"Visiting ACW sites" Topic

Hello
Given that my children are going to be doing their final school years over the next few years, there won't be any long family trips abroad for a while. So I have been thinking that it would be a good opportunity to do something that no one else in the family would wish to do with me and take myself off alone to the USA for some ACW tourism.

That is a long – winded way of saying that I am looking for advice and recommendations on:
1. battlefield tour companies and their tours;
2. destinations and itineraries;
3. guide books (there seem to be a multitude available, but which are the best?); and
4. any other practical considerations.

I am interested in both the eastern and western (east of the Mississippi) theatres. I am happy to drive myself around if that is the best way of doing it (I understand that the distances are much greater in the west, hey, I'm Australian, I understand long distances). I have looked at some of the tours on offer, but they do seem to rush around. So I was wondering how practical it is to travel by myself to the individual sites and rely on the National Park tours, etc.

I am thinking maybe a three week trip, but I could make it longer if necessary.

Your advice would be much appreciated.

Well for the Eastern theater, I would say that Gettysburg is the most common, best well known, and easily available. The town also is expensive, and it has almost a "Civil War Disneyland-esque" feel to it.
The battlefield feels "commercialized"….

If you want one that is more "natural", and I feel less stressful and crowded, I would say "Sharpsburg". The Yankees call it Antietam….

Stones River in Tennessee is not a bad one either…neither is Franklin or Chickamauga….

The Eastern Theater is very easy to cover on your own using books off the shelf and the National Park audio tours. Lots of good books out there. Get a couple ahead of time and just bring one you like.

I haven't been to any Western Theater battlefields, but it's probably a safe assumption that the battles are easy to cover on your own, just further apart.

After a few days, you might actually get a little bored (Sacrilege, I know!). One week of touring is fun, but I'd think two weeks would be the outside limit.

Obviously, some battlefields have more to offer than others. Gettysburg is probably the most fun. Wilderness/Chancellorsville for example, is, well… wilderness. It's fun to travel the road Stonewall took to flank the Union, but there isn't too much to see.

Don't stress about logistics. We have plenty of decent hotels and good drinking water.

Andy,

Here are some links to Civil War sites that might be of interest to you:

antietam.aotw.org

link

shenandoahatwar.org

yorkblog.com/cannonball

battleoffallingwaters.com

I have been on Civil War tours with the George Tyler Moore Center out of Shepherd University (which is only 4 miles from Antietam) and they are usually excellent.

I have also been with NPS certified Gettysburg Tour guides and they are always excellent and will go into as much detail as you would like.

I live in the Shenandoah Valley and could also suggest you use the site for the valley that I listed. There is a lot of info there for the looking.

The Falling Waters Battlefield site has info about the first fight in the Shenandoah Valley in July of 1861. Part of the battlefield now has a school on it where I used to teach.

I grew up and live here in the Valley, about 12 miles from Sharpsburg (Antietam). PM me if you are interested in further information or if you would like to meet for a beer while you are here. I am not a tour guide but I like to show people around.

Hope you have a good trip.

Larry

If you fly in to Dulles you can get pretty easily to a lot of the battlefields of the ANV. Gettysburg, Antietam, and Manassas are all worth a visit.

The US Army War College Guide to Antietam is great. I also have the ones for Chickamauga and Shiloh and they are also excellent, but I haven't seen the one for Gettysburg.

The eastern battlefields are a must but the western ones are
much less developed.

There are several US Army Staff ride books available. "The Maps of" series of books are great battlefield guides.

In the same area: Bull Run, Chancellorsville, Fredericksburg, the Wilderness. Harper's Ferry is a great site as well.

