clear brush, rebuilding and in some cases reconstructing buildings, fences and roads. Artillery has been identified as to type and placed in it's positions during the battle.

Antietam is very much like it was at the time of the battle. It is not overrun with monuments as the other parks and is almost pristine. If you live near a battlefield park, look into volunteering your time for such a worthy cause.

These are links to efforts at Gettysburg and one of my favorite parks, Pea Ridge.

link

link

Work is also underway at our American Revolution sites such as Cowpens. Check out the NPS website for more informaiton.

nps.gov/index.htm