While not a battlefield I would highly recommend visiting the Museum of the Confederacy in Richmond Virginia. Their collection of ACW artifacts is superb.

moc.org

In addition to those noted above

Blue and Gray Magazine has some nice self tour information on battlefields
PDF link – here is an example of one – missing the maps and photos – but lots of information to get further into the area – their archive list in on the site

I spent a couple of days in Chattanooga, TN at the battlefields and looking at trains. link

A second place I have enjoyed touring was the Carolinas – I was able to tour both Revolutionary war sites as well as civil war ones – link
link

nps.gov/ande/index.htm – Andersonville prison is an interesting stop if you get done to GA – on site there is also the national POW museum and just down the road a drummer boy museum

Downtown Richmond – White House of the Confederacy – there is a nice home and museum related to Jefferson Davis – moc.org

Generally I find the National Park Service rangers and sites helpful

Chickamauga was nice. The Rangers were helpful. One of them had a bit where he'd ask which state you were from, then pull out a map and mark all the monument locations. After touring the battlefield, I wanted to go back and tell him I was from Ohio-tons of monuments and markers.

Lookout Mountain was fogged in, but we did drive along Missionary Ridge and were simply amazed that troops were able to make it up that slope.

Problem is the Western battles aren't close to each other. The Eastern theater is fairly compact in comparison.

All of the above , and Shiloh…quite and away from the hustle of the East..

Lots of good recommendations I would add Perryville in Kentucky, it is one of the least impacted by battlefield encroachment and the people there are really good.

A good source for info on battlefields is found on the U.S. Army Center of Military History. Look under Staff Rides.

history.army.mil

Another good starting point is the Civil War Battlefield Guide it has info on 384 principle battles, I use it but find I want more detailed info if I am going to do a staff ride.

After we took part in the Gettysburg re-enactment a good mate and myself based ourselves in Winchester Va. It is in very easy reach of quite a few battle fields of the the Valley campaign.
We were with walking distance of Kernstown battle field, Gen Jacksons HQ is there, and a museum of the civil war which is well worth a visit. Cedar Creek is is about 20 miles down the road.
Fredricksburg was the farthest field we did, and I would second Sharpsburg.

You didn't say what time of year you were planning on coming, but you might also consider scheduling your trip so it coincides with one of the three big HMGS-East gaming conventions: Historicon, Fall-In, or Cold Wars. Historicon is located in Fredricksburg, VA and the other two in Lancaster, PA making all of them ideal for fitting into an itinerary of visiting ACW sites.

Regardless which battlefield you go to check out this website below. They have many podcasts with maps for walking and driving tours. Down load them for free. It would be perfect for you since you've never been to the battlefields. Some are really really good even for veteran CW buffs.

link

Harper's Ferry, WV is worth checking out too, especially if you want a break from looking at open fields. They have a 1860's era village there, and you can check out some of the machinery used at the armory (still in working order).

Although out of chronological order, you could easily hit up all the eastern theater in two weeks, without much of a rush.

Start up to Gettysburg, then south to Antietam and then to Harper's Ferry. Into Maryland, stop over to Frederick for the Museum of Civil War medicine. Amazing displays and nice people. After that, it's down the Valley taking in New Market, Winchester, and then to VMI. After that, you have a choice to make.

You could continue south and west to Chattanooga and then move to the Western battlefields. Shiloh, Vicksburg are well worth the time, especially Vicksburg. A quick stop in Jackson, Mississippi to visit the state capitol where they have several CS uniforms and battle flags on display.

Otherwise, after leaving VMI, you could head to Appomattox, Saylor's Creek and then Petersburg, turn north to hit Richmond and the Museum of the Confederacy, and then east for the Peninsula campaign.

Personally, I'd do the two weeks in the east, and schedule another trip later to take in the Western battlefields. There are so many to see that doing it by theater is, to my mind, a better idea.

I've been to all of them and I'm also available for any advice. Especially when it comes to touring via car. There are some options you might consider.

I agree with TKindred. If you have a limited time I would do the Gettysburg, Antietam and Harper's Ferry leg.

As noted above, the Virginia battlefields, Gettysburg and Antietam are all fairly close to one another (if you're here for even a week, you can get the last two and most of the first in).

If you fly into Washington (either Dulles or BWI) you will be in the middle of the majority of the action in the East. Use Northern Virginia as a base (cheaper than staying in Washington itself) and draw a circle of 200km. That will get you to both Battles of Manassas, Antietam, Gettysburg, Fredericksburg, Harpers Ferry, Wilderness, Chancellorsville, Spottsylvania, the Seven Days, Monocacy, the Valley Campaign, and a host of other sites. You have about two weeks occupied right there.

I happen to live at the center of the circle I just described. If you want any more details feel free to PM me any time.

If you travel to Nashville,using it as your hub, you can visit the following battlefields Perryville, Ft. Donelson, Nashville, Franklin, Spring Hill, Murfressboro, Hoovers Gap, Chattanooga (Chickamaugua and Lookout Mountain), Knoxville, Shilo, and Corinth. Some would take a full day, others not so much. You could even make excursions to the Atlanta Area. Some of these are small parks and others are National Battlefield Parks. The Murfressboro battlefield has suffered from encroaching development for the last 15 years. Some land was added to the park but much of the surrounding landscape that use to be farmland has now been developed, the most telling is the medical center built smack dab where McCooks Corps began the battle and was overrun.
In addition, there are many distillerys with tours in the areas covered and musical entertainment.
I'd also recommend the Charleston/Savannah area.

Also check out Penlan Park in Petersburg VA.

I highly recommend the battlefields around Richmond, and especially the huge earthworks SE of the city. Nobody goes there so you have the place to yourself. The works will make you almost feel like you are visiting a WW1 battlefield and stretch for miles. There are plenty of small battlefields for the 7 days battles and a few other skirmishes that are easy drives, and there a maps online that give you a nice driving route for all the CW sites.

Hey hey hey… If you are going to Gettysburg and Antietam you must not pass by Monocacy battlefield. It is just a mile or two east of Fredrick, MD. I was just there last summer for the first time after having passed by it numerous times and It is a hidden gem not to be missed! Most of the field looks almost the same and much of the land on which 90% battle was fought has been preserved. The museum is brand new and good but not superb. The collection is small but growing. They have a LED battlefield map which is outstanding. The podcasts above for this battle is a huge help while driving around. Don't miss it.

You'll need about… 4 hours for this one though. Do yourself a favor though, read up on the battle before going. It helps since there are a few monuments and informational signs but not nearly as good as some other fields. The podcast helps a lot though.

Monocacy is 30 minutes south of Gettysburg too.

Grossman,

Did you mean Pamplin Historical Park? That's a good one especially for folks not that knowledgeable about the CW.

A number of years ago, I did my own solo tour of sites in Virginia. I brought along my copy of James McPherson's
"Civil War Atlas". It gives decent, clear maps and summaries of the battles/campaigns. I found myself carrying it around while walking the battlefields, and referring to it.
If you can swing it, try to visit the battlefields during the week, instead of weekends ( perhaps using weekends to do the museums). The sites will be quiet, and the Park Rangers more than willing to chat your ear off.

Also, get a hold of this book: The Complete Civil War Road Trip Guide: 10 Weekend Tours and More than 400 Sites, from Antietam to Zagonyi's Charge by Michael Weeks. They sell it on Amazon. It will help you while driving to ALL sites in the U.S. He has additional tour books about the CW that are well worth the money. Good information for traveling.

Chattanooga/Chickamauga is in a very colorful area and the Chickamauga battlefield is well preserved. It's within easy driving distance of Atlanta, Nashville, Knoxville, Shiloh and Fort Donelson. Nashville is fairly easy to fly into; Atlanta is a major airline hub (probably second only to Chicago) but most of the battlefields around it have been overgrown by the city.

If you go to that area, be sure to try the barbeque!

In the east, Appomattox is a nice site, not visited often enough (especially by Southerners who need to be reminded that Lee surrendered!)

Aussie Andy, I have been a lifelong CW buff, Roundtabler, re-enactor and wargamer in 15mm and now 28 mm. My 2 cents worth:

I hate Gettysburg. Disneyland for the "unknowing" who want to "teach" their children about the CW by dining at General Pickett's Buffet, and visiting the Jenny Wade Souvenir Shop. Then there is the overdone NPS Vistor Center museum.

However, You have got to go there. To see the Cyclorama, the bookstores, and Ron Tunison's statues and the Virginia Monument. But don't spend too long. Just down the road is Antietam, South Mountain and Monocacy, these battlefields being much "closer" to the way it was in 1862-4. Also the excellent CW Medical Museum in Frederick, not to be missed.

If you visit Richmond, don't miss the White House of the Confederacy, which is right next door to the Museum of the Confederacy. Pamplin Park and the Petersburg NPS sites are nearby.

Starting at Chickmauga-Chattanooga, the interstate takes you to Atlanta along the route of Sherman's advance. Company Aytch and Soldiering by Rice Bull are the participant's memoirs.

Atlanta History Center has the best CW museum in the nation IMHO. Not to be missed. Then on to Columbus,Georgia and the CW Naval Museum, the second best. Nearby is Andersonville. Puts a little perspective on the war, it does. Also nearby is the Jimmy Carter birthplace, a NPS site. A needed corrective to the "Tara version" of life in the South.

Finally, Blue & Gray magazine offers reprints of some of their single battle issues, with very detailed maps for self drive tours, and written by a very knowledgable expert.

Of course, you will read up before hand, and bring lots of money, and do what you want to. This may be the sole chance of a life time.

Thank you all very much. I am overwhelmed by the number and kindness of your responses.

I will get a copy of The Complete Civil War Road Trip Guide. I have also started to go through he on line resources which have been recommended.

I have lots of Civil War boks, including all of the Maps of series, but it isn't going to be practical to haul them across the Pacific and back. So I am looking for useful guide books that, preferably, aren't too bulky. I'll also photocopy stuff to take, so that I can throw it out as I go.

I will definitely be travelling in Autumn (Fall) or Spring, rather than Summer (the fact that Melbourne is experiencing its fourth 40 degrees celsius plus day in a row, today's forecast is for 45, dosn't get me all enthusiastic for trying to walk battlefields in the middle of Summer). So Fall – In or Cold Wars will be on the agenda, but not Historicon. My only experience of the US in Summer was in San Francisco, but it didn't get very hot where we were staying, at Fort Mason on the Bay, when it was stinking hot elsewhere.

I like the idea of basing myself at two or three central points and doing day trips.

Do the larger battlefield sites have guided tours or do you just take your own audio tours?

The more I think about this, the more that I think that I should take this year to plan and read up before making the trip in 2014.

I will no doubt ask more questions.

Thank you all again for your help.

Pop into Brandy Station, VA if you get a chance. The largest cavalry battle ever on the North American continent and the museum is a very interesting place to visit. It was a battle hospital and there's lots of graffiti from the wounded still on the walls.

Check this out:

link

An old but cogent joke is about the guy who says the coldest winter he ever spent was one summer in San Francisco.

The SE of the US can get pretty warm and humid in summer and is haven for nasty critters like mosquitos, so, I think you are wise to aim for spring or fall. You might run into rain at just about any time of year, so hard to plan around that possibility. The last time I was at Chickamauga there was a light mist falling and it was fairly cool, but that was good, because it meant that my wife and I had the place pretty much to ourselves. Same thing happened at Appomattox -- had to roust the Ranger out into the cold to open up the McLean house for us.

Ghost6. Thanks for posting the link to the Preservation Trust. It is a great organization. I refer to my CWPT baseball hat as the most expensive article of clothing I own.

If I had only limited time to take in sites of the Civil War in the east and had a car, the must see list would include:
GETTYSBURG
ANTIETAM
MANASSAS
FREDRICKSBURG
PAMPLIN VA (park & Museum)
APPOMATTOX

Depending on time, interest and inclination there is a good deal that could be added to this.

From Antietam you are only a short distance from both Harpers Ferry and Fredrick MD. I used to like visiting Harpers Ferry but found the emphasis was more on John Brown's raid than on the Civil War itself. Fredrick MD has the Museum of Civil War Medicine and just to the east is the Battle of Monocacy.

If you are in Washington you could check out one or more of the Civil War era forts. This could include Fort Marcy in Arlington, Fort Ward in Alexandria, and Fort Foote and Fort Washington in Fort Washington MD. None should take more than an hour or be worthy of a special trip, but if you are in DC anyways…. If you are visiting Bull Run you might consider a side trip to Bristoe Battlefield.

I included Fredricksburg mainly because you have four battlefields in a fairly small area. Headed south you could also hit battlefields and museums in Richmond and Petersburg. You could also take a side trip down the Peninsula and perhaps go see Fort Monroe and the U.S. Monitor at Newport News. (Or you could take a break from the Civil War and hit Williamsburg and Yorktown for the AWI or Jamestown.)

Surprising given its importance in the war, the Shenandoah Valley doesn't have a large number of good civil war sites. The best IMO are Cedar Creek and New Market.

A great site to see whats out there:

CivilWarAlbum.
link

Thnaks again for all the suggestions above.

I am coming over in time to attend Cold Wars and will then do a loop through Virginia and Pennsylvania before heading down to Tennessee.

Regards

First class or coach?

Gettysburg is Disneyland huh?

Seriously?

Some of you make it sound like it's not worth visiting.

The NPS has spent a ton of money clearing trees, rebuilding fences, purchasing land and restoring it, all in an effort to restore the battlefield back to its 1863 condition.

Don't listen to any of that noise AussieAndy, Gettysburg is a must see; my assumption is those comments are from people who went once in the 1970's and haven't gone back since.

It's an amazing place, as you walk those fields and take it all in, it will hit you where you live if you have a soul.

Antietam is also a must see, from there head to First and Second Bull Run, The Wilderness, Chancellorsville, Spotsylvania, Fredericksburg, Cold Harbor, the Seven Days Battles, Petersburg and the cherry on the Sundae, where it all ended for the South, Appomattox Courthouse.

Best of luck to you, safe travels and above all, enjoy every minute of it.

If you are going out to the west, Perryville in Kentucky is a gem. It's a battlefield that you need to walk to appreciate.

Vicksburg, down in Mississippi is worth it because of the USS Cairo.

Have a great trip.

Vouch for Bill N's post plus Monocacy. They're sometimes a little cheesy, but it's worth seeing if you cna time your visit to fit in with a re-enactment. We saw the one at Monocacy a few years back. Our expectations were not high, but it was brilliant; more participants than spectators so you got a really good view of (I'd guess) maybe 3000 people on the battlefield.
Gettysburg is excellent and you can arrange to ride a horse over significant parts of the battlefield – well worthwhile.

Definitely Vicksburg. A lot of the trench systems are well preserved.

I (with two friends) visited Manassas, New Market, Fort Pillow, Murfreesboro, Franklin, Shiloh, Chickamauga, Kennesaw Mountain, Fort's Moultrie and Sumpter and Fort Fisher in North Carolina. Independently I also made trips to Gettysburg, Fredericksburg and Harpers' Ferry ….and for my money i'd have to pick Shiloh, Chickamauga and Kennesaw as my personal highlights. Special mention does have to be given however to the Carter House in Franklin and Little Round Top guided by the incomparable Gary Kross!

further …if funds were available I would love to visit Helena, Prairie Grove, Pea Ridge, Fayetteville, Jenkins' Ferry and Poison Springs …all Arkansas. Wilson's Creek, Pilot Knob, Westport and Lexington in Missouri. Honey Springs/Fort Gibson in what i'm now guessing would be Oklahoma? Mansfield/Pleasant Hill and New Orleans in Louisiana would be awesome too!

My acw bucket-list